comment: >
  
  For folks of my generation, James Herbert had a lot to answer for. ‘The Rats’ was one of the very few books that were considered ‘cool’ and at 13yo that was me! Hated them anyway, had seen a fair few scurrying about locally and the Rats Trilogy just sealed the deal. Even the thought of them gives me the fear…vile creatures! Thankfully I have a cat who is fearless and she’s taken out a good few (although she did once bring a live one in to boast about).
context: So do pigeons tbh >
  
  r/birdsarentreal >
  
  People nowadays forgot about Splinter Sensei :”) >
  
  If I was Splinter Sensei trying to hide my identity, and the only help I got was from Michelangelo or  Raphael, my username would be something like “wu ba lu ba” 🪄✨🧐 >
  
  r/Unexpectedbobsburgers >
  
  Nice try, Landa >
  
  lol I came here for this >
  
  Allow me to share with you a deeply emotional and personal experience that I had with rats, which helped me to understand and appreciate the unfair hate that they receive on a daily basis. It was during my time volunteering at an animal rescue center that I first encountered these often-maligned creatures. I was assigned to a group of rats who had been rescued from a laboratory, where they had been subjected to cruel experiments and mistreatment. When I first saw them, they were timid, scared, and seemed to cower in fear at the mere sight of a human.  However, as I began to spend more time with them, offering them bits of food and talking to them in soft, comforting tones, I started to see a different side of them. They were curious, and soon enough, they began to warm up to me, nuzzling against me and seeking out my affection. I was amazed by their intelligence, their capacity for empathy, and their ability to form strong bonds with their caregivers.
  It was during my time with these rats that I truly came to understand the unfair and unjust hate that they receive from society. People are so quick to judge and dismiss them as vermin, without ever taking the time to understand and appreciate their amazing qualities. I couldn't help but feel a deep sadness knowing that, despite all the love and care that we had given to these rats, they were still destined to be euthanized. The rescue center simply did not have the resources to care for them long term, and no one was willing to adopt them.  The memory of holding each and every one of these rats in my arms, tears streaming down my face, as they were taken away one by one, is one that will haunt me forever. It was a humbling and heartbreaking experience, and it only served to strengthen my belief that rats are undeserving of the hate and bigotry that they receive. So, I implore you, please don't contribute to the hate and negativity that rats receive. Instead, let's work to educate and inform the public about the amazing qualities and capabilities of these creatures. Let's challenge the misconceptions and stigmas that exist about rats, and show the world that they are not pests, but rather, intelligent, loving, and loyal animals who deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.
  I hope that my story has shed some light on the importance of recognizing and appreciating the inherent worth of all creatures, regardless of their appearance or reputation. Let's come together to create a world where rats and all animals are celebrated and valued for the unique individuals that they are. >
  
  They're horrific little monsters.  They bite, spread disease, urinate and defecate everywhere and can be extremely aggressive. When I lived in 
  South East Asia, the rats would come out at night like an invading army, going through all the garbage making a mess. But the worst part was when they would fall upon kittens in the area which would be ripped apart by so many yellow teeth.   
  I hate rats. >
  
  Wild rats are not the same as fancy rats people keep as pets. >
  
  Domestic rats and regular rats are as different as dogs and wolves. >
  
  I worked at a place near a pier and a bbq spot so rats were commonplace. I started a rumor at my workplace of a rat king beneath the building. A whisper campaign. Just one or two people in different departments here and there. Then the concept started to show up in popular culture like 30 Rock and video games, so people started getting antsy about it and the whole thing spread. 
  Came to a head when enough people complained and the maintenance staff went under the building to find...old kegs and signage and trash from businesses that owned the building before us. 
  A ton of rats, too, don't get me wrong. Just no rat king.
  Rats are actually nice. They're not going to fly at your head or anything like the Monty Python rabbit. >
  
  They destroy wooden construction. >
  
  Yeah their table manners are abhorrent >
  
  I realized when I had pet rats that many people have a visceral negative reaction to their tails which, since hairless, appear “scaly”. It made me realize how essential furriness is to human perceptions of “cute.”. I love their tails personally (which are hairless to allow them to dissipate excess body heat). >
  
  I’ve had pet rats too and I was amazed when I felt their tails. They’re so soft with little downy hairs on them! I liked when my rats would wrap their tails around my wrists or neck. One memory I have is snuggling up with my little rat Daisy to watch “Ratatouille”. I miss my rats! >
  
  I agree. Many people have rats for pets actually. >
  
  rats spread disease and invade human spaces. Squirrels don’t. >
  
  Domestic rats dont. And squirrels have invaded the UK and pushed out our native one. >
  
