This article is super interesting for two reasons. One, the complexity of olfactory social cues in many animals is fascinating and seems to create a world of sentience and awareness that we have very little access to. Two, it shows (once again) that rats, an unfairly maligned creature, are capable of great care for others, as are many other social species.
“How do animals that help their brethren manage to prioritize those most in need? A new study shows that rats can use odor cues alone to determine how urgently to provide food assistance to other rats in need.”
This is a video everyone should watch. The still well established use of whips in racing and all horse sports, as well as our equestrian leisure activities, is a damning indictment of our consideration of the horse’s welfare in our entertainment by them and relationship with them. If you can’t train a horse without striking it with a whip, then you can’t train a horse at all, only bully one. Violence is not necessary for performance and is detrimental to learning and cognition (google.co.uk/scholar can provide you which much scientific evidence should you wish to find it).
Here are some musings I have on being a veggie, but first lets clear up the inevitable questions –
Q. Oh my god, soap box vegetarians are so preachy, why are you trying to convert me to your hippy ways?
A. I am not in the business of converting anyone to anything. These are my life choices, I am far to busy/lazy to make yours for you as well, so until my mind control ray device is finished … *cough* .. erm, I mean …so lets live and let live.
Q. Aren’t you going to try and emotionally blackmail me into taking up the diet of a rabbit?
A. Again, no, if something I say affects you emotionally that seems like something you need to explore.
Q. OK, so you’re sure you’re not trying to convert me?
A.Nope, no conversions going on here. Not even subliminal messages, neurolinguistic programming, psychological tricks or hypnosis… aren’t I being a good little neuroscientist!
So on we go to my half autobiographical ramblings. It’s hard to believe, but I was a very naive and positive preteen, I know, what happened right?! This pessimistic misanthrope bears no resemblance to that sweet girl who thought that really all humans are nice people with good intentions. However, what that child and I do have in common is a willfulness, or if you ask my very patient parents – stubbornness. So when aged 11, I saw some documentaries on farm animal welfare some of my emerging world view was shattered. To this day the sound of pigs screaming can make me feel sick. Obviously I knew in some abstract sense where meat came from, but like most people were and are, I was very removed from the reality of where my food came from. I had assumed that the animals were kept like my beloved pets and died painlessly after a well enjoyed existence frolicking in a field. As I read and watched more it became painfully obvious to me that this was not the case. These documentaries were not vile exceptions, they were very much the norm (80% of meat in Europe is factory farmed). So I went home one day –
“Mum, Dad , I want to be vegetarian.”
After a brief shocked “Er.. ok *Lemming, why?”
I like to think what followed was an articulate and logical explanation of my findings regarding farms and animal welfare, but I was 11 and so, lets face it, it probably went like this…
“Animals hurt, bad people … sad animals, make me sad.”
I was not an articulate child despite being reasonably bright. Anyway, I made enough fuss that my parents eventually agreed, probably suspecting it was a phase. They have thoroughly given up on the phase idea now and are incredibly supportive.
Like most decisions a person makes this one was a combination of emotion and reason. I am not Vulcan after all, despite my best efforts there is always a bit of Klingon raw emotion that sneaks in. Emotion drove the motivation to become veggie, but I find reason and science very much sustain it.
So I was vegetarian and later on, around aged 20, I became vegan. Funnily, when I first became vegan I lived in the mecca for the rabbit diet inclined, Brighton. A long consideration of the interaction of the dairy and meat industries and the environmental impact of even animal byproducts had lead me to conclude that veganism was the way to go. Everyone warned me how hard being vegan is, but Brighton made being vegan seem normal. There are veggie fast food joints, lots of vegan cake, many vegan friendly pubs and lots and lots of restaurants and stores. There was even a vegetarian shoe shop. So it wasn’t hard at all, but of course being young and big headed, I thought this was because of my special will power. Then I moved to Sheffield. Turns out it was mostly easy due to my special environment. Still with a little expansion of my pallet and the finding of some awesome eateries and markets, it is still enjoyable to be vegan. I am the type who thoroughly enjoys eating and food. Plus I can now make my own excellent cakes and desserts.
