Would not you get chills upon hearing that there are people keep rats as pets?
Well, you are not to be blamed at all because rats and mice are creepy creatures and it is actually a terrifying idea to know that they are kept as pets. Probably, those who keep rats, and in point of fact they happen to exist, believe their pet is cute, just as you would normally think of your dog or cat, if you have one, but you would probably not understand how they could possibly think of rats as cute or adorable. The only time people have ever seemed to think of a rat that way was upon the release of the Disney’s movie Ratatouille; Remy -the name of the rat- was in point of fact deemed to be hygienic compared to the real life rats; he cared about the sanitary of the food he put in his mouth, and let us not forget to mention that he was a great cook too, but real life rats are not Remy.
They are always found in filthy places and they actually look scary to most of people, so it is hard to find someone who would appreciate coming across a rat wherever, and they are surely never welcome at your place, and if you ever happen to encounter one that found a way into your home, you will immediately look for ways to get rid of it as soon as possible. This is how many people think about rats; they are scary and grimy, but have you ever taken a moment to consider how these creatures survive in such hostile world? You probably have not, but actually, rats are more than creatures that freak people out or used in experiments. The following list introduce you 10 strange facts about rats.
10 Rats have social lives
Well, we have always heard that rats are the animals chosen to go through several experiments as they are the closest creatures to human beings when it comes to physiological traits; they both- humans and rats- share a lot of similarities, and that is actually true, but rats are not only close to human beings in physiological terms, but also in psychological ones. Yeah, it might sound weird, but it is also true because it has been proven that rats love having a social life; they love to live among other rats. If a rat ever happens to live alone or does not have any contact with its other fellows, it would fall a victim of depression. As weird as it sounds, rats actually have real feelings and they can feel either lonely or sad, just like humans, and they can develop bonds with one another or even with their human owners.
9 Strong memories
Rats are, in point of fact, more intelligent than we ever give them credit for. A lot of researchers have proven that they are capable of memorizing different routes, and once they recognize these routes, even after a long time, they would still remember all of them precisely. Some experts also stated that rats are smart creatures as they have brains that are bizarrely similar to those of the human beings in both structure and function, but of course they, the rats’ brains, are not as complex. However, If you keep a rat as a pet, you can teach it some principles and with practice, they will be capable of distinguishing between what they are supposed to do and what they are not. How smart are they!
8 Rats and historical myths
In the past, rats used to be several symbolizations and they differ from one culture to another. It is true that a lot of cultures gave rats more credit than they actually deserve; we are not trying to sound disgraceful for these creatures, but as a matter of fact, these cultures have involved rats in a lot of their mythical stories. For example, Romans believed that rats are signs for good luck and they were usually over the moon to see them running around the corners of their places and freely roaming while Old Christians used to believe that rats are a sign of the soul of the evil, the latter might have taken it a bit far, but at least we can relate it to their disgust and fear of these little creatures.
7 Colors are not recognized
Rats might be smart creatures; they can find their own ways to survive this seemingly harsh world on them, but they do not actually get the chance to see all the beautiful colors that the universe has to offer. To them the whole world looks like an old black and white movie, with some shades of gray. Well, that in point of fact, explains a lot about them getting sad and depressed when they are alone and are not contacting other living creatures; they just sit there alone seeing that gloomy world that has no colors. Poor creatures!
6 Great swimmers
The use of the wording “Great” might be a bit exaggerating because it give that impression that they are capable of competing with Michael Phillips when it comes to swimming, but it literally means that they have great ability to survive in water and find their ways too. Unlike a lot of other animals, rats do not hate water; they can actually swim until they reach their destination, so flushing a rat down the toilet does not mean it is already dead, but it actually means that it swims and, worse, can find its way back to the house through the toilet not only because they can swim, but also because they are kind of brainy and have great memories.
5 Fast food lovers
Yes, you read that right. Some experts have once described rats as teenagers, and that it is actually because rats seem to love indulging on fast food. Rats also love eating eggs, and there is no exaggeration here actually, but they also prefer having them scrambled. We usually see rats portrayed in cartoons as cheese lovers, and it is precise; rats can spend their entire lives chewing down just cheese, but they surely would not mind trying new stuff and that justifies the fact that they love macaroni as well. It sounds weird really, but they do love scrambled eggs, macaroni, and cheese. We actually wonder if they ever have tried mac and cheese as well, they would surely have loved it and got addicted to it. Well, now describing them as teenagers makes great sense.
4 Too much food means murder
As strange as it may get; it is widely known that animals love food and might never stop eating if you ever give them all the food in the world, but rats are not the same when it comes to eating. Rats do not ever eat more than they need, they just eat what their bodies require to survive and properly function. The strange fact is, too much food is actually capable of sending rats to immediate death. No matter how we are used to the fact that all animals love eating in large amounts, this is the new fact about rats; it backfires instead. It seems like food is not always an ultimate satisfaction, at least, not for all the living creatures.
3 Superheroes land safely
Almost everyone has seen a superhero movie where the hero endures almost all the exhausting physical activities in the world but still remains alive through the whole movie with little to no injury at all. Well, they are all great fantasies, but actually, rats might be the only creatures that are capable of turning these fantasies into a reality; they can be superheroes. Rats were, in point of fact, proven to have incredible endurance to easily go on with life after a big smash or even after falling from a building as tall as a skyscraper, well, not literally, but they really do have the ability to land safely after falling from a relatively high building, and they will not even injure themselves doing so. They are actually the ones who deserve to be called superheroes and not human beings.
2 Strong teeth
Rats are already scary enough for people, but you might know that they can actually get even scarier. That they have these strong teeth that we are always afraid to get bitten by them, but it is not only about the strength, but actually the teeth of the rats never stop growing; it keeps in getting longer and longer throughout time and that is the reason why rats usually enjoys gnawing on things, for they need to wear the extra length away, or else the teeth will continue to grow until the rat become incapable of closing its mouth and consequently will not be able to eat, so it will definitely die. Not to mention that these sturdily strong teeth are capable of chewing on anything including wood, brick, cinder blocks, plastics and even glass. This is another fact that would make them even scarier because they are too hard to ever get rid of, for they are able to survive through almost everything, besides, they can chew on whatever material you are using to keep them away.
1 Share laughs
Well, we have almost become quite sure that rats share a lot of similarities with human beings except that they are even stronger and might even be smarter. Here is one more thing that rats do; they giggle. Yes, they are ticklish creatures and tickling them can stimulate giggling and it was actually proven by scientists that they even produce a sound that is pretty much similar to the sound of laughter, but it can barely be heard by human beings. Experts and scientists also stated that rats only laugh and giggle while being tickled if they are in a good mood.
After getting to know that rats share a lot of similarities with human beings that they even seem to be humans that were incarnated into rats, people and cultures who have negative notions about rats should treat them differently and give them the credit that they deserve instead of being scared of them and constantly trying to keep them away, no matter how hard that sounds, but then, life might get much easier because you would not have to freak out upon seeing a rat anymore.
