A woman gave a bath to the 50 rats she keeps as pets and the video went viral

A woman who defines herself as an extreme fan of rodents went viral on social media after uploading a video bathing her 50 “babies” in her kitchen sink.

The animals that Michele Raybon tenderly calls “babies” are rats he has been collecting since he had his first group in 2018. He now has five dozen “cozy” pets that splash around in his kitchen when it's bath time.

The rat lover treats all her furry friends equally, considering them her family even though some of them, 25 males and 25 females, are not as friendly as others.

“Each one has its own individual personality, so several rats stand out more than others,” he said. “They are very sociable and when you feed them, they all come running.”

His first rats were obtained from a breeder in Texas, but when he moved to California he realized that there were no rat breeders in the area. Thus, what began as an effort to sell rats to other rodent lovers turned into an endless love story with creatures.

“That's why I have so many, because I raised them by their temperament, just so I could sell them to other people who love rats,” he said. “Then I stopped selling them and now they are my pets, that's why I have so many. There are a lot of them.”

But Raybon not only stops at rodents but is an avid animal lover that he owns: four German shepherds, three cats and two pigs that live in a barn. She even previously owned two sheep, two goats, 25 chickens and 15 ducks and geese, and only separated from them because of her disability due to her time spent in the US military.

“I used to rescue cats, wild cats, take care of them and relocate them. I really have a heart for animals,” he said.

While she wanted to become a veterinarian when she was little, it just never happened. Then choose to rescue animals instead.

“I wouldn't call it an obsession, but because I love animals, I rescue many,” he said. “I tend to rescue animals, so my ex-husband calls me Doctor Dolittle. I take care of them; I take them to the vet.”

When guests enter Raybon's house, they are usually surprised by the large number of rodents, but Raybon claims that their babies conquer them, even though some are worried.

“Some people have a predisposed idea about rats, they think they are dirty and sick animals,” he said. “All my rats have a good temper, so I introduce someone to one of them and I usually earn them, or rats earn them.”

While some people cannot “overcome the stigma” of rats as domestic pets, Raybon has managed to change the minds of some dubious visitors.

“A lot of people have changed their minds and, surprisingly, love them as pets,” Raybon said.

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