PETA's protests have made front page news, causing some folks to furrow their brows at the notion that anyone would stick up for rats. But PETA has always encouraged compassion toward all animals, not just the ones thought to be cute or cuddly.
Rats are intelligent, curious, and sensitive animals.
They're meticulous about cleaning themselves and take very special care of their young. You can bet your last coconut it would. We are killing them in any way we can. But beating dogs to death is not any more or less cruel than beating smaller fur-bearers to death. CBS is happy to supply extreme animal cruelty to Survivor fans, many of whom have forgotten that the program is a game show.