Family teaches pet rats to drive tiny cars and the rodents are pretty good at their job

Rats, often underestimated, are actually incredibly intelligent creatures. They are actually quick learners and demonstrate some problem-solving abilities of their own. Kuzko and Kronk are two incredible rescue rats who have an Instagram profile (@emperorsofmischief) dedicated to their activities. Their parents frequently put up many posts that highlight how two rats are able to do so much with a little help from the family. They posted a video this month, sharing how the duo learned to drive tiny cars.

The video has gained 40.7 million views and 2 million likes on the social media site. In the caption, it funnily states that the two rats were practicing for their driver's licenses. Furthermore, it also mentions a study done by the University of Richmond about how enriched environments affect stress responses. The researchers experiment the theory by teaching rats to drive tiny cars, discovering that learning a new skill decreases the stress hormones in the rats. 

The video begins with the family showcasing the tiny cars that the dad made for the rats. They aptly named the tiny cars "Rat Rods," which contain three pedals to turn and go forward. It also contains a "treat porthole," from which the rats will be able to get their favorite snacks for learning to drive. At first, the rats undergo training to drive straight. We can see one of the members of the family sitting in front of the rat with a treat in his hand.

After a few seconds, the tiny car inches forward until the rat manages to finally get the treat. There are times when the rats turn unintentionally, but they quickly manage to learn to turn the car towards the treats over time. The family manages to increase the difficulty of the tasks, eventually making the rats align the car's portholes with wherever the rice puff is located. Kuzko and Kronk also make remarkable progress in their driving, with only a few minutes of training over a couple of months.

The family eventually removed the back doors of the tiny cars, to allow both of them to have more "autonomy." So now, whenever the cars come out, Kuzko and Kronk are eager to jump in and drive for their treats. The caption ends with the family sharing that there is a lot more Kuzko and Kronk-driving content that they will share. People who watched the amazing rat duo in action shared their thoughts about it in the comments section. 

@albamaurel said, "Don't be surprised if rats run the world tomorrow." @funambulist7 hilariously pointed out, "Please make sure the rats aren't texting while driving." Another individual, @liamesquire, had a more creative suggestion by saying, "This is how we solve the New York City rat problem. We put them in little cars and they can deliver the mail/ Amazon packages. The cheese industry inflates and a new bitcoin is born." @saskiavd10 commented, "Rats are so smart. And this is just awesome."

You can follow Kuzko and Kronk (@emperorsofmischief) on their Instagram page to see them do more amazing things.