World Rat Day

History of World Rat Day

Rats have been around for over 50 million years, and it may surprise you to learn that they haven’t always had a bad reputation!

In fact, the Chinese zodiac honors the humble rat as the first animal in the twelve-year cycle and associates those born in the year of the rat with various positive personality traits, including optimism, intelligence and diligence.

Generally speaking, however, rats have had it pretty tough over the years.

The Hindu god Ganesha is frequently depicted riding a rat and believers usually ascribe it negative connotations, with the little critter viewed as a symbol of selfish desires and destructive habits that Ganesha can help us overcome.

These crafty rodents have long been blamed for the spread of the bubonic plague, particularly during the Black Death, which ravaged Europe in the Middle Ages and is estimated to have wiped out up to 60% of the population.

Quite a damning accusation to overcome, although more recent research has led to some debate over the degree to which rats can be held responsible!

Rat-baiting became particularly popular in the UK during the 19^th century – in this cruel blood sport, spectators would place bets on how quickly a dog could kill a pit full of rats.

Despite its nasty origins, the sport actually led to the beginnings of the fancy (meaning domesticated) rat that is now such a beloved pet for so many.

Alongside capturing rats for the pits, Victorian rat-catchers also began breeding and selling unusually colored rats as pets. Rat fancy as a hobby grew in the 20^th century, with various societies and groups springing up all over the world.

World Rat Day was founded in 2002 by a group of pet rat enthusiasts who wanted to challenge the stigma surrounding these creatures and give them the celebration they truly deserve.

The day aims to shed a positive light on these animals and promote their care and welfare.

Learn About the Benefits of Rats

No one’s perfect, and there’s no denying that wild rats can be a pesky and destructive species when left unmanaged. However, the many wonderful benefits of rats far outweigh the negatives!

Firstly, they make great pets. Contradictory to popular belief, these rodents are actually very clean and sociable animals. It’s best to keep them at least in pairs, and they are known for their kind and caring nature towards one another, even helping each other out in times of need.

You can expect pet rats to be very loving towards their human counterparts as well, domesticated to be gentle and affectionate.

Rats are also very intelligent, able to understand their own names and master various tricks – they’ve even been shown to count to four! And to top it all off they’re a whole lot of fun – no wonder a group of rats is known as a mischief!

Due to their keen sense of smell, rats can be put to work in various fields, for example sniffing out threats such as landmines and diseases such as tuberculosis. Thanks to their intelligent and affectionate nature, they also make great therapy animals.

Given their similarity to humans in terms of both physiology and psychology, rats have also been used in the advancement of medical science, giving rise to the term ‘lab rat’.

While some animal rights activists condemn their use in this context, their contributions as test subjects have helped progress our understanding and treatment of various diseases including cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and, more recently, Covid-19.

These creatures have also been key in studies of intelligence, learning and behavior due to their complex psychologies and emotional capacity.

Whatever we might wish to say about the wild ones, World Rat Day is all about honoring the positive contributions of rats and the various ways in which they’ve made our lives better.

About Rats in Popular Culture

Sadly, the misconceptions and prejudices surrounding rats have often influenced their depiction in popular culture.

A classic and long-standing example is the German tale of The Pied Piper of Hamelin, in which a rat-catcher deals with an infestation by charming the creatures away with music, before later doing the same with the local children when he is denied payment.

These lovable rodents are often portrayed as conniving, sinister and villainous in many cultures around the world, and common vernacular is also based on these stereotypes.

The term ‘rat’ is commonly used as an insult, especially for informants, hence the phrase ‘to rat someone out’. It’s also a term used by trade unions for employers, with strikes in the US often involving large inflatable rats.

However, there are much more positive celebrations also available in the world of art and culture. The beloved children’s book The Wind in the Willows tells the tale of Mole and Rat (although actually a water vole, also known as a water rat) and their adventures, with Rat depicted as a kind, poetic soul and a loyal companion to Mole.

The Disney Pixar film Ratatouille follows Remy, a lovable and determined young rat on his journey to become a chef.

In the process he overcomes various negative stereotypes about rats, before finally succeeding in becoming “the finest chef in France” and opening up his own restaurant.