Weird World: man has 1,000 pet rats

A Californian man who kept 1,000 pet rats in his one-bed home has admitted his colony "had gotten a bit out of control. Roger Dier, 67, of Petaluma, insisted the rodents loved him and he loved them, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. But he has been charged with animal cruelty and had his pets taken away. Nancee Tavares, the city's Animal Services manager, said it was an unusual case: "Not many people like rats," she said. "They have a bad rap." Dier told authorities that he wanted to protect the rodents, but they began breeding uncontrollably, and soon he was overwhelmed.