A Recent Rodent Theme. What Could It Mean?

I am not one to remember what I’ve dreamt in the least. Even the good ones escape me as soon as I’m up and moving about.

I’ve recently had two dreams with a very specific tie.
About a month ago, I dreamt that two cats (that were not mine) got a live mouse as a birthday present. They had played with this mouse and basically scalped it. Once I realized the poor thing was past the point of no return, I took it upon myself to put it out of its misery by stepping on its head. I felt like I had no other choice. I couldn’t see it struggle.

Last night, I dreamt that I was taking care of a pet hamster (unclear if it was mine or not), and I was also sleeping over at a friend‘s house who had a large dog. Somehow, in the middle of the night, the hamster escaped and managed to nuzzle into my arms, and I was exhausted, so I kept it there and stayed asleep. I awoke in the dream because the dog decided to cuddle up to me which caused the hamster to stir, and consequently, the dog attacked the hamster. Again, this little rodent was severely injured, and I put it out of its misery. I snapped its neck this time.

Not sure if it matters, but I currently have two cats and one dog and also had several hamsters and mice in the past. I am a lover of all things critter. I wouldn’t exactly label this a nightmare as I can put up with a fair amount of gore and discomfort, but it was certainly unpleasant to wake up to.

I’ve done some quick reading on killing an animal in a dream, but have had less luck on merciful killing stories versus pure evil. It also just struck a cord because I never remember my dreams anyway, and I especially don’t remember repeating occurrences within them. Any info would be super appreciated.