Being vegan can have some interesting effects on your social life, cue lots of fart jokes. No not because of unwanted guffing! A lot of socialising revolves around food, so it is usually something people end up finding out about and their reactions can be strange. Most commonly people will: make jokes (fair enough if you can tell me one I haven’t heard I will by you a beer, a veggie one of course), ask a lot of often ridiculous questions, get unnecessarily angry (again not trying to convert anyone here) or justify every life decision they have ever made to me (not here to judge you, no honestly). However, the most inconvenient, when you are trying to enjoy your dinner are the questions, oh god the questions make it stop, I just want to eat. Here are a few especially reoccurring ones:
Q. Do you eat …..? (Insert huge list of foods.)
A. You have the definition, you are an intelligent person, lets get those brain cells rubbing together and you working it out so I can go back to the cake… please, I just want to eat the cake… No chickens not vegan *gently sobs into cake*.
Q. If you were …on an island, in the dessert, in the jungle, lost at sea, in the arctic (delete as appropriate) would you eat meat?
A. Well I don’t personally live in any of those places so it’s not immanently an issue, and if I did find myself transported suddenly to a remote location I would probably wander around confusedly, constantly checking my cell phone reception and maybe even shout for help, rather than internally debate veganism.
Q. I could never get enough calories being vegan, I don’t know how you do it?
A. *Looks up from cake, wipes frosting from mouth and clothing, pulls up jeans to hide muffin top* Yes, yes that is a problem. I am practically wasting away eating all this lectuce.
Q. How do you get enough protein?
A. Every cell contains protein. It is what DNA codes for. I am sure I will be fine. Also, do you know anyone with a protein deficiency who doesn’t have a medical problem?
Q. If you kept an animal as a pet and it lead a long and happy life would you eat it?
A. Well it is not typical for humans to eat their pets, just so you know, but I get your point and no, because the meat would be old, tough, sad and likely treated with human poisoning medications.
Q. Would you eat meat if … insert massive list of situations?
A. ..er… takes cake and leaves, politely of course I am British, I would probably apologise as I left.
However, there is one question friends and strangers pose which I do think about often “why are you vegan?”. Yes I could give you the talk on the environment – 3rd biggest producer of carbon emissions, cause of rain forest loss… blah blah. I could talk about animal welfare – painful procedures without anesthetic, terrible husbandry, awful slaughter blah blah. I could even give the information on the human impact- couldn’t feed everyone a western diet on the available resources blah blah. And these would all be valid points with scientific support (if you are interested in reading more, there are plenty of erudite articles/papers on the topic). But really, for me, it comes down to a core idea and way of living. See I don’t believe we can guarantee there is anything beyond the brief existence we enjoy. There is a great likelihood that after this life we will once again merge with the abyss from whence we came. Therefore, life is essentially without any greater purpose than that which can be observed extantly around us. Given this, improving the experience of sentient life is the only tangible way of producing a greater purpose of life and the only thing we can really do in this life which has any real impact or hope of producing ‘good’ both now and in the future. I also don’t believe that my sentient experience should be prioritised above others, there is nothing special about me compared to you, or anything particularly special about being a human (certainly with regards to biodiversity we are axiomatically unremarkable). Since the study of animal psychology and neurology has proven the stark sentience of their existence and the neurological potential and capacity for consciousness, it is clear humans aren’t unique in their visceral experiencing of the world. Thus being human does not give me privilege to unnecessarily harm others sentient creatures.
Improving, and/or at least not harming the sentient experience of human and non-human beings through my existence is, therefore, important to me. I wish to live without creating harm to others. Eating meat and animal byproducts creates proven harm to sentient creatures, and thus an easy way to reduce the harm of my existence is to reduce demand for such products and that is basically it.
Also, you know, there is the whole vegan powers perk 😉
(*Lemming has always been my Dad’s pet name for me. Even now I am almost 30 the epithet sticks. I like to think it came from the period of childhood during which I would randomly, enthusiastically and inconveniently run away from my parents regardless of where we were and the potential dangers. I would see something interesting and, wosh, Lemming like, I would be gone. These childhood adventures in independence have left their scars, particularly when in Germany I choicely legged it in a supermarket, into a shopping trolley and cracked my skull. Cue lots of blood, my sister screaming, my mum fainting and my poor dad trying to explain the whole messy situation to horrified German supermarket staff. I think I was 8 before they dared take off the child reins.)
