So my female rat 2 1/2 yrs old suddenly died last night leaving her cagemate/sister alone, they have always been super close and cuddly with each other and I'm unsure how to handle letting her grieve. Should I change the cage, fluff, bedding etc ASAP or let it be for a while. I know she knows she's gone, due to a noticeable change in letting us pet and hold her for longer time out in the open, and me and my fiancé are spending a lot of time with her to make sure she feels loved, and still seems happy.. With her being slightly older than her sis I don't know if getting another is even a viable option, being older and especially because she has hormonal aggression sometimes.
Mainly, as far as the cage should I change it sooner than later so her sisters smell is less noticeable to her so she can "get passed" the loss or leave it for a few days and then change all the bedding and clean cage at once?
Any other grieving tips that can help would be helpful, thanks.
