To be quite frank, speaking as a Chinese-Australian, everyone I've met insists that rats and mice are the same creatures
I don't think the chinese know that the two exist...
They just don't differentiate between them :(
Now. I don't mean to start a debate. But there's a lot to differentiate.
Rats are more closely linked to us genetically. Rats are actually cleaner than mice, they self groom themselves more often than cats. Infact it's been proven they're smarter than cats and are able to retain more information.
Oh. And rats have control over their bladders and choose to wee in one corner
Mice don't have any control over their bladder...
And it's a myth that rats carry diseases etc.
Any living organism is a potential host for disease under the right conditions
Did you know the domestic dog is more likely a carrier of disease than a rat is?
And it was proven this year that the bubonic plague in Britain was caused by bad hygiene and mouth plaque in humans
Based on the figures and the distribution of the disease in relation to the rat population, it was impossible for them to pass the disease to so many
Oh. And there are such things as domestic rats. They're different. They've been selectively bred by humans since the 1600s. Though that may not seem long, they have a life span of 1-2 years.
Domesticated rats are different to wild ones.
Just as wolves are different to dogs
And lions are different to cats
If you wouldn't compare a chihuahua to a wolf why compare a domesticated rat to its wild counterpart :(
Ps. I'm sorry I went off track haha but it had to be said, I have two pet rats and they are the sweetest things. They're like tiny dogs but more loving. They can do tricks as well and are toilet trained. They answer to their names! They both know how to fetch and bring back balls when I throw them :) they like turning over infront of me so I can scratch their bellies
They come to me for hugs all the time
One of them use to sneak into my bed to cuddle with me