Sadly, because they can carry disease, wild mice and rats are often subjected to cruel extermination methods like glue boards (which cause a slow death by starvation or suffocation) or poison. Purpose-bred mice and rats are used in painful research experiments and, unlike other animals, are not covered by even the minimal protections of the Animal Welfare Act.
Both mice and rats are social animals who enjoy the company of others—rats even “laugh” when playing and care for sick members of their group—and, if tamed, love being petted. Despite their reputation as sewer dwellers, mice and rats are meticulously clean and groom themselves for several hours each day.
Mice are very talkative and communicate through ultrasonic sound. Rats can be trained to run obstacle courses, fetch and roll over.
Please contact your legislators and urge them to support the reintroduction of the Humane Cosmetics Act to prohibit animal testing for cosmetics manufactured or sold in the U.S.
