By Elad Cypis-Meir
Most of us are disgusted by the thought of them, to some of us they are a real phobia, but for some of the crazier people among us, rats are THE best! This is the story of three rats grown in a lab, who were saved and lived a happy and peaceful life.
Rats have always lived alongside humans. They most likely originated in Asia, but today they are common on all continents except Antarctica. They have exceptionally strong senses of smell and hearing, and a high level of intelligence. They can communicate in complicated ways, create social bonds and find their way in a maze. All these and more grant them very good survival abilities. The fear of rats may have originated in the fact that they can serve as hosts to ticks, fleas and other parasites that can transfer diseases. The outbreaks of the Black Plague in Europe in the 13th to 17th centuries are usually associated with rats and their proximity with humans. However, as pets, rats are no more dangerous to humans than are cats or dogs.
The story of the rats’ rescue begins with Dav, the founder of the “Rats’ Place” Facebook group and an activist for the rescue of rats from labs and transferring them to adoption. Dav is in direct contact with labs in Israel and receives rats that have undergone behavioral experiments or are simply “surplus” rats. She transfers these rats to adopters only after making sure they are serious and capable of providing for all of the rats’ needs – physical and mental. Some of these criteria are high and spacious cages, adoption of at least 2 rats and releasing them from the cage for at least an hour a day.
Lab rats are rats that have never felt human contact, and some of them have undergone different traumas within the experiments. Therefore, the adoption of lab rats requires dedication to the process of rehabilitation and familiarizing the rats with their new environment. This process takes a month or two, during which the rats learn to recognize their owner, know their environment outside the cage, recognize the cage as a safe home in which they enjoy being , and even return to the cage on their own. At the end of the process a special, deep connection is created between the owners and the rats, who possess a high level emotional intelligence.
The “Rats’ Place” Facebook group has around 200 members, all of them adopters through Dav. This group is a source of shared knowledge and support among new and veteran adopters, and is a significant factor in the success of the adoption.
During her childhood, Marina used to grew more popular rodents, like a hamster and a guinea pig, but she always wanted to raise rats. She felt they were smart and interesting, but feared the responsibility. In January 2014 she decided to fulfill this dream and with Dav’s help, adopted three. Most lab rats are albinos, making it difficult to tell them apart, so they receive a unique symbol on the back of their tails. This symbol helped Marina distinguish between the three at the beginning of their mutual path, but the symbols faded after a few weeks and were substituted with a thorough personal acquaintance.
Tofu is the coward of the group. During the first few months he wouldn’t come out of the cage with the others, and would stay inside. In order to clean the cage, she had to transfer him to a closed box, or else he would panic, and sometimes when feeling threatened, he would become aggressive. Today Tofu comes out of the cage but still avoids contact with people.
Marshmallow is friendly, naughty, and thirsty for attention. He is always happy to run and climb on people, and if he doesn’t get attention, you can expect a gentle bite on the thumb, a reminder he is still here.
Petel- the little brother. Smaller than the other two, connects less with people yet still feels safe in Marina’s arms.
Not unlike other rodents, treating rats is not complicated and mainly includes cleaning the cage and an ongoing supply of dry food and water. But Marina’s rats receive 5-star hotel service: cooked root vegetables, ripe cucumbers and watermelons, dry pasta, rice krispies and other noisy foods. With such a variety of food it’s no surprise they almost don’t eat any of the dry food.
Marina tends to take photos of the trio, document them and share on her Facebook page in order to raise awareness and break the negative reputation associated with rats.
In photos of the trio they can be seen sleeping, cuddling, playing and eating. The deep connection between Marina and her Rats is evident as they stroll on top of her head, peek out of her shirt and eat from the palm of her hand. She can even be seen with rice krispies in her mouth, as the rats eat them themselves. Recently Marina has been taking the rats for tours outside the house. She walks the streets with the rats in her hoodie, and whenever she stops they peek out, scan the area and sniff the air. It seems like the external environment interests them, but they make sure not to leave Marina, and whenever they are afraid of something they slip back into the hoodie, to Marina’s warm protective vicinity.
Dogs and cats are animals generally perceived as natural pets, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible to create close relationships with other animals, small or big, and make them our good friends. Tofu, Marshmallow and Petel got a new life with Marina, but Marina didn’t come out empty handed. She was rewarded with three little white friends, three pure souls.
