I was born in the year of the rat, under the Chinese zodiac. I took this to be a SIGN when I decided to adopt fancy rats in early 2017. On January 7, 2017 I brought home three fancy rats from the Humane Society: Xena, Gabrielle, and Dottie-Callisto. Gabrielle, one of my first fancy rat companions This is not a post that represents "philosophy in the world." I am using this post as an opportunity to share publicly some memories of my rat Gabrielle, who passed away on December 21. If you read … [Read more...]
Towards a sexual biopolitics of rats
Humans love to hate on rats. But why? Rats are terrific! Rats, both "wild" and "domestic," are intelligent (similar to or more than many dog breeds), and "pet" rats are sociable and loving companions. Yet, rats seem more despised than other critters. One of my parents complains about my companion rats, though they've never met. Friends have cringed when I pull out my phone to share pictures. Strangers seem incredulous or annoyed when I encourage them to quit using the term "infestation" … [Read more...]
Ethical rat companionship
CBC's The Current featured a panel discussion yesterday about the ethics of having pets. Although the panelists--Gary Francione (animal rights superstar), Jessica Pierce, and Stanley Coren mostly focused on dogs, rat companionship was raised. I have a few brief thoughts about providing a good home to rats, and about commodifying animals more generally. Commodifying animals Francione argues for an abolitionist position on pets (and animal use more generally). While he believes that humans have … [Read more...]