There are quite a few undeniable benefits to having pets. Dogs, cats, hamsters, squirrels, turtles, hedgehogs… are often the choices people make for companionship. However, bringing a wild sewer rat from the fields to keep as a pet is indeed a rare occurrence.
For this reason, Lan Anh from Nam Dinh caused quite a stir on social media after sharing her unique interest. Everyone was shocked because rats are usually categorized as harmful animals, known for biting and causing damage to humans. Not to mention, many young people jump in fright at the sight of a rat, yet Lan Anh was able to bring one home?
(Screenshot)
However, according to Lan Anh, raising a rat is just as interesting and affectionate as keeping dogs or cats. The type of rat she has is a sewage rat. This is a large rat with gray-black fur, weighing up to 0.8kg – 1kg when fully grown, and is considered a delicacy in many regions.
The decision to adopt a rat was quite spontaneous; Lan Anh saw some young men catching field rats, and one of the rats was still with its eyes closed, so she asked to take it home. “I asked for it from the guys catching field rats when it was still blind, and now it’s grown up as my little buddy,” Lan Anh shared.
When she first brought it home, Lan Anh gave the rat condensed milk, and after a few days, it opened its eyes. “Rats grow very quickly, so they are not hard to raise. After it opened its eyes, I just left some cold rice for it, and it ate by itself. The important thing is to keep its nest warm when it’s still small,” Lan Anh shared her experience of caring for the rat.
When her pet grew a bit larger, she made a cage for it and put a small piece of brick inside for it to gnaw on and keep it entertained while also helping to file its teeth. Every day, Lan Anh carefully bathes the rat to ensure hygiene.
Since living with humans from such a young age, this sewer rat is very gentle and has never bitten anyone. Lan Anh noted: “This one has a very tame personality, not wild at all. It’s super gentle and never bites. Normally, it stays in its cage, but when it’s out, it just wanders around the house. Anyone can hold it.”
Since adopting this unique little buddy, Lan Anh’s home has been free of other kinds of rodents. As she explained, the sewer rat is regarded as the “king of rats,” and its distinct sounds make other smaller rats, like mouse and shrew, fearful.
Now, Lan Anh’s sewer rat is quite large, heavy, with shiny black fur.
After a long time of nurturing and caring, her little buddy is now very attached to her and has become close friends with her dogs at home. Her boss loves to be held; as soon as it is picked up, it shows affection by nuzzling its head and acting cute. It especially enjoys snuggling in her armpit and sleeping soundly.
Lan Anh’s sharing quickly attracted everyone’s attention. Most were surprised to see that a sewer rat could become a pet and form a bond with humans like this.
A few others who have tried keeping them shared that sewer rats are quite intelligent and effective at guarding the house: “Sewage rats raised from a young age are better at guarding than dogs; having them indoors prevents other small rats from nibbling. They are also very smart,” “Rats can get sick due to their living environment; if raised from a young age, they won’t have infectious diseases. Any hereditary diseases might be present but wouldn’t be contagious,” “In general, any animal can carry germs, but these rats don’t bite and were raised from when they were blind, so they don’t carry infectious diseases,” “Many people complain they are dirty and smelly, but think about it: if you don’t bathe for a month, you’d smell too. But rats that are bathed daily will smell fresh. So the issue is really about their living environment”…
Initially, Lan Anh decided to raise the rat because she felt sorry for it, but the more she cared for it, the more affection she developed. Now, she considers this rat as a friend, and the little buddy is extremely affectionate and well-behaved.