oh, yah, me too, me too...

This is funny for me because I live on the East coast
I have been advocating for years the use of rat fur for clothing, skin for shoes and belts.
The fur is waterproof, will not freeze in the cold and as tough as Polar Bear fur and skin.
Ahhh the noble Rat, Gods gift to us although we ignore it. The rat gave rise to cats becoming household pets and sent to guard the stored grains of Egypt.
No way could our ancient sea going ships made their long voyages without a ships cat or two.
There is no way the rats can be blamed for the plague, it was the damn fleas that found them a good host. Much like head lice that can and do pick out a good host to land on.
Mousey Stew very popular in parts of Asia after the Japan army left small villages with no males over the age of 10 alive.------So very kind of them.

River Rats, big and nasty, 3-4 or more pounds and as big as a wood Chuck. They have a job to do they clean up garbage as the sea gulls do.
Each and every Rat this woman dumps to the wild becomes a natural garbage man to clean up the crap we humans dispose of.
For the people who have to live near a Rat breeder, head for the SPCA and get a couple of mousers, wait a few days and allow the male to spray then get him fixed. The smell goes away to humans but the rats can smell it for 20 years. No infestation of mice, rats or other varmints, no problem, just get a watch dog cat or two.