Rats carry a multitude of infectious diseases, including, but not limited to, the plague, while squirrels are carriers of only a few occasionally fatal diseases, including the plague and rabies. While rabies cases are up by over 500 percent in Central Illinois over the last decade, rabies is nothing that 50 shots to the stomach can't fix. The plague is forever. Rats are not cute animals. Rats are dirty, stinky, slimy and they have bald tails.
Squirrels are fluffy, cute, personable, compassionate and occasionally pious.
The differences are clear. They sure seem to like those piggyback rides. I advise all of us to take a little time out of each and every day to commune with nature and reach out to the squirrels. Don't be afraid to hold out an open hand with a nut in it to a squirrel, to pet a squirrel or to pick a squirrel up and blow on its belly. Squirrels are not rats.