I share my life with 3 very fat, very lovely rats. Yes voluntarily! No not because I missed the bin collection too many times. I have been sharing my house with these rodents most people condemn as unwanted vermin for almost 20 years. It’s been comedic, a privilege and a learning experience, so here are a few life lessons from rats:
1. They’re more like guidelines anyway.
Rats do not like to obey rules, particularly your rules and why should they, who died and made you King/Queen of rats. This is most true of 2 favourite rat pastimes: chewing and getting into places they aren’t allowed.
Didn’t want the rats to chew the wall paper, the door, your favourite t-shirt, your lucky pants? You can guarantee that will be the only thing the rat wants to chew. My usual conversations with the rats regarding this topic go like this –
Me – Hi my rat friend, I see you are trying to chew on that speaker cable again.
Rat – Speaker cables are a key dietary staple of rats, giant creature of food and cuddles.
Me – Well no, no they’re not but moving on. They are dangerous and you have already cost me 30 quid in speakers. You never chew any other cable type so I am assuming this is some sort of ratty humour?
Rat – *looks cute and wanders away to other mischief*
Me – *Hears gnawing* Rat why are you chewing on the cable again we have had this conversation.
Rat – Tis tasty. Like food but not.
Me – But I have bought you many objects for you to chew. Some of them taste like actual food. You have yet to lay a tooth on any of them.
Rat – Not same, does not taste of the sweetness of mouth victory nor invoke hairless human things to make noises.
Me – Seriously you need to stop this.
Rat – But must eats cable absorb its tasty power?
Me – No never eat the cable.
Rat – So cable?
Me – No never cables.
Rat – Ok, just for you …. 5mins later … *gnawing sounds*.
Conversations regarding getting into places they aren’t allowed go the same way. My advice; don’t store anything which won’t be improved by teeth marks near a rat. Resign to redecorate. Assume that the rat will be wherever it is not supposed to… if they are not currently in that locale, trust me they are plotting something.
The lesson: well sometimes in life you have to have to break a few rules to reach your goal and find the contentment that only chewing on a speaker wire… I mean… that a little bit of ethical anarchism can bring.
2. Be persistent, very persistent!
Rats are the most tenacious creatures you will ever meet. If they have a goal, whether it’s one you approve of or not, they will spend as much time and effort as necessary to achieve it. I have seen rats spend a lot of time trying to get to small morsel of food they aren’t allowed, even at the expense of eating a whole bowl of food near them. Because that morsel of food is out of reach and/or near me the rats become convinced it is a divine food that has been imbued with heavenly flavour far beyond their bowl scraps (often it’s the same food). More often than I would like to admit they get the food, either because they invoke their rat ninja powers (seriously rats are tiny ninjas never forget this) or I give in because I am a soft touch.
One of the most annoying ways this admirable trait of tenacity manifests is when they want to be picked up. They will do everything in their power to make it impossible for me not to pick them up. Their list of favourite moves includes foot riding, leg jumping, when leg jumping fails leg scratching, trying to trip the human creature and hanging of the human creature’s jeans by the teeth. Last time I checked, which to be fair was not recently, live rat leg accessories were A) not at all fashionable and B) highly frowned upon by most welfare groups, so they end up being picked up.
The lesson: persistence will usually, eventually get you somewhere you want to be, until you trip the giant and get stood on anyway.
3. How to deal with conflict.
Rats are a make love not war sort of creature, a little too much really, seriously stop humping each other. It is very awkward when you get your humpy ways on in front of my friends, but given that you go out of your way to ensure a full view, I expect you know that. Luckily my current 3 boys have now become too old to show much interest in each other that way. They are definitely moving into the slippers and snuggles phase of relationships. But when they do fight (well have lovers tiffs) rats have a number of mostly ineffective and highly amusing argument techniques. Below are their favourite moves in order of escalation:
The Grumpy Cuddle – Like a normal cuddle but I am annoyed at you for pinching the bit of pasta I wanted last night.
