Are Rats the French Man's Next Best Friend?

Nov. 8, 2007— -- Typically, rats are not the kind of animals people want in their homes. But lately, these small, whiskered, shriek-inducing creatures have become a common sight in homes throughout France.

No, this is not a rodent invasion and, no, nobody's calling any exterminators. It seems the country is experiencing a renaissance of rats.

Pet stores across France are reporting a surge in rat sales, suggesting that the rat is this season's "it" pet.

"Now, instead of selling five a week, we sell a good 10 every week," said Romain Auzou, an employee at the Parisian pet store Oisellerie du Pont Neuf. "So, it's doubled. For sure. We have doubled our sales figures in rats."

What's even more odd is that many of these furry creatures' biggest fans are children.

"I would like to buy a rat because they're nice and don't bite," said 7-year-old Fiona Bentin.

So, what's behind this recent rise in rodent respectability? Many are pointing to last summer's hit Disney/Pixar film "Ratatouille," which stars a lovable country rat named Remy who dreams of becoming a chef in the big city. As the highest-grossing film in France in 2007, "Ratatouille," with its charming main character and French-food feting story line, transformed people's perceptions of rats as dirty, mean and evil, instead casting them as friendly, intelligent and cute.

Gerald Moreau owns 19 rats and, along with his girlfriend, runs a pet rat support group, APRAC. He is delighted by the recent rat craze. Moreau is one of the many rat lovers who believe "Ratatouille's" six-week stint atop the French box-office earners last summer changed the reputation of rats for the better.

"Since the movie has come out, I think people are not disgusted by rats like they were before the film," he said.

According to Moreau, pet rats are intelligent, social creatures.

"It's one of the most intelligent animals -- very sweet, very very clean," he said.

As far-fetched as this fad may seem, Disney, the parent company of ABC News, has experienced this type of critter craze before.

When Disney's live-action version of "101 Dalmatians" came out in November 1996, pet stores across the United States were flooded with requests for these cute spotted puppies. Children who had seen the movie longed for their own Perdita and Pongo offspring to play with.

Eventually, as time passed and as it became apparent that these dogs were not good around kids, the demand for Dalmatians subsided. So the question remains: Will this be the case for thousands of Remy look-alikes? Will rats remain all the rage or will they revert to their former reputation?

Even now, it seems, despite the onscreen portrayal of a cute, friendly rat, not everyone in France is racing out to bring one home.

"I'm afraid of them," said Sandrine Cohen of Paris. "I'm even scared of a mouse. When I see one on the street, I scream. So a rat [as a pet], oh no!"

Clearly, one movie may not be enough to convince everyone in France that a rat is, indeed, man's best friend.

"The rat in the film is nice," said 9-year-old Laura Cohen. "But not in real life."

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.