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Susan Flynn: New club unites rat lovers

By Susan Flynn
Staff writer
Published: March 22, 2008

Of course Christine and Joshua Madruga saw "Ratatouille," last summer's blockbuster about a cute rat turned chef who is more at home with a souffle than a sewer.

But the best part, they both pipe up, was the bonus feature "Your Friend the Rat," which gave a historical account of rats and made the case for showing rodents everywhere more respect.

"It was very accurate," Christine says.

Given this context, it may not surprise you to discover the Salem couple are the doting owners of 10 — yes, 10 — pet rats. They occupy seven cages in a small room in a home they also share with eight birds, a lizard and one very big bunny.

After taking the rats out in public, Christine was struck by how many people approached her (some ran the other way) and said they, too, owned a pet rat. That got the 32-year-old thinking, and the new North Shore Rat Club was formed.

The first meeting in January drew five people — and three rats — to their house. Christine notes that the rats are why the couch has a slipcover. The next meeting is April 5, one day after World Rat Day, which Christine recently discovered is on her birthday.

"What are the odds of that?" she says.

Christine expects a bigger crowd and is planning some fun contests — biggest rat, smallest rat, longest tail. Her mom is making rat-shaped soaps for favors.

Let's face it, "Ratatouille" aside, rats get little respect. Think "I smell a rat" or "dirty rat" or how we shout "Rats!" when things go wrong. Then there's that whole Black Plague blame thing.

The truth is, the couple insist, domestic rats make great pets. They're affectionate, smart, don't cost a lot to keep and actually smell kind of nice if you get up close.

"They act a lot like a dog," Christine says. "When you come home and they hear your voice, they jump at you and lick you. If you get them when they are little and you hug and kiss them, they will never bite you."

The Madrugas got their first rat four years ago. At a Winter Island fair, where Josh was working as a caricature artist, a woman came by with a rat on her shoulder. Christine's first reaction? "She's totally insane." She grew up in New York City. She knew about rats.

Then she patted the little guy and could see its cute side. She bought her husband a rat for his next birthday.

They soon learned rats do better in pairs and got a second. Then a neighbor planned to abandon his rat, so they took it in. She needed a playmate. Then a friend heard about some neglected hairless rats being shipped from Texas. They took two.

They never planned on owning 10 rats. These things just sort of happen.

At their kitchen table this week, Joshua talked as Petunia settled on his shoulder for a massage. He brought out another rat, Theresa, with this quirky habit of licking people. Josh demonstrates.

"She'll lick you all night and all day if you let her," Christine says.

Josh fed her a Cheerio, and the rat did look kind of cute holding the treat up to her oversized teeth. Christine seems right that they don't smell. Their eyes have an expressive way about them.

Christine hopes the new club will be a venue for sharing stories about pet rats that co-workers, friends and family members may not fully appreciate, or stomach.

Some will always struggle to see the positive side of pet rat ownership, particularly older women, Christine concedes.

"It's the tail," she says. "Everybody tells me it's the tail."

To see cute photos of the Madrugas' rats, check out www.nsratclub.webs.com.

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Staff writer Susan Flynn can be reached at sflynn@salemnews.com or 978-338-2658.

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