Two Canadians are delighting animal lovers on Instagram with videos of their pet rats driving around in little cars.
While they were contemplating a dog, Kendal Crawford and Shaun Stephens-Whale ended up adopting two rats from the local animal shelter in their home in British Colombia. They recall being impressed upon by the ragged rescued rats’ curiosity with them, even from within their cage at the shelter.
Having at first decided to sleep on it, the couple didn’t even make it down the block before turning around and adopting ‘Kronk and Kuzko,’ and it took them less than a day to realize they made the correct choice—when after their baths the rats seemed to snuggle right up to the humans in their bed that night.
Like all social animals adapted to live in human society, domesticated rats are very smart, but they need stimulation to thrive. They began to teach them all manner of tricks and activities, with each one more impressive than the next.
While doing research, Crawford came across a certain study from the University of Richmond about how enriched environments affect stress responses in rats.
In it, scientists taught rats to drive tiny cars and found the experience of learning and acquiring mastery over a new skill decreased their stress hormones. Crawford’s father ended up providing Kuzku and Kronk with the two little electric cars, each with three levers to allow the rats to control their direction.
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It took one day for the two rats to learn they could use the middle lever to go forward, and after a week, they also mastered turning the little car with the levers on the sides.
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“Their ability to conceptualize where they are just as humans do when they’re driving is pretty incredible,” Shaun told BC TV News, after demonstrating how they could drive their way in random directions across the living room and park in front of a treat hanging from a string.
“I’m in awe,” Kendal adds. “Their experience of the world is so much deeper than we realize.”
WATCH them drive around below…
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