Your Friend the Rat, written and directed by Jim Capobianco, is another one of Pixar Animation’s charming short films, with this one made to set the record straight about rats. Hosted by everyone’s favorite rat, Remy, the star of Ratatouille, and his brother, Emile, the pair present the long history of rats, seeking to help humans realize that rats aren’t the evil, disgusting creatures we make them out to be, but rather an equal to be treated with respect!

The film starts out with a history of rats, explaining their cultural significance all around the world, from the Roman Empire, where white rats were seen as symbols of good luck, to India, where rats are the chosen mode of conveyance for the Hindu god, Ganesh.

They even address the situation perhaps gives rats their bad reputation—the Black Plague. According to Remy, history books have got it all wrong. It’s not the fault of rats that they became infested with fleas that caused disease—they were victims too! Remy even explains that there are different types of rats, and the Brown Rat, also known as the Norway Rat, had nothing to do with the plague, and they’re the ones we most likely see on the street and in sewers.

The second half of the film, now that we have our history down, is all about why rats are cool, which Emile takes the lead on, delivering a number of interesting and little-known facts about rats, like how they can chew through cinderblock, or live in water for up to three days.

This cheeky film is very educational, with excellent graphics depicting the history of rats and their interactions with the human race. It even features a musical number! If you loved Ratatouille and want to see more of Remy, it’s an adorable short worth watching—and who knows, maybe you’ll even throw out the rat traps you keep in your attic!