[The Great ME!]

I've seen so much hate going around against rats for...well, forever. Not just rats either but mice and other species as well(spiders, bugs, reptiles, etc).
Honestly though, it wasn't until I joined CS that I really began to roll my eyes, when I saw people over the years saying "Ew" at rat adoptables, mere pictures, even making groups or naming them "Ew", "Ick", "Disgusting" and other such things, completely refusing to trade for rats at all, talking about how CS just "Shouldn't have rats because they're gross" and all sorts of other bullcrap.

So let's break some myths and hate-fest ranting about them, shall we?

"But rats caused The Plague!"
Caused by fleas, not rats. Yes, rats carried the fleas. So did other animals. Your pet cat or dog can carry fleas, ticks, and other insects that transfer these diseases just as well as any rat. Rats were just a convenient scapegoat to have something to hate on and blame for it.
And let's not forget that it was also partially because of rats that the plague ended, as certain types of rats were immune to carrying the fleas which carried the plague and therefor did not transfer them to humans as other types of rats had in the past.

"They've got these disgusting hairless tails!"
Most of your body is hairless. Enough said.

"But rats swim around and live in filth and sewers!"
Need I remind you all where said filth and sewers originally came from? Oh, that's right, humans.
That filth. Was created. By humans.
Sewers? Created(and filled) by humans.
Garbage dumps? Created(and filled) by humans.
Garbage, in general? Created(and also filled) by humans.
And let's not forget the fact that we've destroyed most natural habitats which leaves very little places for animals of any kind, rats included, to live in, much less areas where they're safe from predators.

"Well it's just a stupid rat!"
And you're just a stupid human. Need I go on?

"But rats are pests that need to be exterminated! They overpopulate so much!"
Humans are the biggest pests on the planet, if you've been paying attention. Humans are the most abundant species on the planet, and use up the most resources, and produce the most filth.

Really, you can think of any argument of why rats are "Disgusting, eeeew" creatures and I can think up twice as many of why humans are more disgusting and more worthy of the measures we take against rats or any other species than those people hate on and scream "CALL THE EXTERMINATOR!" for.
Might want to think about that next time you feel the need to scream "EEEEEEW" at another species. Because I can throw it right back in your face and then-some.

Coincidentally enough, I was listening to Hampster Dance while drawing this xD

[reefsharkivist]

so true… WHY IS THERE SO MUCH HATRED TOWARD ANIMALS? they don't always have to be cuddly to be awesome! My dad used to have a pet rat named Eddie… I wish I could have seen him… RODENTS ARE AWESOME!

[bunnimuffins]

amen:) It really bugs me when people don't accept rats in trades, I mean, look at them, they are actually kind of cute! Can I say another myth?
One thing is that rats will eat dead flesh, which gave them the stereotype that they eat people. But what people don't realize, is that a hungry hog will eat a human in 5 hours. And that is just your ordinary, cute, farm pig.

[The Great ME!]

Can I say another myth?
One thing is that rats will eat dead flesh, which gave them the stereotype that they eat people. But what people don't realize, is that a hungry hog will eat a human in 5 hours. And that is just your ordinary, cute, farm pig.

Dogs will sometimes eat/chew on dead owners too c: But no one ever thinks about or wants to talk about that. Doesn't change the fact that it's true though.

[bunnimuffins]

Oh gosh I didn't know that! lol, but good job, very cute rat:)

[sodafarts]

Agh, this is so true and more people need to realize it <3
The same goes for other species, like snakes for example, and all the hate is jsut caused by ignorance :T

But also a lovely picture ^^ The perspective of the person is really cool.

[The Great ME!]

The perspective of the person is really cool.

Haha, thanks ^^
I didn't want it to be any specific person, I wanted to leave it open-ended and represent really anyone that hates on rats so I just tried to do enough that you could tell it's a person and not much more than that XD

[imnotadalek]

I've always thought rats and other things that people are afraid of are rather cute.

[Spotty]

This drawing made me smile. I love the expression you made for the rat, it looks great. I have pet rats, they are my favourite animals and just the best pets in the world. I would never change owning rats for any other kind of pet, they are clever, playful, loving... Just great animals really.

I get that reaction when I talk about my rats a lot. It's always "...but they are pests with disgusting tails?" e_e

[the.kitsune.prince]

Hehe, such a good picture XD
I love rats, they are beautiful creatures and much more intelligent than some animals (some even say more intelligent than a 2 year old human which is amazing for an animal). <3 Also, the tails... my favourite part about them ;u;