Canadian man gives his two rats an electric car and teaches them how to drive after learning it decreases their stress levels
Published on Jun 21, 2025 at 12:45 PM (UTC+4)
by Molly Davidson
Last updated on Jun 18, 2025 at 9:26 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Watch Kuzko and Kronk, stars of the emperorsofmischief Instagram page, drive around in their own custom-built electric car – the ultimate de-stresser.
Remember the day you learned to drive?
You were probably excited, but also terrified of the open road.
For these rats, it’s a different story.
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Yes, you read that right – rats.
This creator’s dad built a fully functional mini electric car for his pet rats, called the Rat Rod.
He was inspired after reading a study from the University of Richmond that explored how enrichment activities – like learning to drive – can reduce stress in rats.
Turns out, teaching a rat to drive actually lowers its stress hormones.
Science, meet chaos.
This man decided to bring that research to life by building tiny a EV for his rats to drive around the house.
The Rat Rod comes with three pedals placed at rat chest height so they can tap with ease.
One pedal makes the car turn left, another goes forward, and the third steers right, giving the pets full control of the vehicle.
There are even little portholes built into the windshield so the rats can be rewarded with treats as they learn to drive.
Once Kuzko and Kronk figure out how to hop in and press the forward pedal, they start mastering their turns.
With every correct move, they earned a snack through the treat portal – motivation proven to work when it had them sticking their faces through the hole mid-drive in anticipation.
In one clip, one of the rats drives directly into its human’s foot for a snack.
They’re seen cruising around the house in pursuit of treats, slamming into any furniture or unsuspecting feet that get in their way – a warning not to ‘throw off their groove’.
This isn’t just a trained trick, it’s a learned behavior.
They know what they want, and how to steer themselves straight to it.
The Rat Rod is part enrichment therapy, part tiny Hot Wheels dream come true.
It’s science, engineering, and – to viewers’ delight – entertainment, all rolled into one.
And according to the creator, more rat-driving adventures are still to come.
Since posting the original video, the creators have shared that Kronk has sadly passed away, with the account continuing to rescue and rehabilitate new furry pals in his honor.
We’re excited to see where they – and their tiny EVs – go next.
To see more rat driving adventures, head over to emperorsofmischief on Instagram.
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Molly Davidson is a Junior Content Writer at Supercar Blondie. Based in Melbourne, she holds a double Bachelor’s degree in Arts/Law from Swinburne University and a Master’s of Writing and Publishing from RMIT. Molly has contributed to a range of magazines and journals, developing a strong interest in lifestyle and car news content. When she’s not writing, she’s spending quality time with her rescue English staffy, Boof.
