Dear Dr. Forsythe:
Last weekend while my girlfriend and I were waiting to have lunch at one of our favorite restaurants located at our mall in Corte Madera, I was shocked to see that one of the people waiting had a pet rat crawling all over her. I’m not sure exactly what her plans with the rat were, but after about 5 minutes of watching the vermin crawl up one of her arms and over her shoulders and down her other arm, I was utterly nauseated and no longer able to think about eating lunch. I turned in our “beeper” and notified the hostess that someone waiting for a table outside had a rat with them.
Dr. Forsythe, I can’t understand why someone would parade around with a rat in public, and especially outside a restaurant. Have you ever heard of something this crazy? I’m sure I wasn’t the only person who thought twice about eating after seeing that. No cheesecake is worth that!
No rats in the eatery
Dear No rats:
I’m sorry to start my response this way, but I have to remind my readers that in general, rats make great pets, and they are becoming more and more popular every day. They are clean, smart, and fun, easy to keep and interesting. Unfortunately for you, dear reader, they are small enough to take just about anyplace, and this is where problems can arise.
People in the mainstream seem to know that dogs and cats are not allowed in restaurants, so there is little or no question that a garrulous owner prattling on with a group of people outside an eatery is most likely just sharing his or her witty anecdotes and emoting socially. However, not all animals are created equal: put a rat on that person’s shoulder instead of a Basset hound on the end of a leash, and confusion and disgust can ensue. The only other animal that elicits such fear and innate disgust in people is a snake.
I couldn’t agree more that a rat is probably the one animal that nobody wants to associate with food or restaurants, but it seems highly unlikely that this person would have tried to actually dine in the restaurant with a rat on her person. Can you imagine the fines and penalties a restaurant would be imposed by allowing such an animal to be present openly in an eating establishment? Simply notifying the host of your concern about the rat would have gotten the situation cleared up.
I do empathize with you that it was very thoughtless of this young woman to stand around with her rat running all over her amidst groups of waiting diners at a restaurant. That is about as gastronomically pleasing as changing a baby’s soiled diaper right out in the waiting area where people are waiting to be ushered to their tables at a restaurant.
This babbling rat owner falls into the category of thoughtless and rude. They can’t see past their own provocative and dramatic nature and have little to no idea or care about the impact they have on others. She is a good reason why I say manners need to be taught to children while they are still very young. Pets can be a good way to teach people not only about the human animal bond, but about kindness, caring, and consideration of others. Apparently, this woman with the rat missed the lesson on consideration of others, and apparently also missed the sale on habit trails as well.
In my years as a veterinarian and a pet lover, I have seen some outrageously selfish behavior by people who have the nicest pets. It is a wonder sometimes that such nice critters can belong to such buffoons. Perhaps the next time you run into a nut case like that, someone in need of advice from a more knowledgeable and thoughtful person, give her a piece of your mind. I’m sure the other patrons waiting around you would appreciate it — as would the health department.
Sincerely,
Dr. Vallard C. Forsythe
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