  Fuckin’ grey squirrels. Hate ‘em
  Lock me in a room with a rat I’m chill. I’ll share my cheese string.
  Grey squirrel? Only one of us are coming out alive and I ain’t done living >
  
  You don't want any of these creatures destroying your roof and getting in your attic.  It was a nightmare I will never forget.  Thankfully, no rats, but I know how destructive they can be also, but squirrels are a horror.  They destroy drywall, chew on wires and they destroy anything they come in contact with.  It cost me a fortune to get them out of my attic.  Like I said it was a complete horror.  So for all those that like to feed the little squirrels on their porches beware they will get into your house or under the hood of your car. >
  
  I agree! I had a pet rat when I was a kid. His name was Wally, he was a Norwegian rat and he used to ride on my shoulder. He was smart (for a rat) and loved being pet and being held. He only lived to be 3, but I'm happy I had him. >
  
  Someone has just seen inglourious basterds >
  
  Au revoir, Shosanna!!! >
  
  I have 11 rats. They are so lovely, they snuggle eachother, clean eachother, and play to no end! They’re so smart, and eager to learn. I had a rat who could, come, jump to where I pointed and could roll over. I’ve had rats that just want to snuggle, and beg to be pet. I could watch them all day, and sometimes wish I was small to join the giant pile of happy sleeping rats. 
  Obviously having wild rats invade and destroy the integrity of your home is not ok, and it’s totally rational to not go “awwww cute” when something is eating and shitting, in, on, and around all your stuff. >
  
  I friggin wish I had 11 rats. I used to have two. Husband said no more rodents because I cry too much when they die 😬 >
  
  The age old curse. My partner and I have actually decided after this to have less rats because how much it hurts to see them go. But that’s also the reason we have 11 rats lol, I had a rat, Paul, for almost 3 years that was so dear to me, I really could not fathom his passing. We came to a conclusion to breed him. It took some time finalizing it all, but we ended up with a healthy litter of 9 and kept them all. He lived out the last of his days with his sons and was the happiest I’d ever seen. Mamas getting elderly now but has no issues keeping clean and happy with her 6 young ones taking care of her. 
  Rats are the best. >
  
  Bless your lovely, kind and caring ❤️ >
  
  Yes bestie. Rats are fuggin adorable >
  
  I live in a subsection of my city which is nicknamed “Rat City.” Idk how they ended up here. It’s a pretty heavy student population so maybe more trash on the streets? Idk. 
  It’s…unpleasant honestly. >
  
  First, squirrels are fancy tree rats, fuck squirrels.  Second, rats get an appropriate amount of hate.  They are destructive, invasive, asshole disease vectors.  Fuck rats. >
  
  You as a human are 1000000 times more 'destructive, invasive, asshole disease vector' than a rat.
  a rat is just a small rodent trying to survive. >
  
  And I am a medium hominid just trying to survive. >
  
  
  just trying to survive
  
  But you aren't. You consume TONS more than what you'd need to just survive. >
  
  Tell us about the yert you hand built from 100% natural, renewable materials. >
  
  Did I imply I wasn't included? I'm saying we as a species are terrible, and have zero room to call any other species destructive :p >
  
  Technically I guess not, I just inferred it from your sanctimony.  
  Also, if thing A destroys some things, thing B destroys more thing than thing A, thing A is still destructive.  
  Call me when a rodent chews the wiring harness of the car you worked hard to pay for. >
  
  
  Also, if thing A destroys some things, thing B destroys more thing than thing A, thing A is still destructive.
  
  But here A is only destroying B's things because B DESTROYED THE HABITAT AND HOARDED ALL THE RESOURCES. Where is A supposed to go, exactly?
  Your house, the wiring harness of the car you worked hard to pay for and will pollute the environment with? Those things came from destroying other species on a scale that makes rats look like absolute saints. >
  
  Sorry, destroyed all the rat's habitat?  Rats don't live among humans because we cut down all their Truffula trees, they do so because there is a LOT of food, they are adaptive opportunists.  
  #misanthropesoftheinternet >
  
  
  they do so because there is a LOT of food
  
  Did you miss the part where I wrote we hoard the resources?
  illiteratesoftheinternet >
  
  Right? Just watch The Tale Of Despereaux and you’ll see some rat discrimination for yourself. I think they’re kinda cute ngl >
  
  I think there’s a study that shows rats did not carry the bubonic plague.. that definitely contributes to the notion that rats are disgusting though >
  
  iirc it was fleas but there could be new info out there these days >
  
  Rats carry hantavirus. Their fleas caused the plague. They destroy wooden construction. They’re invasive and multiply. 
  Their reputation is deserved. >
  
  Exactly.  Fuck rats, fuck mice and most of all fuck the people who think these are pets. >
  
