A Rat History...

For centuries, the Black Rat was infamous for the spreading of the Bubonic Plague, even though it was actually the fleas that carried the disease. Although the rat itself did not carry the plague, they have carried the bad name. The fear of rats have passed on through the generations and even to this day, people still associate them with carrying diseases, and being dirty and grotesque rodents. Although many are afraid of rats, there are also those who feel very differently. According to an article called Rat History, found at ramshornstudio.com, in India, there is a temple dedicated to worshipping the sacred rat. In many pictures and statues, the God named Ganesh is seen with Vahana the Rat by his side. The rats in India are thought to be reincarnations of people hiding from the God of Death. In the Chinese Zodiac, the rat symbolizes wealth and good luck, and is also an omen in Roman culture.

Aaa-Chew!

Most animals have little things they do that are unique to that type of animal. Dogs will wag their tail, cats purr, well rats brux. When a rat is bruxing, they are grinding their top and bottom teeth together in order to file them down.They tend to do this more when they are happy. I often hear my rats bruxing while they sit on my shoulders. With this cute trait also comes a habit which can be very annoying. Rats love to chew things. In fact, they are quite infamous for their gnawing talents. This is a habit that can be maintained simply by giving them things that they are allowed to chew like newspaper. You can buy edible houses and huts, or like me, buy the large food pellets that are designed with your little critters chewing needs in mind. It is actually necessary for rats to brux and chew in order to keep their teeth from getting too long. The teeth of rats continue to grow throughout their entire lifetime and if they grow out of control, it can prevent the rat from eating properly. Charlie and Linus have never chewed anything that they weren't suppose to chew. Even the paper bags I give them to play in manage to last for months before I throw them away. Usually they only chew the corners out so they can freely come and go through both ends of the bag. From the very beginning I fed them the large pellets which helped to satisfy any urges they might have had to chew. Not all rats are as well-behaved as mine, but most can be influenced by the steps you take in preventing their bad behavior.