You dirty rat. I don’t give a rats ass. I smell a rat.

Ever since they were wrongly accused of spreading the plague, rats have had an image problem. Portrayed as thieves and disease ridden pests, they are feared and persecuted. But do they deserve it? Of all the rodent family, they are the most visible, with around 81 million in the UK alone, and this makes them a target. They are often poisoned, which usually does not control their numbers but can harm non-target species, such as owls, foxes, hedgehogs, songbirds, and sometimes our pets.

And yes, I did say wrongly accused of spreading the Black Death. Even though they are reservoirs of the plague, it’s now thought more likely it was spread through human contact and lice than the rats themselves. It’s true they can still spread disease, but good hygiene makes this unlikely, and cleanliness prevents unreasonable population growth.

In many ways, rats are like us. They are smart, and highly adaptable. They have followed humanity across the world, setting up home wherever we dump our waste. They are very social, living in family groups. They are also generous, show empathy, and experience joy.

These positive qualities are appreciated in many cultures. In the Hindu Karni Mata Temple, 20,000 rats are honoured residents. In the Chinese zodiac, people born in the year of the rat are thought creative, honest, and generous. In parts of Africa, some rats take on a dangerous and life-saving role. These ‘Hero rats’ sniff out landmines, saving countless lives and limbs. They can also detect TB faster than humans, improving clinic detection rates by up to 40%.

Rats are not the enemy. They have co-habited with humans for thousands of years, because they are very like us. Next time you see one, why not think about all we share- surely there is room for tolerance in our urban environments, and perhaps in our hearts?