this may sound dumb but i used to have a pet rat when i was younger, now i always seeem to have very vivid dreams involving this rat, i cant remember all of the dream but it always happenes when i have to make important decisions in life
perhapse the rat spirit is your spirit allie. i think maybe just a good friend who is there to calm you. i believe that all mammels have souls, even mice and rats, and i know i have spirit critter friends that curl up on top of my covers when i go to sleep. this might not be exactly the same thing. but there are many kinds of people and creatures that show up in my dreams when there are any that do at all. it sounds very much to me that this is your helper and friend spirit. =^^= .../\...
there's no just. not that all spirit creatures are any big deal or anything, but just as with humans, we can sometimes experience those that have passed on in our dreams, whether or how much we miss them or not, doesn't really that i can see, have that much to do with it. =^^= .../\...