TresSugar

Cute Alert: Rat and Cat Are in Love

GiggleSugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:00:00 -0800

At first, this looked like a classic case of he (the cat) is just not that into you (the rat). But, surprise, surprise, kitty comes around and they're best buds. Bonus points: weirdly compelling elevator music soundtrack.

Britain Has More Rats Than People: Commence Squirming Now

CitizenSugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:00:53 -0700

I suppose this story takes the fact that it's the Year of the Rat a smidge too literally. According to experts, Britain now has a larger rat population than they have human beings living in their country.

It appears as though since they halted weekly bin collecting in favor of fortnightly pickups (that’s every two weeks for those of you who don’t speak middle English) trash has been piling up and a call for recycling has never been more dire. The director of the National Pest Technicians Association said: “Fortnightly bin collections now mean it’s vital we recycle. Just putting extra food scraps on compost heaps means fantastic breeding grounds for rats to spread disease.”

To see where it's the worst, read more.

York, which appears to be the worst hit has seen an increase in the rat population rise by 208 percent. It is estimated that there are 65 to 80 million rats currently residing in Britain’s green and pleasant land while there are only 60 million humans. Crowden warns: “In 30 years I've never known such a big rat population – and there will be an epidemic if people don't reduce food waste.” Though it sounds squirmy, they're still not as bad off as Paris (four times as many rats as people) and Myanmar, which is losing all of its food to the suckers. Which of the plagues is rats again?

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It Beats the Hamster Wheel Any Day

GiggleSugar — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0700

Who says you can't teach rodents anything? Apparently rat surfing is one more way people are trying to include their pets in human activities. They're so cute and so badass at the same time.

After the Cyclone, Myanmar Battles 50 Year Rat Problem

CitizenSugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:00:07 -0700

Sometimes the news is so bad and so removed from your daily experience that the only thing you feel capable of doing is making sure people know. So here it is: after being decimated by Cyclone Nargis this Spring Myanmar is suffering through a protracted natural disaster that the government had 50 years to prevent. 50 years.

Called the maudam, twice a century the region's bamboo flowers produce a fruit that attracts rats. Hoards upon hoards of rats. Beyond the obvious squeamishness associated, the effect is even greater and long lasting. The rats consume all of villagers' food before turning to the seeds for the crops, ensuring that recovery is lengthy verging on impossible. The last three instances of the maudam, in 1862, 1911 and 1958, were all followed by devastating famine.

View 5 Photos ›

To see what the experience is like, read more.

One villager says this of the current catastrophe, "Last year during the harvest the rats came and ate almost all our rice. Our corn has also been totally destroyed. I have just one bag of rice left for my family. After that there's nothing. People in my village are going into the jungle to find wild vegetables, like leaves and roots to mix with a little rice. Our situation is desperate." A local Human Rights Organization estimates as many as 200 villages are affected by severe food shortages and at least 100,000 people, or 20 percent of the local population, are in dire need of food aid.

Waiting for that aid to arrive isn't possible for some, and the exodus to India is underway. "We love our native land. But we don't know how we can survive here any longer."

Interspecies Lovin': A Dog, a Cat, and a Rat

GiggleSugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:00:00 -0700

Meet Gregory Pike and his motley menagerie of cutie pies, namely, Booger the dog, Kitty the cat, and Mousey the rat. He swears that they get along because they were raised together, and not through some trick of extreme discipline or drugs or mistreatment. I want to believe! (I love when someone pets Mousey and Gregory says, "Don't knock the flea off!" Tee hee.)

Paris Says "Non"! to Les Rats!

LibertySugar — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:00:00 -0700

Eight million rats live in Paris, France. That's about four times the amount of people! Maybe it's the cheese!

Every year, the city launches a campaign to reduce the number of rats. The anti-rat team, known as "Service Municipal d'Actions de Salubrité et d'hygiène" or "Le Smash" exterminates rodents found on public property.

Meanwhile, Parisians must expel the rodents from their homes and businesses, clean up their trash, and block cellar entries, lest they face heavy fines handed down from the rat inspectors. Residents are also encouraged to report neighbors who act as rat sanctuaries.

Rat campaign season happens between May and June, when rat reproduction is at its highest, and summer tourism has not yet surged. The health and image conscious Parisians have had enough!

Do you think Paris officials are smart to enlist the public's help in eradicating rats? Or, should they focus more on big picture solutions like sewage and garbage management? Would you turn down a trip to the city of rats, I mean lights, for fear of seeing a furry creature dash across a charming street?

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Hey, World! This Is How It's Done

GiggleSugar — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 03:00:00 -0800

You know that "peace on earth, good will toward men" truism that no one follows? Well, these little guys (in descending size) seem to understand it. Take notes, people.

(Thanks, Cute Overload!

The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

GiggleSugar — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 11:30:00 -0700

For some reason, this comes to mind.

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Wave-Ridin' Rodents

GiggleSugar — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 11:00:00 -0800

Extreme Pete, the hot rod dog, has some pint-sized competition on the water. They call themselves the Radical Rodents and I'll admit, they are pretty rad. Too bad my mouse traps are even radder. Joke.

Dear Poll: Are You a Pack Rat?

DearSugar — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:00:00 -0700

I decided to do a little Summer cleaning this weekend and I realized something about myself - I'm a pack rat! I have no idea why I was holding onto this stuff, but I finally gave away clothes I've had since high school, old receipts, even a few mix tapes! I guess I've always been too afraid to give anything away in case I'll want it months from now. Are you the same way? Do you tend to hold onto unnecessary clutter?

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