The most Dramatic and Unnecessary Squeak – Sound like you’re dying, it will at least throw off your opponent for a while.
The Bitch Slap – As it sounds. Thought you were getting the water bottle first … nope *slaps*. All rats are apparently very camp and got all their fighting skills from watching bad American soaps.
The Butt Thrust – Enthusiastically stick your butt in your opponent’s face, rigorously repeat as necessary until they get fed up of your butt and go away.
The Shuffly, Snuffly, Hedgehog Haka – The shit is really hitting the fan and it’s time for the big guns so puff your hair up until you look like a hedgehog, sniff as ferociously as one can sniff, and do a dance like a cute Haka, this is sure to win you any fight!
Life lesson: well er… mainly I am just warning you about how I now fight. No seriously, the message is don’t fight and when you squabble, never squabble in any way that isn’t hilarious.
4. No grudge matches.
The very few times I have seen rats have ‘serious’ tiff, well as serious as a fight can be when your big hairy butt is your primary weapon, I have noticed that rats don’t hold grudges. They never go to bed angry with each other. Even when a serious rat misdemeanour has occurred in the group, like taking the last bit of biscuit or hogging the food bowl or not sharing the banana … well most rat crimes are food based, this is how I find them in the morning:
The lesson: Squeak and squabble and butt thrust if you must, but make up and cuddle, life is too short to hold grudges rather than nuzzle in a hammock.
5. The simple pleasures.
Rats are hedonistic creatures, they eat a lot, sleep a lot (preferably in a hammock or extremely padded area), play like they are babies even when they are getting grey around the whiskers and thoroughly enjoy their lives. They frolic like the Greeks gods themselves and create more mischief and havoc than the Norse ones. If Loci made a creature in his image it was definitely the rat. It probably helps that they live a life of pure luxury; I wish my bedroom came complete with numerous hammocks and a giant food bowl.
(Breakfast in bed)
Rats revel in the pleasures of their environment and in the company of both each other and their human food delivery and snuggle machine. They rival dogs in there joy at seeing their human return. They also have the same perplexing quality in that they don’t seem to care whether you have been gone 5 seconds or 5 hours*. Rats have excellent memories so it can’t be that. Anyway a pet rat will always brighten your day, because when every person in your life is giving you grief, a rat will always be terrifically pleased to see you, just because you are you (well and because there is the off chance of biscuits). Had a really bad day and need more than one happy ratty pick-me-up, just close the door for 5 seconds and repeat the experience all over again!
Rats: Why you gone so long mummy human? Us much sad.
Me: I was gone 5 mins.
Rats: No was soooo long.
Me: It wasn’t long, I just went to get you food.
Rats: FORGIVEN!
The lesson: try to enjoy life, particularly the simple, little things as they are more constant. Revel in the pleasure of being with those you love, although maybe don’t show that love through enthusiastic humping and climbing onto their shoulders. Eat with a bountiful enthusiasm and don’t spend life prudishly, denying yourself things.
*Unless you want to see them before 9am, in which case you will mainly be squinted and yawned at, but I can understand that, they don’t even have caffeine to help with the pain that dawn brings.
6.Onwards to adventure.
As you might expect from a society of anarchist ninjas, rats love adventures and generally trying to get themselves into trouble. One of the first things you will notice if you ever get a pet rat is that one of their favourite things to do is ride around on shoulders. Forget parrots, Long John Silver should have had a rat. To a rat, you are a superb mini adventure playground you can be climbed, explored and ridden around on. Unfortunately shoulder riding comes with some issues, for the human.
When you get rats, if you get them young, they are tiny, really tiny. I mean look at them so adorable, several of them could fit under one ear (see picture below). Don’t be fooled though, they grow, and they grow, and they grow A LOT, the same rats are in the other picture below. As you can see it is now incredibly difficult for me to hold all three of them at the same time but despite this they still want to sit on my shoulders, all the time and all at the same time. Luckily they are always careful not to push each other off, unfortunately they are not so careful about scratching my neck. Even the smallest, unintentional slips with their tiny razor like nails can leave me with large red scratches down my neck/chest. As you can imagine these make my private life look rather er ..adventurous, and result in me getting looks from humans that range between amused and judgmental. Surprisingly, these looks often don’t change when I explain they are due to rats and not kinky bedroom antics.
