They're relatable animals

In New York City, rats are the kings of the vermin world . They run rampant on the streets, in train stations, and, if you're an unlucky renter, in your apartment. I see a rat scamper across the street more often than not when I'm coming home when it's dark out. They know how much power they have, and they're not afraid to show it. In other areas of the U.S., rats are a much rarer sight. This is true even in other cities; New York is kind of the only one that has a substantial rat population. I…

If you watched the Best Picture this year, you know that one of the best animals in the animal kingdom got a starring role. Everything Everywhere All At Once featured a gag where a 'Remy the rat' esque raccoon went under a chef's hat, and his name was Raccacoonie. Imagine what kind of movie Ratatouille would have been if a raccoon was running the show. Raccoons had already gotten a star-making moment in children's animation around that time, with one starring in the middling DreamWorks comedy,…

They deserve memes the most

Raccoons are really special. And fortunately for me, they happen to be one of the only “wild” animals that makes its presence known in my New York City neighborhood. I live near a gigantic cemetery, so many opossums, skunks, and raccoons call the backyards here home. But the trash pandas are my favorite. Why? They're way cuter than opossums (sorry) and a lot less likely to attack than a scared skunk. They're also more likely to interact with me and my neighbors in the backyard. Or e

Halloween season is almost here, so it's time to celebrate all of the vermin in the animal kingdom. Sure, black cats, bats, and spiders typically get the publicity for this upcoming month, but many different animals deserve a chance to shine as Halloween Monster Animal of the Year TM . For instance, raccoons . If Universal Studios had not featured black cats as horror icons and instead made raccoons a monster animal in their B movie horror flicks of the 1930s, I guarantee raccoons would be the…

When I was younger, I wondered if possums were Irish immigrants, dropping the "O" in opossum to Americanize their names. Unfortunately, that astute theory was untrue, as opossums originate in North America. Drat! Possums are not considered great pets; you don't need an animal scientist to figure it out. The best way to determine if an animal is suited to be a pet is to watch how your mom reacts to seeing one while driving in the car. Dog? Oh yeah, for sure, a pet. Horse? You better believe that…

Raccoons have gotten a bad reputation over the years. Their diet of trash and resistance toward domestication makes them hard to love for many people. However, not everyone is a hater. Some of us developed our love for raccoons through their brief yet impactful appearances in the movies. Pocahontas's bestie Meeko was stellar representation of a sweet and loyal raccoon. In the cult-classic documentary Grey Gardens, Little Edie feeds the raccoon living in her attic two bags of Wonder Bread, refus…