The History Of World Rat Day

I’m sure most of you have heard about National Day holidays by now, correct? These are holidays that land outside of the mainstream ones. I’m talking about completely random things in life turned into fun holidays like National Pancake Day, National Donut Day, and two I can really get behind: National Comfy Day and National No Housework Day.

I’m not sure how many National Days there are, because multiple ones can be held each calendar day. Let’s just say there are a LOT! The National Day Calendar website actually receives about 20,000 applications a year for a new national holiday to be added. I’m sure each of these holidays have a unique and interesting origin story, too. The only day I’m interested in writing about is … World Rat Day!

That’s right. Our favorite pet, the rat, has a special day. It’s recognized every year on April 4th. You might be surprised to learn that this revered day has been around for more than two decades. In fact, it’s older than the National Day Calendar, which was started in 2013.

The Growth Of Online Communities

Way back in the earlier days of the internet, long before social media or sites like Reddit, message boards/internet forums were all the rage. They were broken down into niche topics and brought together like-minded people from around the world to share their passions. The rat message boards I was a member of were actually the catalyst for how my love of rats grew and flourished, eventually sending me on a path to write about them professionally.

These boards served a purpose for many people. Most of us didn’t know other rat owners in our real lives, and we felt alone in our love for these maligned animals. To this day, I’ve known maybe three or four people in my city who have kept rats as pets. And there’s only one reputable rat rescue in my entire state, and all their foster homes are at least two hours away from me.

Obviously, other rat lovers live in my area, but it’s not like rat parks are available for me to meet them. Finding an online community of fellow rat enthusiasts was a blessing for me and so many others, as I’m sure it still is for people today.

Benefits Of Sharing Rat Info

Another big problem rat owners faced was the lack of information available on rat health and care before the 2000s. There were a few books you could find in stores, but they often provided outdated or incorrect information. While rat health information is still lacking, it’s come a long way over the last couple of decades. I believe this is mostly in part to online rat communities that were filled with dedicated owners who strove to learn everything they could and to help educate.

The stigma of rats still has a long way to go, but it was even worse decades ago. Social media sites like Instagram and Facebook have been instrumental in showing off the sweet, lovable nature of pet rats. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words! I think this has helped convert a lot more people into becoming rat owners or, at the very least, to fearing them less.

But before everyone was able to plaster images of their pets’ daily lives across the web, we old-timers in the rat community were desperate to connect with people who understood us. All we wanted was for the rest of the world to appreciate rats as much as we did. So, we flocked to these message boards and rat groups in search of a community.

The Beginnings Of World Rat Day

One such group, known as the Ratlist, began in 1995. This internet mailing list was originally hosted by several universities, beginning with the University of Washington. After a couple of years at universities, the Ratlist was hosted at the Rat & Mouse Club of America from May 9, 1996, to April 20, 1997. It then moved to hosting and/or ownership by private individuals. The list is dedicated to rats as pets. The Ratlist is one of the longest-standing mailing lists and still exists today.

In 2002 the members of this group began discussing the idea of creating a holiday that both honored rats and also educated the public about their amazing capacity as pets. They hoped that by creating some positive PR about pet rats, they could change people’s perceptions and erase the bad reputation inherited from their wild cousins.

Together, members of the Ratlist agreed on the date April 4. Why? They believed it was the date most associated with when the Ratlist first began. Word of this holiday grew.

Celebrating Pet Rats

Since the inception of World Rat Day, rat lovers have been finding all different ways to observe this holiday. Back in 2008 when I was publishing It’s A Rat’s World magazine, I dedicated my first April cover to the sixth annual World Rat Day celebration. I did that again for my April 2016 cover. Every year in April I also featured readers’ artwork and photography that highlighted this holiday, along with articles about World Rat Day events or fundraisers that were happening with different rat rescues or rat clubs around the world.

So how does one celebrate this day? Well, plenty of artists and photographers, myself included, have created greeting cards and other merchandise available online specifically for World Rat Day. Take some time to Google search for yourself. You can also look for rat rescues in your area and check their social media accounts or websites to see if they are planning anything special. Or donate to a rat rescue in your rats’ names.

If doing something online is more your thing, check out some of the Facebook rat groups and see what they’ve got in the works. Or maybe organize a Zoom call with some of your online rat friends and throw a virtual party for your rattie kids.

But if something private is more your style, then spend the day spoiling your rats rotten! Make them a special treat or buy them presents for their cage. Spend an extra hour with them cuddling and giving them attention. Post photos of them online telling people why rats make such good pets.

Honoring Pet Rats

Regardless of how you celebrate, the main focus of this holiday is to actively promote rats as the truly special pet they are. So don’t forget to spread the word! Note that the World Rat Day website has not been updated since 2012, but it remains as a reminder to celebrate pet rats on April 4th!

Greetings from my rats to yours this upcoming World Rat Day!