Rattus Norvegicus

[poliphilo]

There was a rat in the back yard yesterday. I was watching it through the living room window. At one point it almost let itself in through the open kitchen door and I had to rush round to shut it out.  I suppose I should be horrified, but mostly I was thinking how cute it was with its waddling gait and snuffly-wuffly nose. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I've seen a wild rat out and about in daylight.

Comments

[veronica-milvus.livejournal.com]

I've got no problem with rats per se, they are not scary, and they are just about everywhere. I don't really like to see them next to human habitation because of Weil's disease and the thought of them bringing whatever other germs lurk in the sewers. I once saw one in a cafe near Hanger Lane and never ate there again.

However I think our "race memory" of rats is about the Black Death and so we tend to get revolted by them kind of disproportionately.

[nellorat.livejournal.com]

Besides the Black Death (blame the FLEAS, I say!), wild rats may put people off because they are naturally furtive. As scavengers and prey animals, they tend to stay in the shadows. They also minimize the time they are out in the open (& vulnerable)--so they do creep along a wall, then, if they must cross an open area, zoom quickly to the other wall. This seems sneaky, like a sign of a bad conscience, and then startling; actually it's just self-preservation--no more devious than a rabbit or deer freezing up, but with worse associations for people.

Like all wild animals, wild rats can indeed spread disease, so an uninvited rodent must be treated differently from pets! At least rats almost never have rabies, unlike many species with better reputations, such as squirrels.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Wikipedia says that Britain has more rats than people. They're always around us, hanging about; they're just very good at keeping out of sight.