In our very first Hurricane Sandy rodent report, we have some good news for equal opportunity rodent haters, some better news for those who get chills thinking of baby rats, and some downright bad news for anyone that enjoys cancer breakthroughs in modern medicine. 

For anyone that hates all rodents, there's good news: Sandy has brought doom and destruction to many future rodents. For more specific rodent updates:

Rats: You can put down your frying pan, and relax. As Daily Intel's Dan Amira points out, the ratpocalypse—the phenomenon of rats being displaced by the flooded subways and making their way into our apartments—doesn't look like it's happening (for now). "Flooding often displaces rats but also drowns young rats in their burrows and can reduce the rat population," Sam Miller, assistant commissioner for public affairs at the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene told Amira. "We haven’t seen an increase in rats above ground caused by Hurricane Sandy," he added. Whew. 

Mice: "The Daily News has just learned that years of scientific research -- and thousands of mice -- at New York University Hospital's Smilow building on E. 32nd St. have been lost."reports the New York Daily News's Gersh Kuntzman. As Kuntzman reports, these mice were being used to find new ways to fight cancer. 

Cute Rodents:  Baby squirrels! Squee! Virginia's displaced baby squirrels are okay and are getting cute treatments in tiny bottles. And that's the sound of your heart melting.

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Alexander Abad-Santos