(How’d you get so big!)
As rats get older their lust for adventure does not diminish, but unfortunately their physical prowess does. This doesn’t stop them though. One of my rats has hind leg degeneration but he still wants to climb everything, including shoulders. His determination is both impressive, if inconvenient.
Shuffler: Up, up, higher and up
Me: No you can’t do that anymore, remember?
Shuffler: But whys?
Me: Well …
Shuffler: Is cos older?
Me: Well….
Shuffler: Is cos legs not work so good any mores? *looks sad*
Me: Er …
Shuffler: But brothers allowed up *looks sadder*
Me: Fine ok.
Shuffler: Yay up, up, up we go… little help?
(Spends the entire time almost slipping and terrifying me)
Sometimes rats have adventures for no reasons. I had one tiny, rescue girl rat called Monster, who had a passion for climbing the tiny pipe in the corner of the room. She would scoot up there and survey her kingdom before fireman sliding her way back down. Despite the fact I was terrified she would fall and did everything in my power to block her path, without fail there she would be, up in the corner of the room by the ceiling, then wwweeeee she would come sliding back down. As has becoming a theme, eventually I just let her do it; it just made her so happy.
The lesson: have adventures and be curious, even if it’s for absolutely no rational reason.
7. Kindness begets kindness.
Despite a reputation worse than David Cameron’s, for being crueler than Ian Duncan Smith, more vicious than Osborne and more spiteful than Michael Gove, unlike the current UK government, rats are actually gentle, caring creatures. Yes, I know there was that whole unfortunate plague incident, but let’s just put that almost ancient history aside for a moment (besides it was really the fleas anyway).
I have had 10 rescue rats, some of which had less than ideal starts in life, certainly with regards to their experiences with humans, despite this I have yet to be bitten by a rat. Even when humans had neglected them and terrorised them, even when they were terrified and confused, even when ill or in pain, if I showed them kindness they showed it back. A lot of humans are not so generous in character. This nature makes them very easy to live with and because they are naturally forgiving, of all the smaller pets, they also one of the best with children, and let’s face it takes a very forgiving nature not to bite small children.
Rats show empathy to each other as well as humans. Rat empathy has even been studied scientifically, below is a video of one rat freeing another in a scientific study*.
But rat owners can quote many, many more incidences of helping, kindness and empathy between their pets. In fact it is so common that writing about anecdotes becomes hard. However, their kindness to each other is most obvious when they become ill or frail. I have seen rats give up that preciously, rare resource – food for a distressed or frail friend and if an ill friend can’t reach the top level of the cage, they will give up their preferred sleeping area to keep them company. Despite often being rambunctious and play fighting with each other, rats will temper their behaviour around their friends who can’t cope with the incessant food pinching and butt thrusting anymore. This same kindness will be extended to you when you are sad or ill. Rat cuddles are the best therapy.
The lesson: act with kindness, even to strangers and even if people have hurt you in the past, you will be happier. Care for those around you, even if you really want the last biscuit or the best place in the hammock, they need it more.
*You can find out more of the science using Google, or if you are feeling ambitious google.co.uk/scholar
A final word – Today is more important than tomorrow.
I will finish on a short one, rats live tragically short lives. Particularly short and illness filled if they have been bred on rodent farms, like the ones commonly sold in pet shops, rather than by a proper breeder (yes, get dedicated rat breeders, crazy huh). Despite the shortness of their lives (the oldest rat I had got to 5), they live every moment fully. They are all about the now. Rats are some of the most incredibly sentient, conscious, energetic and vivacious creatures you will meet. They fill a lot of joy and love into their short little lives and, really, isn’t that all any of us can hope for.
This is an excellent lecture course, which will cause you to question, wonder, aspire and despair in equal measure.
Emma Lethbridge Horsemanship 