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Everyone loves animals. Almost everyone I know has a pet of some sort, from a goldfish to a horse. Pets provide us with companionship. They entertain us, and they love us unconditionally. As a former animal science student, I have been exposed to various aspects of animal issues — the animal rights activist’s standpoint, the veterinarian’s, the animal behaviorist’s, etc. Overall, I believe the most important priority is informing the general public on how to understand and properly care for animals.
Since I was 12 years old, I’ve loved rats. I am well aware that to many, a rat is not a conventional pet. However I guarantee that if you ever own one, or know someone who does, you will be convinced that they are probably one of the best, low-maintenance pets out there. They can use a litter box, they can learn their name and tricks like fetch, and they love human companionship. They’re pretty much pocket-sized dogs. I’ll elaborate more about these fantastic critters at a later date, but what I want to focus on is the story of Noonan.
Three weeks ago I was sitting in class when I received a text message from one of my roommates. He told me there was a rat hanging out under the steps of the empty apartment building next to us. It instantly piqued my interest, but I assumed he probably meant a wild rat. The next message I received was a picture message, showing a small, black hooded rat. It was clear this was no wild rat. I immediately left class and returned home, but at this point the rat was nowhere to be found.
After several efforts with two different no-kill traps, it was clear I was going to have to catch this guy predator-style. Rain had been coming down all morning, and the last thing I wanted was for him to be outside for another night. As I was getting in my car to leave for class, I spotted him picking at grass in front of a nearby apartment. I grabbed a jacket from my car and decided to stalk him and pounce when he least expected it. I probably looked like a hungry cat to anyone driving by, but I caught my rat.
The next night, the temperature dropped considerably. I am fairly certain a small, malnourished, drenched-to-the-bone rat like Noonan wouldn’t have survived.
With the help of some friends from Mainely Rat Rescue — an organization founded by four women who saw a need to save unwanted and often misunderstood pet rats, according to their Web site — we decided he was probably only around 6 weeks old. He was stinky, skinny and definitely mite-ridden, but boy was he affectionate. Now, he’s healthy, neutered and plump, and in another week or so, he’ll be living in luxury with my other four rats. He is, without a doubt, the friendliest rat I’ve ever owned.
Who knows how Noonan ended up where he did. Perhaps he simply escaped, slipping through a small crack or an open door. Unfortunately, I tend to believe he was unwanted for one reason or another and was intentionally dumped outside. Maybe someone had a snake or reptile that wouldn’t eat him, or realized how profusely rats procreate. Of course, animals use their instincts to survive, just as a human would. I had seen Noonan cleaning himself in runoff rain water from the building and pulling berries off low bushes and eating them. Yes, he was living, but just barely.
Last semester, some friends of mine had a similar experience when they found a small black and white rabbit that had been abandoned along the Witter Farm road on the last day of the semester. A week or so prior, the rabbit, along with a picture, had been posted for free on FirstClass. I guess the 15-minute drive to the Humane Society is simply too much for some people. Perhaps they forget that we live in Maine — coyotes have been spotted on the farm road, not to mention foxes and cats. That rabbit was a sitting duck.
Don’t get me wrong — I understand how the food chain works. What I don’t understand is why someone would willingly take on the responsibility of an animal, just to abandon it to fend for itself in the wild. If you take on an animal, regardless of what it is, it depends on you to live. Ideally, you should have an animal for the entirety of its natural life. Obviously, sometimes the unexpected comes up. When it does, be prepared to make sure your animal goes somewhere — be it a new home or a shelter — where it will be cared for.
If you have any pet- or animal-related questions you would like to see discussed in this column, please feel free to contact the writer at jessie.darkis@umit.maine.edu.
