Rat rescue group battles negative attitudes toward rodents

When you see a rat, you might have any number of reactions. Wanting to find it a good home probably isn't one of them.

But that's just what the volunteers at Guelph Rat Save are doing. They take care of rats, mice and other rodents that people have given up, have left at shelters and have otherwise abandoned. They're currently fundraising to help take 40 mice off the hands of the Toronto Humane Society.

Rebecca Feddema is the founder of Guelph Rat Save, an organization mainly run by students at the University of Guelph. They mostly work with rats and mice, but also with gerbils and other small mammals.

They provide care for the animals and help deal with medical or behavioural issues.

They work with domesticated animals though, so not the rats you'd find in the wild.

During an interview with Metro Morning host Matt Galloway this morning, Feddema said rats suffer from bad PR.

"I see them kind of like little humans, they're very affectionate and intelligent," she said. 

​Guelph Rat Save has about 25 rats. Feddema herself has eight mice living in her home, and then some other rats, guinea pigs, rabbits and hamsters between her and other volunteers' houses.

"Growing up, my parents did cat rescue," she told Metro Morning. "I was told I could never have a hamster or mouse because of the cats in the house."

Metro Morning6:48Guelph group helps save rats and mice in need

Matt Galloway spoke with Rebecca Feddema, founder of Guelph Rat Save, about why she helps find good homes for rats and mice, and the challenges of garnering sympathy for those animals.

Then when she went to university, Feddema heard about how live rats are often fed to snakes. She worked with Humane Society and Rabbit Rescue, and learned about how many shelters are overrun with these animals, and how many of them would end up being euthanized.

A lot of people find their tails creepy.- Rebecca Feddema of Guelph Rat Save

She started in rat rescue when she responded to a Craigslist posting asking for people to take their rats. Other people began asking her to take on their rats. Eventually, it turned into Guelph Rat Save.

Troubles with attitudes

Guelph Rat Save is in a bind, however. 

"We have trouble with funding because a lot of people don't like mice," she said. "We have a pretty good adoption rate, but funding is the main issue."

The lack of funds limits the number of animals the animal rescue group can take in.

Feddema said she has been heckled by people who don't think she is spending their time wisely.

"Even though they're among the top 10 most intelligent animals in the world, a lot of people find their tails creepy, or think they look gross, or carry disease," she said. "Also, many people buy them but don't think of them as on the same level as other animals."

But Feddema said changing attitudes is simply a matter of time. "People started with cats and dogs, and are now moving on to appreciating animals like rabbits," she said. "There is a slow progression to liking animals like rats."