Pet of the Week: The Rat

The poor maligned rat. Sure we usually know they are used as animal models for testing everything from dietary products/ingredients to cosmetics. The late Hollywood actor Jimmy Cagney made the rat famous forever when he uttered the line, “…you dirty rat!” Michael Jackson had “Ben” in his movie and song. And New York City subways are loaded with those nasty things.

In actuality, the domestic rat is very clean, bright and lovable, or so they say. And they’re also very smart. They enjoy human contact, which makes them ideal as a pet. And if you have children who can learn to love a rat, your kids might also overcome other perceived undesirables such as broccoli, liver and snakes.

Rats really are vegetarians, probably even true vegans. They can thrive on fruit and veggies. They’re clean animals and their cage only needs cleaning about once a week. Shredded back copies of trade magazines would make for great bedding. They love to play and react well to human stimulation. But never ever pick them up by the tail. That’s just cruel and wrong.

So if you want to buy a rat for a pet or just learn more about them, check out the American Fancy Rat and Mouse Association (AFMA).

By the way, I don’t own a rat. I just felt like writing about them.