  I'm curious why you include pet rodents in this >
  
  I had a pet rat growing up! Her name was sprite! She was a gift and such a joy as a little girl. I learned to care for animals. She would sit on my
  Dads shoulders in the morning while he drank coffee and read the paper. She came when we called her. She was essentially a little dog and incredibly sweet. I miss her everyday. One of the best pets I ever had. Deeply kind animals that deserve less hate! I agree! If we can separate dogs that hurt people from dogs that don’t then we can separate sewer rats from household pet rats! >
  
  THEY BRING NOTHING BUT DISEASE AND FAMINE!!!!!! >
  
  so do humans - duh >
  
  I've always loved rats, I don't see how someone can hate them as a species but I understand how poeple can be worried about diseases and cleanliness with them. My mother always wished death on rats and when I got upset she said "they shouldn't have chosen to live here" but they are just trying to live their life and so many people hate them as a species for doing that around us even though it's the most successful way for a rat to be fed and protected. In a house there is food for them to eat and shelter when it's freezing. I obviously dont want to cook dinner with one on the counter next to me but if I had rats in my house I would not have a "burn it down" mentality. >
  
  Fuckin love rats but my mum never let me have them because "ewww gross" but couldnt tell the difference between one and a hamster unless i said "look at the rats" >
  
  I don’t think rats care that I hate them >
  
  I hate squirrels too. >
  
  I love rats i own 2 rats :3 >
  
  Rats multiply and wreak destruction on your home. I killed 10 of them in one month in my attic. The rats had eaten another rat caught in one of the traps. It's head and some bones were left. Indeed, They are Satan's pets. >
  
  
  Rats multiply and wreak destruction on your home
  
  Humans cause 1000000000000000 times more detruction than rats could ever dream of. If rats are satan's pets we are waaaaaay worse. >
  
  Just because humans are worse doesn't justify rats being assholes >
  
  They aren't being assholes. They're trying to survive :p
  We are assholes, cause we do a lot more damage, are aware of exactly the damage we cause, and we largely don't care. >
  
  Rats are still assholes >
  
  I hate rats cause when I was at an orphanage, I watched a rich family come in and choose a goddamn rat over actual human children. >
  
  And how is that the rats fault >
  
  Anybody who believes rats are in any way redeemable have never had to live around them. Truly disgusting creatures, arguably even worse than cockroaches  as pests go >
  
  You as a human are 1000000 times more 'destructive, invasive, asshole disease vector' than a rat. >
  
  Why do you hate yourself? Not healthy >
  
  Stating facts =/= hating yourself >
  
  You called yourself destructive invasive asshole disease vector, not sure what else constitutes as hating yourself >
  
  
  You called yourself destructive invasive asshole disease vector
  
  Because humans are all of those things pretty objectivelly
  We are far more destructive and overpopulated considering the resources we consume than rats. And unlike rats we are aware but  choose to ignore it, which is asshole behaviour. >
  
  Right, so what’s your point exactly? >
  
  That us caling rats pests is beyond hypocritical and arrogant, as we are far worse despite having the awareness of it. >
  
  So what does that realization do for you besides make you the edgiest boy in this thread? >
  
  Make me less of a hypocritical judgemental asshole towards another species? >
  
  I had rats in one of my old houses. It was truly awful, they are distructive, stinking, disease spreading assholes >
  
  
  they are distructive, stinking, disease spreading assholes
  
  That label applies to humans better than rats.
  Rats are just small rodents trying to survive and unable to cause a fraction of the damage we cause yearly. >
  
  Feel free to adopt all the rats from your nearest city. >
  
  I also wouldn't adopt all the humans from my city. Would you? >
  
  I am interested in becoming a foster parent, yes. We will probably wait a few years until our kids are older, but it’s something we have considered.
  In any case, I doubt you’d let city rats hang out at your place (which is a good thing). Trying to advocate for them is just weird and doesnt change the fact that there are very good reasons to not want to live among street rats >
  
  
  I am interested in becoming a foster parent, yes
  
  You asked ALL the rats. So I'm asking if you'd adopt ALL the children.
  My point is that we as humans look down on other species as destructive pests as if we were something better/different, when we are the worst in that regard. >
  
  Then would you let a handful of street rats into your home? Would you share your kitchen with them?
  Yes humans are destructive. That doesn’t change the fact that rats are invasive species. This supposed hypocrisy doesn’t really change anything. >
  
  
  Yes humans are destructive. That doesn’t change the fact that rats are invasive species. This supposed hypocrisy doesn’t really change anything.
  
