Rats just don't do cute and cuddly. To put it bluntly, rats have a pretty lousy public image. Their bad boy reputation is very well established among the humans who have been not-so-peacefully co-existing with them for centuries. Maybe it's time these unappreciated rodents got a little recognition for their heroism and bravery!
Yes, rats can be heroes though their acts of valor seldom get the kind of press coverage as the loyal canine. Just ask Birgit Steich of Stuttgart, Germany, who thanks her son's pet rat, Gerd, for protecting the family from armed burglars who broke into her home one night.
The pint-sized hero launched a surprise attack from his hideout in the bookcase, landing on the face of one thug with all four feet and a sharp set of teeth in full combat mode. One down, and the other still in stunned disbelief, Gerd wasted no time in pouncing on the second burglar's foot, scurrying up his pant leg, and landing a strategic bit on a highly sensitive part of the unfortunate culprit's anatomy.
The would-be burglars turned out to be suspects in a series of robberies and murders, but thanks to Gerd the hero rat, the Steich family were not among their victims.
In Devon, England, the faithful Fido, an 8-month-old pet rat living in the Gumbley home, was awakened at 2 a.m. one April Sunday by the smell of smoke. An electric heater had set fire to the carpet and some furniture. Beating a hasty retreat from his unlocked cage, Fido evacuated the room, then instead of making an easy escape, scaled the mountain of 15 stairs to scratch an alert to his sleeping family.
Nine-year-old Megan heard Fido's desperate scratching and discovered the blaze in time to get the whole family out safely. For his bravery Fido got a special egg that Easter.
Both of these tales of rodent heroism can be found at the Squeak website - an on-line rat magazine with lots of interesting articles and personal stories of human-rat friendships that are guaranteed to elevate the maligned rodent's public image.
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