Why is the rat despised so? How could such a small animal be expected to harm anything except possibly a mound of cheese? (And maybe some vegetation.) Yes, its true that wild rats may very well be carrying disease harmful to us, but what wild creature on this earth doesnt have that possibility? The domestic rat nowadays has proven to be a fine companion. They have been bred for temperament; to be gentle, calm, well mannered, and over all to just be good-natured animal. Domesticated rats do not carry disease that would do us any harm, and they do not bite when woken by a friendly human hand. If such an animal makes a great pet, then why so we hear screams of fright when one is seen? It may very well have to do with the sort of things we are watching on our very own television sets. Another reason is because of the way they appear. Yes, that long tail does look quite gruesome at times doesnt it? Lastly, its just plain human nature to be ignorant and conform to societys petty ideas.
In numerous amounts of movies and television shows, the rat has become a character of evil and nuisance. We, as a society of course, spend much time in front of that hypnotic screen, and it can be easy to incorporate ideas that we see everyday into our minds. Even just recently, a childrens book I read about a mouse and a kitten, had incorporated the rats into the bad guys! The author made them appear hideous really. So if there are childrens books out in the world already affecting and influencing our society from even birth, its only human nature to mold your mentality to the ways of society, whether they are right or wrong. Of course, its hard not to believe what we see on the movie screen, especially when they show rats as animals that bite and would ferociously attack a human in a second. Its rather sad really, and its not only happening to rats, but to snakes and other scary looking creatures as well!
Personally, I think the rat has the most adorable faces Ive ever seen on earth! Of course, there are many people who would like to disagree with me. Appearances can be deceiving. The rat may carry that long and horrid looking tail, but its got a warm and fuzzy heart on the inside. The tail of a rat may seem gross but really its completely harmless. It does look somewhat reptilian looking, but theres nothing wrong with it. In fact, if the rat were to become tailless, it would probably loose its sense of balance!
Another thing that is very misunderstood about that rat is that people think they are dirty. When in fact, they are probably a thousand times cleaner than you or I. Rats are extremely clean animals. They are constantly and consistently grooming themselves. They especially love to wipe themselves down after a human has laid hands on them. Some people might have a problem with the way a rat smells. When in reality, its the MALE rats that tend to smell a bit. But only because they have a need to mark their territory. Females dont smell a bit. Well maybe a bit. But nothing you would notice, I guarantee you, given that you are cleaning their cage at least once a week. It's easy for people to hate things that everyone hates. The rat just happens to be one of those things. Even if a pretty good amount of people did like the rat (in their hears), just because society has rejected the rat as a normal domesticated pet, most people would reject the rat as well, whether or not they liked it or not. The rat is a misunderstood animal. It is very calm, and intelligent and would make wonderful pets for a small child. They are easy to take care of, they enjoy rat food, as well as fruits and veggies! Its really like a small toy dog. So the next time you spot a rat friend, there is no need to freak out! They are just perfectly harmless little creatures that would love to sit on your shoulder and groom your hair all day.
-karen
Moving - Sunday, Mar. 02, 2008
Rambles and Kansas! - Thursday, Feb. 07, 2008
In Manhattan, Kansas! - Sunday, Jan. 20, 2008
Minnesota! - Saturday, Jan. 12, 2008
First Interview!!! - Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007
