Paris, the fabled city of romance is ending its romantic liaison with one of its equally fabled inhabitants - the sewer rats. Since the film "Ratatouille" was released in France last August a sharp surge in rat sales swept the country. Not that the French were keen on eating rats nor attempting to discover a skilled cook, but that they started to view these creatures in a different light. The rats have been adorned with such adjectives as cute, intelligent and social, making them a hot item and somewhat... well, using French lingo...fashionable. Rat pets were in great demand, especially the Remy lookalikes (soft hair and rounded ears), and sales of rat accessories jumped by 40%.
But this love affair has come to an end. An estimated 8 million rats reside in
Paris, outnumbering the human population by 4 to 1; aided in no small way by the city's canals, river, and restaurants that make it a rodent's paradise. The city has chosen the months of May and June to launch this genocidal attack because reproduction is at its peak during the spring. More importantly, it will prepare the city for the summer months when tourists flock to Paris whose romantic expectations could be trashed by seeing rats within 20 meters of their feet every so often.
After being loved as pets, these animals who recognize their names, play like a cat or dog, and grow very attached to their owner, are back on the disgusting tag. At the Boulangerie, people are appalled to see rats streaking on the floors, crawling near the food, and merrily exploring cabinets. There's just too many of them to be ignored or dismissed. The film has actually given the rats a new image and a new leash on life, but their indefatigable manner of reproduction has exceeded the space they were given, that they could well challenge all the Parisian cats to deadly combat and
annihilate all cat breeds. They could launch a counter attack on Parisians themselves and come out the victor, but they know better. If they finish off the humans, theirs will be paradise lost.
At least the city is incapable of killing all of them, and paradise will remain for the rest. The city should at least ensure that none of those exterminated have chef potentials. Being so exposed to French cooking perhaps the next generation of rats will truly produce a "Jaimice Oliver", "Ratgang Puck", "Marodent Batali", and "Ratchael Ray".
Haaarrrwwwwk...Twoooooph...Ting!
But this love affair has come to an end. An estimated 8 million rats reside in
Paris, outnumbering the human population by 4 to 1; aided in no small way by the city's canals, river, and restaurants that make it a rodent's paradise. The city has chosen the months of May and June to launch this genocidal attack because reproduction is at its peak during the spring. More importantly, it will prepare the city for the summer months when tourists flock to Paris whose romantic expectations could be trashed by seeing rats within 20 meters of their feet every so often.After being loved as pets, these animals who recognize their names, play like a cat or dog, and grow very attached to their owner, are back on the disgusting tag. At the Boulangerie, people are appalled to see rats streaking on the floors, crawling near the food, and merrily exploring cabinets. There's just too many of them to be ignored or dismissed. The film has actually given the rats a new image and a new leash on life, but their indefatigable manner of reproduction has exceeded the space they were given, that they could well challenge all the Parisian cats to deadly combat and
annihilate all cat breeds. They could launch a counter attack on Parisians themselves and come out the victor, but they know better. If they finish off the humans, theirs will be paradise lost.At least the city is incapable of killing all of them, and paradise will remain for the rest. The city should at least ensure that none of those exterminated have chef potentials. Being so exposed to French cooking perhaps the next generation of rats will truly produce a "Jaimice Oliver", "Ratgang Puck", "Marodent Batali", and "Ratchael Ray".
Haaarrrwwwwk...Twoooooph...Ting!
