It's normal for people to feel a strong emotional connection with their pets, but one rodent fanatic in the US has taken things a step further by leaving her husband in favour of her domestic rats.
Appearing on the reality TV show My Crazy Obsession, Chantal Banks revealed how her husband of 11 years, Chester, "didn't want to take care of my rats anymore", prompting her to make a decision over who she would rather share her life with.
In the end the mother of one chose her 19 pet rats over her partner, and has since moved out of the family home to care for the rodents, with plans to buy even more in the near future.
According to the Sun, Mrs Banks claims to "love rats more than I love people", and treats them the same way she does her own family.
While it's all well and good caring for animals as much as for people, it's important to remember that different species have different needs. Pets, for example, should not be allowed to share your family's meals, and should always be kept on a diet of specially formulated pet food.
