Woman Tired of Rat Stealing Her Food Comes Up With Ingenious Plan

A creative pet owner has shared the unusual way she stopped her domestic rat from trying to eat her food.

"It all started with a regular taco night," Cherie Jones, co-founder of Tiny Toes Rat Rescue in Albuquerque, New Mexico, told Newsweek. "And then the idea just struck me—why not make a tiny taco for Mr. Magoo?"

Mr. Magoo, a three-year-old domestic albino Norway rat, received a special treat when Jones decided to prepare a miniature taco just for him, after seeing how interested he often is in their tacos.

"The ingredients are no different from how I make tacos for Chuck and myself," Jones explained. "I simply made a miniature version."

Jones and her husband run the Tiny Toes Rat Rescue, a non-profit founded in 2010 dedicated to helping domestic rats.

They care for domestic rats in need of re-homing and provide permanent sanctuary for others. They also work hard to educate the public on rat care and share plenty of content on social media.

The attention to detail and the sheer cuteness of the miniature meal caught the attention of rat enthusiasts, even prompting requests for a how-to guide.

"I was amused and quite happy," Jones said about the popularity of the post on Facebook. "Because the request for a recipe and instructions meant that other rat moms and dads wanted to do something special for their pet rats too."

Jones' passion for rats is clear, and she hopes that sharing fun content like this will spur others to pay more attention to the sometimes-misunderstood rodents.

"When I met domestic rats for the first time in 2001, I was intrigued by their sweet and silly personalities," Cherie recalled. "I fell in love with rats and knew I had to spread the truth about them."

With a lack of rescue facilities for rats in Albuquerque, she and her husband sprang into action.

"We started getting rats out of animal shelters and into our care," Jones explained. "Over the past 14 years, we have taken in over 1,600 rats—some with horrible histories of abuse. We feed them well, provide veterinary care as needed, and love every one of them."

On Facebook, Jones shared the tiny taco creation and wrote: "I've learned that when Mr. Magoo tries to get my taco away from me the best solution is to make him his own."

Thousands of people reacted to the creation, and many left comments about their delight at the food miniature.

"Mr. Magoo is so loved," said Katie. "What a lucky little guy."

While Bonnie said: "This is so sweet."

Other pet owners shared similar experiences. Laura said: "We used to do this for one of our kitties with sandwiches. We'd make her a little plate with a few chips and everything."

"I made our boys rat sized homemade biscuits," said Facebook user Amber.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.