So, you heard about the rats running rampant in the KFC, right?

[conuly]

I watched a news report, and somebody official said something along the lines of "We all have an innate aversion to rats, because frankly, rats are disgusting".

Talk like this makes me want to go out asking people if they've hugged a rat today.

Firstly, we don't all have an aversion to rats. I actually like watching them in the trains, clever little creatures. (I don't say this too much, because nobody really wants to hear it, but I do!) I know a lot of people who prefer rats as pets. Me, I wouldn't want to go too close to a wild rat, but that's because they're wild animals. (That's also why I don't want them near where I eat my food. As wild animals, I don't expect them to be housebroken.)

And rats are disgusting? Mayyyyybe? Seems to me that eating our garbage, they do a bit of a public service. No, I don't like rat droppings - but I don't like human droppings either, and we sure produce enough of those. Don't think I like beaver droppings, and everybody's thrilled that there's one making dams in the Bronx again. Rats carry disease? Well, if they're sick. But if you're so concerned about disease, endeavour to vaccinate all the rats and humans in the city.

Okay, I don't want wild rats living in local restaurants either. And I don't want them in my house. And I fully understand why this is a bad, bad thing. But that's because I don't want to be sharing my space with wild animals who aren't potty trained, not because they're inherantly disgusting and as a human it's my duty to be scared of them. For god's sake, they're smaller than me. How scary can they be?

Comments

[sporks5000.livejournal.com]

A good friend recently found a rat at work and brought it home and is trying to convince her husband to let her keep it as a pet.

granted, it's a baby rat, but still...

[conuly]

She ought to find a rat-loving friend. Because I don't think she's winning that one.

[sporks5000.livejournal.com]

No, she's not.

[leora.livejournal.com]

I had a pet rat once. She was a lovely, sweet thing. I don't want wild animals near my food, but I feel badly for wild animals, not repulsed (well, not most of them, I have problems with a few specific animals, the ones that are mucousy).

[conuly]

Exactly.

[sayga.livejournal.com]

Kira and I went to look at the animals in PetCo today. they were restocking the rat cages and one escaped right in front of us. if i hadn't been pregnant (ie, if i was able to lay on my belly and look under the animal cages), i would've been on the floor helping catch it. i don't think they're gross at all. and Kira has never seen a live rat before this, and she certainly didn't seem to exhibit an innate aversion to them. bah.

[conuly]

They're just like squirrels! Except for the whole tail bit.

[sayga.livejournal.com]

squirrels are something of our "family animal." when daniel was a kid, he found several orphaned squirrels and raised them. and in college i discovered i could make squirrel noises and squirrels would come over and sit by me... we're both fans of squirrels.

[wodhaund.livejournal.com]

Rats are cute! And intelligent! ♥

[rantinan.livejournal.com]

Love me some rats. A rat was the perfect inner city pet for a country person moving to the big smoke and needing a fluffy, animal companion to replace the many and various from former home.

When my rat passed on i got myself an alley cat instead. Ok not a pure alley mongrel, but a half urban wild, half domestic.

[brownkitty.livejournal.com]

I would've hugged a rat today except that he preferred to hide in my hair and peek out instead. As is usual for this particular rat.

As for smaller than you = not scary...one rat will bite if cornered. Several, say ten or so, may attack you if you look tastier than the buffet but I'm not really sure of that. They are social, so one rat usually means several rats.

[sporks5000.livejournal.com]

A good friend recently found a rat at work and brought it home and is trying to convince her husband to let her keep it as a pet.

granted, it's a baby rat, but still...

[conuly]

She ought to find a rat-loving friend. Because I don't think she's winning that one.

[sporks5000.livejournal.com]

No, she's not.

[leora.livejournal.com]

I had a pet rat once. She was a lovely, sweet thing. I don't want wild animals near my food, but I feel badly for wild animals, not repulsed (well, not most of them, I have problems with a few specific animals, the ones that are mucousy).

[conuly]

Exactly.

[sayga.livejournal.com]

Kira and I went to look at the animals in PetCo today. they were restocking the rat cages and one escaped right in front of us. if i hadn't been pregnant (ie, if i was able to lay on my belly and look under the animal cages), i would've been on the floor helping catch it. i don't think they're gross at all. and Kira has never seen a live rat before this, and she certainly didn't seem to exhibit an innate aversion to them. bah.

[conuly]

They're just like squirrels! Except for the whole tail bit.

[sayga.livejournal.com]

squirrels are something of our "family animal." when daniel was a kid, he found several orphaned squirrels and raised them. and in college i discovered i could make squirrel noises and squirrels would come over and sit by me... we're both fans of squirrels.

[wodhaund.livejournal.com]

Rats are cute! And intelligent! ♥

[rantinan.livejournal.com]

Love me some rats. A rat was the perfect inner city pet for a country person moving to the big smoke and needing a fluffy, animal companion to replace the many and various from former home.

When my rat passed on i got myself an alley cat instead. Ok not a pure alley mongrel, but a half urban wild, half domestic.

[brownkitty.livejournal.com]

I would've hugged a rat today except that he preferred to hide in my hair and peek out instead. As is usual for this particular rat.

As for smaller than you = not scary...one rat will bite if cornered. Several, say ten or so, may attack you if you look tastier than the buffet but I'm not really sure of that. They are social, so one rat usually means several rats.