The Rat is the final antagonist of Disney's 1955 animated feature film Lady and the Tramp. A silent, predatory rodent, the rat is in constant pursuit of Jim Dear and Darling’s newborn baby.
Appearances
Lady and the Tramp
Lady first encounters the Rat while she is running happily in the backyard. She sees it, growls, and chases after it, causing the rodent to scamper through a hole in the fence, and into a hiding place under a building across the street.
The Rat has a catalytic role in the climax of the film when it comes back to Jim Dear and Darling's house while Lady is tied to her doghouse on a rainy night. Sensing opportunity after seeing Tramp walk sadly away after Lady snapped at him, the rat leaves his hiding place and makes his way into the yard through the fence hole. Lady senses its presence as rain begins to fall, and barks at it, but Aunt Sarah tells her to shush. Tramp hears her barking and comes back to her, where she tells him that there's a rat in the house. He then follows him to Jim, Jr.'s room, before it can harm the baby. They engage in a fight, until at one point, it climbs to the top of Jim, Jr.'s crib, with the intent to harm and/or kill him. Just when it jumps into the crib, Tramp bites it on the neck and throws it away and continues to attack, but his rage made him accidentally knock over the crib, awakening Jim Jr. and causing him to cry as Lady (having broke free) arrives to look after him. Finally, Tramp manages to corner the Rat behind the couch and kill it, but not before receiving a minor injury from it when it bit his ankle.
Having been alerted by the commotion and Jim Jr.'s crying, Aunt Sarah arrives and, not seeing the Rat, mistakenly believes that Lady and Tramp had attempted to harm Jim, Jr., promptly locking Lady in the cellar and sending Tramp off to the pound. However, as soon as Jim Dear and Darling return, Lady shows them the dead rat, clearing Tramp's name.
Gallery
Trivia
- In an early script, the Rat's name was Herman.
- Additionally, in the same early script, Lady was the one who fought the Rat.
- Most book versions of the film don't show the Rat's appearance at the beginning.
- In its first appearance, the rat appeared to have a red nose, but when it makes its return, its nose is black.
- The resentment against Lady for being chased away by her and probably more than once would explain his intention to kill/harm the baby.
- There have been several near-identical or similar rats making a cameo in later Disney shows and movies:
- Many identical rats make various appearances in the Disneyland TV episode, "The Great Cat Family".
- There have been similar rats in a cameo appearance in Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure, when Angel chases them out of an alley.
- Many identical rats make various appearances in the 1985 Disney film, The Black Cauldron.
- Many identical rats make various appearances in The Little Mermaid TV episode "Scuttle".
- The rat made a cameo in the 1992 Disney film, Aladdin.
- The rat made a cameo in the 1995 Disney film, Pocahontas.
- The rat made a cameo in some Disney films released in 1996 namely The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Aladdin and the King of Thieves.
- The rat has also become a Disney Emoji character.
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