Misunderstood: Why the Humble Rat May Be Your Best Pet Ever

by Rachel Toor

As much a moving memoir as it is an amusing pet manual, Misunderstood is a unique nonfiction book for teens and tweens about domesticated rats in general and a wonderful rat named Iris in particular. Brimming with smarts and energy just like its furry subjects, Rachel Toor's text blends history and science with profiles of interesting people and autobiographical anecdotes as it joyfully sets the record straight about why this reviled creature is actually a most amazing species. Readers will come away with a deeper understanding and appreciation of domestic rats—and may be convinced to adopt one themselves.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Memoir, Humor, Science, Nature, Death

257 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 7, 2016

Reviews

[First Second Books]

This book has made me want to get two pet rats. It's a warm and fun read that goes into the author's history with rats, general rat myths and why they are wrong or prejudice, and lots of enlightening rat facts.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an awesome, short book that gets to the point of de-stigmatizing rats both in the world and as pets. Clearly Toor spells out, from personal experience, interviews, and research, that rats make awesome pets. They are also not responsible for the plague (it was the fleas), they are a bit scary down there in the sewers of NYC but it's not their fault and a pet rat is NOT the same as a city rat dwelling in back alleys. There are actually a multitude of rat types, they want to be cuddly creatures and these attitude traits can be bred. You want to get them from a rattery, not a pet store. They have empathy as evidenced by Iris' connection with Toor's mother during her cancer treatment. Plus, what's more entertaining than a fluff ball running about and sitting on your shoulder. They're a fun group of people who own rats and clearly her stance is that more people should own them.

She had such a clear purpose for writing the book that shone brightly. Plus, her humor was fantastic to boot. Who can't love the cover!

[Cereal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply delightful

[Hilary "Fox" · Rating 4 out of 5]

Misunderstood: A Book About Rats is yet another in my 'let's put every book my library has on rats on hold and see what I may find' experiment. This was, so far, probably the most fun of the books I've found. While it doesn't go into quite as much detail about the actual intricacies of rat care as other handbooks I've read, it does a better job of encapsulating the whole rat-human experience that comes from living with these pets. I don't feel saying 'owning' them is quite the right term - you more just share your home with them for the duration of their lives.

Rachel Toor has written a wonderful book for young audiences that is equally engaging for older readers. She writes about her own life with her rat, Iris, and in the process the other rat enthusiasts and the scientists who study them. There are ample citings of interesting facts about rats and the people who keep them. Scientific studies are delved into, as is the natural history of the animals and the way humans have interacted with them over the ages. This is a book about fancy rats, and one of the few that exist. It'll be an eye-opening book for anyone interested in them.

As testimony to this books intense readability and fascinating content when I was adopting a hedgehog out recently, the woman's children became very interested in my pet rats. I let them play with them, and was sharing facts with them. The daughter noticed I had this book on my table, and picked it up right then and there. She ended up reading about 20 pages in a single sitting, all the while sharing the facts with me and showing me the pictures within it. Not a bad way to help people understand just how cool these animals are.

[Kristen M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled across this title in the YA nonfiction section in my local public library. What a gem. The author shares her experience as a pet rat owner and all the non-traditional aspects of pet ownership. She starts with the 'eek' factor for those who misunderstand pet rats as a domesticated species; completely separate from NYC sewer rats.

The author references many relevant scientific concepts, authors and articles throughout the book - but I was discouraged not to find an ample bibliography in the back for further reference. However, she did provide a list of general nonfiction books about rats for readers. She also included several websites in the book about owning pet rats, rat behavior and ratteries: breeders who specialize in litters of rat for interested owners.

I love the discovery of titles like this, by absolute happenstance. I learned so much and have this feeling, that my 13 yr old might be getting a pet rat for her birthday...

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aside from wanting a rat for years, I picked up this book because it looked like it might be a cute memoir about rat ownership. It was about 50% of a memoir.

I loved the author's voice, which is why the memoir parts worked so well. But this book really did feel like it was written over 10 years, and kept flip-flopping around, not sure what it wanted to be.

I did enjoy some of the facts presented by the author and the research she had done, but there were quite a few chunks of the book where she just quoted other books or other research. And that was where this started to feel like a textbook. And none of that info did I find particularly interesting, either.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every time I think I know everything there is to know about a topic, a book or an experiences comes along to remind me that I know next to nothing about it. In this case, I've read more than a few nonfiction titles about rats and made note of their appearance in various works of fiction and popular culture, but I never thought to seriously consider having a rat as a pet. While I knew that plenty of folks do just that, I suppose I was guilty of not recognizing that each rat has a unique personality, and that they actually make great pets or human companions--at least for the right individual. In this book, part memoir and part informational text, the author provides interesting facts about rats as well as tips for how to care for them. By weaving in snippets of her own experience with two different rats, Hester, and especially Iris, as well as the loss of her mother and her own travels through academia, the author makes a strong case for treating this species with more respect. She includes science in bite-size bits that are easy to digest, and also provides profiles of some of the rat-lovers she meets along the way. The inclusion of photographs of rates in the most adorable poses lends even more strength to her argument that these intelligent, affectionate animals are chiefly misunderstood. While I might not make plans to adopt a rat anytime soon, at least now I feel as though I have a new appreciation for them. While sometimes the book seems to jump from one point to another without explanation and the chronology and travels can be a bit confusing, by the time readers reach the book's final pages, they will surely see how all the various seams in the story have been sewn together, some with tighter stitches and others a bit loosely. What a distinct writing voice this woman has!

