I've got a rat that I've had for two years. You get attached to them. I hope the opperation goes well. To awnser the question though I don't know who would. I would miss the rat but I think spending a few hundred bucks on it would be insane.
When my pet betta, Vash, died, I cried everytime I saw his empty fishbowl. When you take care of something for a long time; and I don't care if it's a fucking plant, if it dies, it's natural to feel sad.