Happy World Rat Day! Breaking down the stigma around the rodent

WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — It’s April 4 — also known as World Rat Day.

According to the website Days of the Year, the day was created to try to break the bad reputation that rats have.

D.C. is no stranger to this bad reputation — in 2023, the District was ranked among the most rat-infested cities in the U.S., according to Orkin. D.C. fell among the top five “rattiest” cities in previous years as well.

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However, rats are more than just a problem plaguing cities — for many people in the U.S. and the world, they’re also a loved pet. The University of Illinois estimated that over half a million Americans owned at least one rat or mouse in 2017.

The Humane Society of the United States said that rat owners “attest to [rats’] intelligence, charisma and social natures.” These pets live for 2 to 3 years on average and tend to love spending time with their owners. Many rats can also be trained to do tricks.

The Prince William County Police Department shared photos on the X platform of four rats available for adoption at the Prince William County Animal Services Bureau in honor of the day.

In Maryland, the Prince George’s County Animal Services had two female rats listed for adoption online as of Thursday evening.

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If you’re looking to add a rat to your family, it will need a friend — rats are social animals, so you should look to adopt in pairs at the least.

You should also make sure that a rat is the right fit for your family — the Centers for Disease Control said that rodents and other small animals are not recommended for families with children under 5 years old, adults over 65 years old or people with weakened immune systems.

The Humane Society of the United States also said that rats need at least an hour of play time outside of their cages each day as well as regular cage cleaning.

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