A rat is a rat is a rat,

I had written this Blog some months  ago. Following is  an upgraded version.of the same  article.

Who has not seen a rat? Right from Nursery/KG  days children are taught  the spelling of the word "rat".It has got a place of prestige with high profile K  for "king" and Q for"queen." A rat is a creature found universally.  Its tragedy is that it arouses fear and hatred among  majority of the  people specially women.Perhaps its slimy skin, piercing gaze and unbeatable speed disconcerts  them. I have personally seen the reaction of some people,when confronted with a rat.My mother,once removed her sari in panic,when a small rat unwittingly  happened  to touch her sari.  Her shrieking had an instant reaction on the poor rat.Perhaps he too was frightened  or shocked by the sudden reaction of my Mom. It ran  with amazing speed for cover. We have all grown up  listening to the fable of  Pied Piper of Hamelin. Everyone tries to drive them away.
   Perhaps the  rat is the  only  creature  which is  universally found. It may vary in size or colour but  it exists all over the universe.  Rats have a tendency to adapt to all sorts of environments. A rat  can survive without water for a long  period of time.  It can jump from great heights. A rat has the capacity to swim in water. The rats love to groom themselves. They communicate with  each other in loud tones, which is not audible to humans. Rats have an excellent memory. If once they  have crossed a path, they will always remember it. I  have experienced that after being caught in a trap, a rat was thrown  away in a distant park but it found its way back .They have a long tail which regulates  their body temperature.
 Rats are generally  brown and  black. White rats  are generally found in  cool climates. In some parts of India and some other countries rat meat is eaten as a delicacy. They enter  godowns, offices, shops and houses(big or small) without any difficulty. They manage to shrink their body and can enter even through a small hole. Several thousand  tons  of grain are destroyed  every year by rats. They have very sharp  teeth.  Apart from  food, the rats  can bite anything . Clothes, paper,electric wires or  wood nothing  can escape their notice. Their favourite hiding place in a house is  a kitchen  or the bathroom. Specially at night ,when sleepily you enter the kitchen or the washroom, the moment you switch on the light, a rat will  catch you unaware and you tend to shriek out of your wits.
The  rats are mammals.  The working  of internal organs are somewhat similar to human  organs.  Even after the rat dies, its heart continues to palpitate for a few hours. Due to this semblance, rats were used in laboratories  for dissection for teaching purpose.
 Many people keep rats as pets.They find them very adorable and   fondle. Domesticated rats  very friendly . They love human company.  If there are children around the rats love to be in their  midst.They enjoy riding on the shoulders of  their owners.They are affectionate and  like to lick their human  friends. If trained properly the rats never bite. They are as friendly as small puppies. If you have seen 'Ratatouille', an animation  film, you will realise  the extent of affection a person can have with  a  rat as a pet.                                   

A pet rat

 In India , a rat has its own worshippers. Karni  Mata  temple in Rajasthan is famous for rat worship. There rats, in large numbers, are found roaming about freely. 

Mata Karni Temple

 

Rat is also the vehicle of Hindu God Ganesha. The rat, therefore stands  on a high pedestal in Hindu Mythology.
 In China ,according to the Zodiac calendar, the first month of the new year is  a symbol of a rat. There, a person born in this month is believed to possess qualities   such as generosity,creativity,quick temper, honesty and wastefulness associated with rats.
In some South Asian countries  it is treated as staple food.Some people ,even keep rats as pets. The fact ,however remains that it is hated by a  vast population. When a rat dies . there is no one to shed tears. It departs from the world unsung, unwept  and unnoticed in a heap of  garbage, even though it leads a luxurious life in cosy corners in high mansions.

Photos courtesy Google