Deep Dive
Shownotes Transcript
Hi, I'm Derek Sivers, and rats are surprisingly sweet pets. I used to live in a basement apartment next to the trash room. Rats were often blocking my door, and I could hear them walking in the ceiling right above me as I slept. I hated them so much that I happily killed as many as I could with no remorse.
Many years later, I saw my five-year-old boy nurturing a ladybug at the playground, giving it so much love. I realized it was time to get him a pet. I called the pet store, and they recommended mice. Mice? Don't they bite? No, these are domestic mice, also known as fancy mice. Wild versus domestic are as different as a wild dog versus a poodle. They're bred over many generations to be sweet companions.
So we got mice, and they were wonderful. As easy as goldfish and much more fun. My boy would carry his mouse in his pocket as we headed out into nature to play. We built them homes, boats, and toys. So that was surprise number one. Mice make great pets for kids. Low maintenance, super portable, perfect for playground attention, and a short lifespan. A few months ago, our last mouse died.
I was surprised how hard I cried, the hardest I've cried in my life. She was such a big part of my boy's childhood. A few weeks later, he asked for a rat. My archenemy? I thought he was kidding. Then he showed me videos of pet rats being adorable, maybe even better than mice. Okay. So we adopted two twin brothers, which he named Cricket and Clover. They look almost identical, but I can tell them apart by their personality.
Full of energy and wants to climb up to my shoulder? That's cricket. Mellow and wants to cuddle in my armpit? That's clover. Turns out, they're even better than mice. Mice can't help where they pee and poo, but rats, like cats, save it for their litter box. Rats are very trainable, so they can come when called. They're more attached and affectionate. They have more personality, which then makes us more attached and affectionate too. Go search for videos of pet rats and you'll see.
Many times a day I go cuddle them and kiss their bellies and they lick my nose. They're wonderful. As much as I love these rats, my deepest joy is that I'm loving what I used to hate, cuddling what I used to kill.