I love this piece "In Defense of the Rat", and I am more than halfway convinced (although I never found them that icky in the first place):

https://hakaimagazine.com/features/in-defense-of-the-rat/?omhide=true&utm_source=Hakai+Magazine+Weekly&utm_campaign=3b98bcde67-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_09_06_COPY_03&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0fc1967411-3b98bcde67-121628661

"In a world at war with the rat, a defense of the enemy might seem hopeless. Yet the second reason to mount that defense is that there is new evidence in the rat’s favor. A growing body of research paints a picture of the accused that is far less vile than has been portrayed, and that may even charm the jury. "

#Rats #Animals

https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/111/169/807/458/178/953/original/6ca914680ccef6b7.png