Why do Rats Get Such a Bad Rep

Photo by Danielle Sarracino

Whenever I would bring up the idea of getting a pet rat almost everyone would question why I would want to have a rat as a pet. The negative reputation that rats have gained because of things that happened in the past and through the media has impacted how people think them. Many things that people think about rats have an element of truth to them, but are mostly false due to the over exaggeration of the negative aspects and not enough focus on the positives. One of the earliest thoughts of rats being dirty creatures is during the middle ages when they "spread" the black plague, when in fact they were only carriers of the true vector, the flea. There is no denying that most of the time in the wild, if you could call the underbelly of large cities the wild, in areas that are quite filthy, which is due to the fact that they are creatures that are around to be food to other animals and scavenge for food that the larger creatures, including humans, have left behind. A lot of time they are shown in the media living in the sewers and subway system of the large cities and I know that when I have been in New York City I have seen rats in the subway, but that doesn't mean that all rats live like that. In fact, they are the smartest member of the rodent family because they are able to use problem solving skills to figure out their next step, which is why they are used in science experiments.

Photo by Danielle Sarracino

As a matter of fact, the albino rat was created specifically for experimentation because the locus for albanism is right next to the locus for tameness making them the perfect specimen to work with. They are known to be very playful creature, can be taught to do tricks, and even have a laugh. Some people compare rats to dogs because they can be taught tricks, like fetch, love to play around with, get pet, and even lick their owners. Rats are very loving and easy-going, which is what makes them very good pets and since they are compared to dog, and don't cost as much, they are the perfect pet for the college student. I can say that it is a pleasure having a rat as a pet because they are such easy pets to take care of and as long as they are given the love and attention that they need will be so well behaved. The only downside is that they are nocturnal and all my rat does at night is climb on his cage and chew on his chew sticks. I enjoy having a rat as a pet and I think that all of the negative things that are said about rats make them a cooler pet to have.

Photo by Danielle Sarracino

References

http://www.rainingratsrattery.com/rats-kids/