Does killing Rats count as Animal Cruelty?

[The Devil Man]

There are many animals that your friendly, neighbourhood Devil Man not only loves, but truly adores. He is a great animal lover!

He loves kitty cats (meow), doggy woggies (woof, woof!), chickens (yum! ), cows (moo!), parrots, hamsters, rabbits, horses, Ninja's, goats, sheep, bears, lions, tigers, yeti's, Big Foot...

All animals! He loves all of Mother Natures creations, truly! And he is a great believer in Animal Rights too, and totally supports the rights of, umm, animals...

Except for one

I totally hate, hate, HATE Rats! Totally hate them! I want to butcher every rat on this planet because they are just filthy scum-bags! They carry diseases, they are ugly and they stink. I wish death and destruction upon every Rat in the universe.

However, my topic is: does killing rats count as Animal Cruelty?

Because Devil Man likes to be called an Animal Lover (and many women have indeed called him that ) yet does his desire to annhilate Rats mean he is actually cruel to some animals?

Discuss!

[Loony BoB]

Rats don't have feelings. Well, if you cut their head off, they don't, anyway.

[Breine]

Yes it does. Killing any animal is without a doubt animal cruelty. No question.

[Christmas]

Please dun kill LITTLE MANUS.

[Reine]

I dislike rats and mice. Especially as theres a resident mouse in our house that annoys me to no end.

But rats are just evil

[Paro]

Rats have a significant impact on food production. Estimates vary, but it is likely that anything between 1/5 and 1/3 of the world's total food output is eaten, spoiled or destroyed by rats and other rodents.

It's cruel to keep food from peoples mouths.

[I Am Stoner]

I like field mice, they are so small and cute and fluffy. AAAWWWWW!!!! But rats. *Shiver* when I was a kid I hated rats after I heard what happened in the black plague. They carry dieseases, they spread bactirea, they squeal so damn smurfing much!!!! I HATE THEM!!!!!! GRRRRR!!!!!!!

[Polaris]

field mice

Yeah they are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo adorable I always wanted to have one but my parents don't let me my grandmother hates them!

Rats I have nothing against them! ^^ But I wouldn't adopt them! and don't kill them

[Levian]

Not if it's self-defence or nobody saw it.

[Roto13]

Rats are awesome. >_> My initials are R.A.T.. I can see killing anything that's infesting your house, though. Just don't, like, step on some rat you see in the streets. :P

[Quindiana Jones]

Considering how rats outnumbered the human race by LOADS, I have no objection to killing to odd one or two. Also, BUBONIC PLAGUE, PEOPLE! BUBONIC!

[bipper]

Considering how rats outnumbered the human race by LOADS, I have no objection to killing to odd one or two. Also, BUBONIC PLAGUE, PEOPLE! BUBONIC!

WErd up thugg deala. Rats are diseased freaks who need to feel our AMERICAN CRUSADE~! When the military gets back from Iraq, those dirty rats (pun completely intended) are all going down!

bipper

[Resha]

Yes! But killing cockroaches...isn't.

[Quindiana Jones]

My dad's friend once crushed a cockroach and smoked it. Survive that, bitch.

[Leeza]

If you kill them humanely, it does not count towards animal cruelty. If you don't, then it does. Just like any other animal.