Celebrities
Judy's Rat
Rattie, otherwise known as Judy's Rat, has been making news for about two years now. In case you're not familiar with Rattie, she is a hard-working ex-lab rat who helps wire schools for computer and Internet use. She crawls through walls dragging wiring behind her through crawlspaces and conduits so that schools don't have to go to the more expensive lengths of knocking down walls to place the cables. At this web site, Rattie answers questions from school kids. Plus you can listen to her song, see her picture and read mail from her fans. Stop by and visit this great rat heroine!
This story is not for the faint of heart or the queasy of stomach! Apparently, Vietnam is having a bit of a rat population boom, and the restaurants that normally serve cat are being asked to help conserve the cat population so the cats can go work catching rats in the rice fields. Also, plans are to serve an alternate dish, and it's not vegetarian! And that's all I'm going to say about that... Yuk!
Health
Stressed Rats Get Prostate Disease
Rats are assisting with prostate disease research. Apparently when stressed, both people and rats produce prolactin, a hormone which contributes to prostate disease. So, if you want your male rats to remain healthy as they age, don't stress them too much and, above all, don't stick them in small plastic cones for 15 minutes at a time! (I could have told them that much....)
Labor Disputes
The Rat Balloon
In New York City (where else?) a labor union is suing the police department for mistreating a giant rat:
"It was tossed from a Police Department vehicle onto the ground in the middle of the Police Department parking lot. It was dragged across that ground in a haphazard manner and left outside, exposed to the elements,'' the suit alleges.
Of course, this rat was a 30-foot-high inflatable balloon used in the union's publicity efforts, but the thought that any sort of rat is that important is touching. (My male rats want to know where this inflatable rat was made and if I could possibly get some smaller ones for their, um, de-stressing....)
Travel
Planning your summer vacation? Want to take in some rats with the scenery? Here are the top two places to go this season!
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