  It changes everything, because HUMANS are the ones spreading everywhere, utterly destroying habitats and hoarding resources and having more and more babies and then blaming rats for trying to.... eat? live? have their own babies? >
  
  
  it changes everything
  
  What exactly is everything? Harmful bacteria and parasites are also just trying to eat, live and reproduce (that’s what all living beings do), does that change everything regarding salmonella or ecoli? >
  
  
  What exactly is everything?
  
  I mean that it changes the entire perspective. Realizing we do worse means we can be less judgemental and hypocritical towards other species. They aren't invading OUR space - the Earth isn't ours by any right. >
  
  They’re both disgusting if they’re not domesticated pets. Nasty looking and creepy too. >
  
  Fuck rats. They carry the plague and eat through everything. They don't get enough hate. >
  
  The plague doesn't exist anymore expect in labs. Also it was the fleas, not the rats. Technically they don't carry it. >
  
  Rats are really cool both as pets and to see them in the wild. 
  To see them in the store or a home is not cool though as they're so fucking destructive. Squirrels like to get in attics though and I've seen that happen way more than rats being in a house. >
  
  Just stop all animal hate altogether! <3 >
  
  Except mosquitos. They can go fuck themselves. And bed bugs. >
  
  I think I'm right in this subreddit as it's not a popular opinion that I have but I believe wholeheartedly that no animal is bad or evil, they just do what's in their nature to survive themselves and ensure the survival of their kind. Animals are living beings just like us humans and have a soul just like us (in my belief), so their lives and well-beings should be valued just as much! Mosquitoes and bed bugs and other "unpopular" animals weren't able to choose the job nature gave them basically. I just wish that everyone would show all animals respect and love!! >
  
  Have you ever heard of the plague? The big D that wiped 30-60% of people in Europe >
  
  Well, rats had fleas on them that spread the disease. The people weren't clean. They didn't wash hands and threw their shit onto the streets, in turn attracting more rats with their flea stowaways. They were also superstitious, killing cats because they thought they were witch companions. So there were not enough cats to deal with the rodent problem. The plague doesn't exist like this anymore today. It really wasn't the rats fault, but rather the circumstances. If you'd know actual history, then you'd know why the plague was so devastating. >
  
  I agree but my point was that fear and connection of rats to diseases and such is still here. >
  
  Yeah I totally remember the global plague started by squirrels >
  
  Rats will eat your sleeping babies. They live off of detritus and spread, am9ngst other things, leptospirosis, listeria, salmonella and toxoplasmosis. >
  
  That’s their “God-given” nature to survive. What about gluttonous humans who don’t need to kill and torture animals to survive? >
  
  I'd agree except rats will eat anything including oil containers, chemicals, things made out of plastic.
  Anything >
  
  Grats on unpopular opinion >
  
  Some people would even give a squirrel a bowl of milk and would chase away the rat. >
  
  Squirrels are not rats with bushy tails. >
  
  I don't discriminate and shoot them both equally. >
  
  Hopefully you’ll get the same >
  
  The same what? >
  
  Based opinion >
  
  I lived in a home were you could hear the rats nails scratch through the blocks. And after having one too many encounters with them to the point of not moving from my bed I will never be cool with them.
  I can't even see hamsters in the pet shops because they're the same thing, and I'm warming up to the idea of guinea pigs because my boyfriend wants one in the future, but I've threaten to not even hold his hand anymore if he gets a hamster or a mouse. 
  And now that you've brought up how squirrels are almost the same I have a new fear 🙂 >
  
  I don't hate neither but rats try to get in my grain, steal my eggs and killed my quail but squirrels don't so i just kill the rats >
  
  Personally, discarding a card off of Ravenous Rats is really annoying, but overall it’s a beloved archetype /s >
  
  I love rats. Domestic rats can be very nice to have as pets! As for wild rats it could be a whole other story. Wild rats can contaminate food left on counters and/or have rabies. Domestic rats though are a lot better. You just need to take care of them properly and it should be fine. <3 >
  
  Weil’s disease >
  
  Yeah, the real world really paints them in bad light. It's not fair to hate someone for the mass outbreaks they've caused in the past /:
  (Jk, I agree with you, kind of) >
  
  Squirrels are a pain in the butt! They steal from my bird feeders! Rats make excellent pets. We had them for several years. The very best one was named Rascal. He started out as "Lancelot" but the name definitely did not fit his rascally personality! I used to take him to kiddo pick up after school. Once he'd got over trying to remove clips and earrings, we were best friends! >
  
  Squirrels don't enter your house usually. >
  
  Oh yes they do.  They will find a way through your roof or any other opening they can find.  They are a horror.  Very destructive.  Cost me a fortune on repairs and to get rid of them. >
  
  What concerns me is that wild rats spread disease.  Domestic rats are adorable.  They've got little human like hands.