Rat Times Two-ey

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The recent popularity of the animated flick “Ratatouille” has led to an increase in rat sales, especially in France and Britain – not unlike that of the spike in Dalmatian sales following the 1985 re-release of Disney's “101 Dalmatians.”

In “Ratatouille,” a lovable French rat aspires to become the best chef in Paris - though his popularity amongst viewers is evident – in recent weeks his real-world cousins have seen sales increase as much as 50 percent.

Sales in France have jumped to an estimated 5 million pet rats.

But pet store owners warn that the normally looked-down upon rodents need special care. With higher intelligence than mice and hamsters, rats need attention and stimulation.

There are also concerns that the now popular rodents will go the way of the Dalmatian – where mass over-breeding led to thousands of euthanizations

Rats are a bit easier to care for – but it's easy to see how their movie-made mystique could wear off.

What do you think about the increased Rat sales?

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