Animal Cruelty Laws: Do They Protect Domesticated Rats?

Animal cruelty laws are in place to protect animals from inhumane treatment and ensure their well-being. While these laws vary across different countries and regions, it is important to examine how they apply to domesticated rats, which are often perceived differently from other pets due to their association with their wild counterparts. Rats, specifically those of the genus Rattus, have been excluded from certain animal welfare laws, such as the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) in the United States. This exclusion has sparked debates between animal rights advocates and research groups, with the former arguing for the inclusion of rats under these laws and the latter citing potential disruptions to scientific research and increased costs. Despite these exclusions, it is essential to recognize that rats are sentient beings capable of experiencing pain and emotions, and their welfare deserves attention and humane treatment.

Rats are sentient beings, capable of feeling pain and emotions

Rats are intelligent, sentient beings, capable of experiencing a range of emotions and feelings. They are often unfairly maligned as vermin or pests, but they are affectionate, clever, and social creatures. In fact, they are not dissimilar to dogs in their capacity for companionship and playfulness.

Rats have complex emotional and moral lives. They are known to display empathy, dream of a better future, and even recognise regret. They are also capable of cutting deals and trading favours with one another. For example, they will trade grooming for food and vice versa. Rats also have the capacity for metacognition; they are aware of what they remember and can recognise when they have forgotten something.

Despite their sentience, rats are often subjected to cruel methods of population control and are used in their millions for experimentation. In the United States, the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) specifically excludes rats from its protections. This exclusion is the result of lobbying by research industry groups, who argue that including rats under the AWA would be too costly.

The exclusion of rats from animal welfare laws and regulations is a denial of their sentience and capacity for suffering. Rats are intelligent, emotional beings, and they deserve much more care and love than they typically receive.

Cruel methods used to control rat populations

Rats are considered pests because they destroy and contaminate food and spread diseases. While rat-proofing a building is the only sure way to deter rats, some people resort to cruel methods of controlling rat populations. Here are some examples of cruel methods used to control rat populations:

• Poisons: Rat poisons, or rodenticides, are a common method of rat population control. These are often anticoagulants that prevent blood clotting, leading to death by organ failure or blood loss due to internal bleeding over the span of 5-7 days. Other non-anticoagulant rodenticides can cause brain or organ damage. Ingestion of these poisons causes a slow and painful death for rats and can also indirectly harm humans, companion animals, and predators that feed on poisoned rats.
• Glue traps: Glue traps are considered inhumane as they cause immense suffering to the trapped animals, who may die from shock, dehydration, asphyxiation, or blood loss after injuring themselves while trying to escape.
• Snap traps: While effective in killing rats, snap traps can also cause suffering, as rats may chew off their limbs to free themselves.
• Second-generation anticoagulants: These poisons deliver a lethal dose in one feeding, but the slow-acting nature of these poisons allows rats to wander out in the open, where they become easy prey for other animals. The high load of poison in their bodies can then be ingested by predators or scavengers, leading to secondary poisoning.

In contrast to these cruel methods, some cities are experimenting with more humane approaches, such as using birth control to limit the rodents' ability to reproduce. For example, the city of Ferndale, Michigan, is trialing a product called ContraPest, which is an oral contraceptive that reduces rat populations without causing suffering or death.

Animal welfare laws in the US exclude rats

The exclusion of rats, mice, and birds from the AWA means that they are not subject to oversight by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding their housing, care, and treatment in laboratory settings. However, it is important to note that these species are still protected by other federal laws and regulations, such as the Health Research Extension Act (HREA) and oversight by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Additionally, institutions conducting research on these species may voluntarily seek accreditation by private agencies, such as AAALAC International, which ensures compliance with standards for the care and treatment of research animals.

The exclusion of rats, mice, and birds from the AWA has been a contentious issue, with animal protectionists and rights advocates arguing that these species should be afforded the same legal protections as other warm-blooded animals commonly used in research. They contend that the existing protections for these species are inadequate and do not cover all individuals. In contrast, research groups maintain that rats, mice, and birds already receive sufficient oversight through various institutions and committees, and that including them under the AWA would be redundant and costly without providing any effective change in their care and treatment.

The debate over the inclusion of rats, mice, and birds under the AWA highlights the complex nature of animal welfare regulations and the differing perspectives on how best to protect these species. While the current US laws exclude rats from certain protections, there are ongoing efforts by animal welfare organizations and advocates to extend legal protections to these species and ensure their humane treatment in research settings.

Rats are intelligent and social animals

Rats are highly intelligent animals. They are naturally curious, have strong memories, and are excellent learners. They can understand complex concepts and are unlikely to forget something once they've learned it. Rats can even recognise tone sequences, read faces, and distinguish languages. They are also intelligently cautious – for example, if a fellow rat dies after eating a particular food, the rest of the group will avoid it.

Rats are also very social animals. They often communicate with each other using high-frequency sounds that humans cannot hear. They become attached to other rats, recognising their own family members, and they easily bond with their human owners, too. Pet rats can learn tricks, respond to their names, and perform a variety of tasks. They can be taught to solve puzzles, run through mazes, and do tricks. Training a pet rat is relatively simple, and rats respond well to food-based rewards.

Rats are affectionate, gentle, and playful. They enjoy being stroked and petted by their owners, and sometimes even enjoy a gentle massage, a scratch behind the ears, or a tickle. Rats have been known to return the affection by "grooming" their owners. Domesticated rats are descended from wild Norway rats, and they are not that different from dogs. Rats can be incredibly tame and make great companions.

Rats are excluded from the Animal Welfare Act (AWA)

In 1970, the definition of "animal" was amended to include all warm-blooded animals used in research or for exhibition, or sold as pets. However, rats were specifically excluded from this definition. This exclusion was the result of lobbying by the National Association for Biomedical Research, which argued that including rats in the AWA would be too expensive. They claimed that regulating rats and other rodents would increase the cost of routine animal care and maintenance without any effective change in laboratory animal care and treatment.

As a result of this lobbying, a 2002 amendment to the AWA explicitly excluded rats (of the genus Rattus) and mice (of the genus Mus) bred for research from the protections afforded by the Act. This exclusion means that the majority of animals used in research have no legal protection. There are no basic standards for their housing and care, and no legal mandate to consider alternatives to their use or to alleviate their pain and distress.

The exclusion of rats from the AWA highlights a broader issue with the Act, which leaves out many animals used in research and excludes farmed animals, invertebrates, reptiles, and amphibians. Despite its limitations, the AWA is still an important law that provides minimum standards for animal treatment and empowers the USDA to conduct investigations and inspections. However, there is ongoing criticism from animal advocacy groups, who argue that the law is too weak and narrowly scoped.

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