For centuries, rats have been seen as vermin that carry disease, most notably responsible for the Black Death that caused the loss of one third of the population of Europe from 1348 to 1350. This is a misconception that we would like to dispel. According to recent scientific and archaeological studies, rats did not cause the Black Death. It has been found that people passed this disease to people. Unfortunately, blaming the rat has led to hundreds of years of persecution and maltreatment of rats, all around the world.
Rats have long been used in medical and beauty/household product tests and experiments, with no anesthetic. Rats are not included in animal protection laws, so the treatment of rats in most lab environments is inhumane and despicable.
Large breeders keep rats in ‘feeder breeder’ cages that give them no room to move. Females are bred repeatedly and discarded or sold as snake food. There is no vet care and sick rats suffer horribly. Pet stores get their rats from these large breeders who do not breed rats for health or temperament, but strictly for profit.
Our plan is to develop a pet rat education program for children, teaching them about the needs of pet rats, and how pet stores are not a good place to get pet rats or other pets.
Adopting unwanted pet rats is the only ethical option.
More links on the awesomeness of rats:
Rat Mythbusters