[Ginny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love rats so I'm a biased reader. Toor's style is accessible and casual, and I think her stories really do illustrate how lovely fancy rats are as pets. I wouldn't call it a guide to keeping a rat as a pet.

She falls prey to the same criticisms she makes of others, however. It's a big deal to shrug off the fact that rats don't do well as solitary pets. It's great that her Iris was happy alone, and that she was able to provide sufficient entertainment (apparently) and non-cage time for Iris. But the constant boxing with Toor's fingers on the keyboard, the attention-grabby behaviour, sounded like Iris could have used another friend around to entertain her, even out of the cage.

And biased against all-black or all-white dogs 'just because'? Ouch. Some of her opinions were as dismissive and unsupported as the opinions of others re: rats that she critiqued.

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book serves as both a moving memoir about the author’s relationship with her pet rat and a brilliant nonfiction book about domesticated rats in general. This book blends history and science with stories of interesting people while at the same time sets the record straight on this amazing animal. Readers will come away with a deep appreciation and a better understanding of rats. You might even be convinced to adopt a rat after reading this wonderful book. Highly recommended for people afraid of rats!

I'm happy to see a book about the joys of rat ownership (I used to have one myself), and for the most part this one was cute. It felt a little scattered and disorganized, though. I didn't feel that it would inspire a change of heart in a rat hater/fearer.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a moving memoir or an amusing pet manual.

[CJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book description blurb in Goodreads starts out "As much a moving memoir as it is an amusing pet manual"... and I thought this would be more of an amusing pet manual. Some people have selective hearing; I guess I have selective reading syndrome. Even though this book is not quite what I originally expected, it was really rather a good read! It helps that the cover is just tooooo cute to pass up, and I can't believe I am actually saying that a rat picture is cute at all. It is worth the read.

[Julie]

This is an odd book-- a serious memoir about rats as pets, dying family members, relationships that didn't work, and yet it's full of sly, warm humor all the way through.

A great read for kids who love animals, memoirs, and humor; there might not be many of them, but for the ones that are out there, they will love this book. Highly recommended.

[Autumn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hey guys, this book is only nominally about rats and what awesome pets they make. It's really a middle-aged woman's memoir about the death of her mom, her dog, and her writing career. She does have a cute rat that she loves, and she does visit a rattery and she does meet rat expert Debbie Ducommun.

But this is NOT the 'rats are THE BEST' book I've been waiting for, nor is it really YA nonfiction. Eminently skippable.

[Kimberly J Hale · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable book. Although shelved in the juvenile section of my local library, it will appeal most to middle school aged folks through adults. My younger children enjoyed listening to me read it, but even then some was a bit too detailed for their tastes.

It's not a how to care for your pet rat book, but does include a healthy dose of good tips and information for that. It is more about the view of rats in this country and the intriguing aspects of owning them.

Enjoyable read.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best thing about this book was the cute writing. The author clearly loves rats (and also dogs), and her enthusiasm is infectious. But when I told a friend I was reading it, the first words out of her mouth were: "Eww! I can't stand the tails!" So rats still have a PR problem that the most gifted spinmeister will have trouble overcoming. As for the book as a whole, I think at least 1/3 of it could be cut out without hurting the reader's experience.

[Jacki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm happy to see a book about the joys of rat ownership, and for the most part this one was cute. It felt a little scattered and disorganized, though. I didn't feel that it would inspire a change of heart in a rat-hater/fearer.

[Mary E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why the Humble May Be Your Best Pet Ever. I read this non fiction as research for my "boy and his pet rat" manuscript. Loaded with lots of info about rats and cute anecdotes about the author's pet rat which is why I read the whole book.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved hearing from the author about Iris the rat and rats at large. <3 <3 <3

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, informative, heart-warming. I want a rat!

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up this book for my daughter at my local library. It's a great little read, filled with useful information as well as immensely entertaining anecdotes. We really enjoyed it!

[Mariana]

+1 for rats are misunderstood

[Junsheng · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartfelt dedication to Iris the rat, peppered with many stories about the author's life. I enjoyed reading this one quite a lot. My only gripes were with the indifference towards behaviors advised against within the fancy rat owner community (i.e., keeping a rat by itself, feeding it peanut butter). Otherwise, this could be your introduction to loving the wonderful fancy rats!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much as I enjoyed this book I will admit I am not about to run out and get myself a pet rat. Although this is because as cute as Iris sounded I am still not a rodent person but I am also not much of an animal person.

[Hollie · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF - Unfortunately I just couldn’t get on with the author’s voice in this one.

VERY cute pictures though!

[sam☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

when i read this years ago i became obsessed with rats and wrote a speech on how misunderstood they are for school and really wanted a pet rat...it never happened though

[Allison Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely adorable and fun to read! Highly recommend!

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the premise of this book and have recommended it to multiple people (especially the first 75% of it).

[Chelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

A rat fanatic attempts to change haters' minds by sharing the story of her beloved rat, Iris.

This was ok. Some of the rat pictures were really cute, but the book is disorganized and tangential to the point of irrelevance. My mind wandered so frequently that I lost my place more than once. Not recommended.

[Stacey Conrad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, maybe I can change my mind about rats. I still don't want one, I'll keep my cats, but if you do...I won't say eeewww.

[Mine · Rating 3 out of 5]

An apologist book for rats. I gave three stars for sale of my child who loves her pet rats who are incredibly pat and happy.

[Stephanie Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very easy engaging read. Would be a wonderful introduction to nonfiction, for anyone who loves animals