Hell Yeah, Rats Driving Cars

Canada really has it all: Universal healthcare, a lower cost of living than the United States, and now its rats can drive cars. We’ve previously covered self-driving rats in the past, but that was done by scientists in a laboratory. Kuzko and Kronk, Canada’s viral self-driving rats, were able to learn how to do it from the comfort of their own home.

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Shaun Stephens-Whale and Kendal Crawford, a British Columbia couple, adopted two rats and quickly realized their new pets were unexpectedly adept at learning new skills like shaking hands and even solving puzzle boxes designed for dogs. Crawford’s father built his daughter’s rats (his grand-rats?) little electric cars with three paw-sized pedals to allow the rats to go forward and turn left or right. CTV News reported,

But after Kuzko and Kronk learned to how to press the middle pedal to move forward on the first day, Shaun and Kendal were committed to teaching them how to turn left and right, which the rats mastered after a week.

Now the rats can drive in random patterns across the living room to get to a person holding a treat. If they get stuck, they know how to turn the vehicle around to go in the correct direction.

Kuzko and Kronk’s customized rat cars look like adorable little fish tanks decorated like taxi cabs, and they have operational head and tail lights. The rats are able to hop into and out of their custom, personalized cars at their will, and they’re getting better and better at controlling them. So next time you encounter a total numbskull on the road, you can be even angrier at their ineptitude, since even a lowly rat can successfully learn how to drive a car.