Rats

It is common for certain groups of animals such as rats to be forgotten. People tend to have a disinterest for the species, which leads to a lack of knowledge of how these animals are treated and a disconnect emotionally. However, there should be a bare minimum understanding that rats can experience pain; they are not devoid from physical or mental/emotional suffering. Much like the animals that tend have higher value in Western society (i.e dogs and cats), rats should be given the right to humane treatment. To improve upon the treatment of rats, a few solutions could be implemented. Rats (and all lab animals for that manner) should be protected under the Animal Welfare Act, and that act should be reviewed and enforced by a reliable, non-affiliated third party. Rats should not be subjected to testing or additional suffering if it is not necessary for medical advancement (such as cosmetic testing) or if there is a feasible alternative. In addition, other daily inhumane acts such as cert...

Rats are a species that is portrayed as disgusting and a pest to society and some cultures, but a major beneficiary to science and the ecosystems. A rodent, medium size in stature and all too keen for their tiny place in the food chain. Seen in movies as the pest stealing food from a kitchen, at pet stores, or in the common American family home as pets, rats as a species originate from Asia and Australia and are classified in the genus Rattus. But, the term Rattus is a very vague category as there as so many variations to the species and many sub-categories to acknowledge when learning about this species. Species Rattus Rattus Despite their location of origin, with there being over 60 species of rats, they are located all around the world. According to Alina Bradford from the Live Science Magazine, mentions that rats are in fact pack animals, which is humorous to think about. When you think of a pack animal, it is easy to think about wolves or lions, but never these tiny rodents that ...

      There is no doubt that when using animals for lab testing, there are pros and cons for each party whether in favor or against. On the positive side, we are better able to advance the medical industry in all realms, but on the negative side, we are using the lives of these creatures and could possibly cause them discomfort and in the worst scenarios death if improperly cared for. Therefore, I think it would be best to determine areas that, if addressed, will improve the outlook for all parties. After interpreting what the concerns are from both perspectives, here are three ways that laboratory testing of rats could be improved.       1. Test groups for experimentation can be made smaller. A maximum number of test subjects for each trial would be a great place to start before beginning. Though, setting a maximum number of subjects does not need to be the same depending on what kind of trial is being done in order to leave room for marginal err...

 Rats are small to medium-sized rodents that are found all over the world, with the exception of Antarctica. They belong to the genus Rattus, which includes several different species. My group members had several key thoughts that surprised and interested them. Like myself, several of my group members mentioned that they did not know how important rats were. Like many people, when people think of rats it's either a brown one in their attic or a white lab rat. Rats have very important roles throughout our society. Despite their reputation as pests, rats are often used in scientific research because their biology is very similar to that of humans. In fact, many important medical discoveries have been made using rats as test subjects.  An interesting point that was discussed in our group was how rats are surprisingly represented in a lot of forms of media. Rats have been portrayed in a variety of ways in the media, ranging from cute and lovable to dirty and disease-ridden. In chi...

 Rats have had a place in religion ever since their existence here on earth. In many religions our furry little friends are viewed in a holy way, while other religions view these creatures as very bad. Many views on rats have also changed throughout history depending on where you look some people had to think twice about trusting these little creatures that they were told to worship. In the 14th century rats were the leading spreader of the bubonic plague. This was a terrible outbreak that was estimated to have killed around 25 million people which caused many people who once worshipped this creature to have second thoughts. The first religion that I would like to go over is very interesting to me and caught my eye as soon as I started my research. The Temple of Rats, Karni Mata Hindu Temple is in India where Buddha taught that all living beings, no matter the form, were our family and friends. This temple was constructed in the early 1900s to honor goddess Karni Mata. Inside of th...

  Rats as almost everybody knows are medium-sized, long-tailed rodents that live in the same environment that humans do. They sometimes live in our houses with us without us even knowing they are present. Rats to some people are pets and to other people are some of the most troublesome rodents in the United States. Rats eat the same food that humans do, but they can also contaminate our food, damage our homes, and transmit a variety of diseases that can be deadly to humans and other animals. Some of the diseases that rats can transmit to humans are food poisoning, murine typhus, and rat bite fever. In some, cases rats can even carry the plague which can be transmitted to both humans and livestock. Rats not only will contaminate and eat our food, but they can also cause damage to our building structures. Rats are destructive animals and can chew on many types of materials such as soft metals, electrical wires, and even wooden structures. Rats are known for thriving in all types of c...