The rat was officially recognized as a pet in 1984 when the word NAC (New Companion Animals) was coined by a veterinarian, Michel BELLANGEON (during a lecture at the National Veterinary School in Lyon). However, rats are still struggling to gain the same recognition as other pets, they are excluded from the Animal Welfare Act (the only federal law that offers even minimal protection).

… to an individual

We have 90% common genes [a]. Rats look like humans genetically and socially. In 1948, psychologist Edward TOLMAN published a scientific study : Cognitive maps in rats and men. He proved that the rat can learn to navigate complex mazes. Just like humans, rats are able to elaborate a “ mapping brain. ” So the human brain functions in a similar way as the brain of a rat. Moreover, just like humans, rats function in society. Rats are one of the few rodent species to possess a complex social structure that includes leaders, sub-leaders, outcasts and rebels. In Happiness [20], director Steve CUTTS tells the story of a rat in search of fulfillment in a consumer-driven society : “ the racing rat. ” In this animated movie, the rats are humanized. Their appearance is anthropomorphic: they wear shirts, ties or pants… The rats also borrow from human lifestyles : they live in buildings, take the subway, drive cars… The aesthetic clearly refers to an analogy between rats and humans. The creators of fiction then try to bring humans closer to rats in appearance, to encourage the human being to be more compassionate towards the rat. Since the 17th century, Jean de La Fontaine has been using animals as allegories of human beings, revealing their qualities as well as their faults. He made the rat the main character in several of his fables. In Gustave DORÉ's Council of Rats [2], for example, the rats appear both cunning and ridiculous [b]. The irony of the scene is accentuated by the choice of depiction technique, engraving being a noble technique that demands finesse and a sense of detail.

It may even be that the rat is much more useful to humans than we think. According to Remy in Your old friend rat : “ our societies are intertwined in a symbiotic relationship. ” [c] Indeed, the rat uses man and man uses the rat to live. Rats can eat the equivalent of 10% of their body weight per day, so they can shed up to 9 kilos of waste per year [d]. In 2020 the PDSA [e] awarded Magawa a gold medal for its bravery and devotion to saving human life. Magawa was a giant African rat [24] and a member of APOPO’s [f] Hero`RATS team. During its illustrious five year career, this rat detected 39 landmines and 28 items of unexploded ordnance in Cambodia. Nowadays, rats seem increasingly considered as sensitive individuals deserving their place among humans, the fiction seems to become reality. On social media, influencers share their interactions with pet rats [30]. Ratouphile uses his rats as muses posing in miniature settings, to highlight their playful and friendly personalities. Just like dogs or cats, rats are playful and emotional. Each rat has its own odd personality : this is what artist kholeane [29] puts forward, making the rat her main subject, revealing all kinds of rats with various physiques and personalities.

With the animal protection associations and the intervention of fiction in all genres, the human eye evolves about rats. Will this be a trend again ?