LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Rats: Mice
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Domesticated rats make excellent pets for children and adults alike. They are highly intelligent (being the most used in studies for intelligence and psychology research), clean, and very sociable. They interact with their owners the same as dogs and cats do and may be easily trained. Although rodents are nocturnal (sleeping during the day and active at night), rats will quickly learn to adjust their schedule and be ready to come out and play when you get home from school or work. Pet rats and mice require no vaccinations and carry no diseases. The Plague of the twelfth century Europe was caused by the flea carried by the rat and other species of animals including man. Because of the rats close proximity to man throughout history, they have been unfairly blamed for this catastrophe.
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Here's what to look for: baby rats will have more juvenile proportions than adult rodents. Their heads and feet will be large relative to their bodies, their faces will be stubby and blunt with wide noses. Adult mice, on the other hand, will have adult proportions: a small, triangular head with a small nose and little delicate feet as compared to the body. In addition, mouse ears are very large relative to their heads, rat ears are smaller relative to their heads. Rats ... have thicker tails than mice.
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Black, green, and oolong teas have ... been found to reduce the numbers of nitrosamine induced tumors of stomach and intestine in rats. Black tea and green teas also appear to influence the family of liver enzymes called the cytochrome. Studies have also found that tea can inhibit the formation of nitrosamines, a group of highly active molecules that can be found within the body and cause mutations by attacking the DNA of living cells. It also exerted a protective effect against skin tumors in mice.
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The intensely social nature of mole-rats continues to fascinate biologists. While eusociality is common among many insects, the naked mole-rat and its larger, hairier cousin, the Damaraland mole-rat, are the only mammals that fit the classical definition of eusocial (although Sherman argues many mammals that cooperatively care for their young, such as lions, may fit a broader definition of eusociality). Similar to naked mole-rats, Damaraland mole-rats live in colonies of up to 40 individuals dominated by a single breeding pair. In contrast, Palestine mole-rats—which are more closely related to rats and mice (the Muridea family) than to the Bathyergidae—live in parts of the Middle East where the soil is much softer and easier to dig through, and where food sources are distributed more evenly. This environment creates little incentive for Palestine mole-rats to work together. The furry, sausage-like critters live in complete isolation, coming together only briefly for the purpose of mating.
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Karli (1956) found that about 70% of wild rats and 12% of domestic laboratory rats kill mice. Male and female rats are equally likely to kill mice. Similarly, Galef (1970) found that 67% to 77% of captive born wild rats kill mice.
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Exclusion: Controlling rats and mice by making it impossible for them to enter structures is the best way to eliminate and control indoor populations. Although this is not always feasible, exclusion should not be ignored. It is not always possible to do extensive rodent proofing, but in many cases it can be accomplished with minimum effort. A building can be rodent proofed by eliminating all openings larger than 1/2 inch for rats and 1/4 for mice. Even after this is done, rodents can slip through open doors and windows, gain access along plumbing and other utility lines or (especially in the case of mice) be transported indoors with any merchandise. Exclusion ... includes repairing doors and windows that do not operate properly or shut securely.
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