They shimmy through cracks and root through trash. They scurry across alleyways and hide in metro tunnels. Sometimes, they even dart right in front of your feet.
These creatures have also been sacrificed for the advancement of scientific research and love to play hide and seek for fun. The animal we're discussing today is complicated — and it inspires equally complicated feelings in us.
If you live in a U.S. city, you've likely seen a rat or two running around. Each fall, an estimated 21 million U.S. homes face rodent invasions. That's according to Orkin, the pest control company.
This year, New York City held its first ever annual national urban rat summit to address the city's chronic rat problems. Rats pose real health and safety risks to human.
But what do we lose by only seeing them as pests?
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