If you had over 300 rats in your studio apartment you would probably consider it an infestation. While most people can’t stand the thought of sharing their home with one rat, a Cleveland, Ohio man was living with hundreds.
According to animal control officers, the owner of the rats was evicted from his apartment and worried that he would no longer be able to care for or keep his pet rats.
Animal control officers responded to the man’s small apartment and found a huge rat population. Some of the rats were kept in cages, but the majority of them were left to roam free in the apartment.
The rats were removed and taken to the Humane Society of Greater Dayton where they will be cared for until they are adopted into new homes.
(World) Hundreds of pet rats removed from small #Ohio apartment http://t.co/jmC9tFSF9S #Cleveland pic.twitter.com/NvYzZIgc6e
— The Express Tribune (@etribune) August 2, 2014
The owner of the rats said that they had multiplied faster than he had expected and admitted to being overwhelmed by the number of rodents that he owned.
Rats can begin breeding when they are just three months old and can produce over 12 litters each year. The man said that he had started out with just a few rats but they had bred and reproduced in just a few months.
“It doesn’t take long. It can get out of hand quite quickly,” said one animal control officer.
The animal control officers said that the owner of the rats was not facing any charges because he had called for help, voluntarily surrendered the rats and had been taking care of them properly.
How many rats do you think is too many and should the owner be fined or punished for having so many rats in such a small space?
Image via Wikimedia Commons