[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

Lots of people do have an issue with eating rodents, even really cute ones.

Originally Posted by DanHoward

That makes no sense at all. Look at the types of animals that are widely eaten in China and elsewhere in Asia. Look at how widespread the "bush meat" culture is. I think your definition of "lots" would only be applicable amongst people with a similar upbringing as your own.

Originally Posted by ErhnamDJ

Squirrels are rodents. If people have a problem eating them, they've never mentioned it to me.

There's a big band across the central US and up into parts of Canada where even the English-descended folks think squirrels are an acceptable (if perhaps low status) food animal.

Originally Posted by Kalzazz

Trying to clean and fillet a rat or guinea pig seems like far far to much effort to be worth it

People around here persist in cooking the little sunfish they catch (like, 6 inches long, if that). My "Joy of Cooking" has instructions on how to prepare squirrel, starting from skinning. It's much like rabbit, and frankly the rabbits around here are tiny too. And eaten.

Originally Posted by Kalzazz

Rats and guinea pigs are stuck in my mind as 'Cute pet animals', so Im not sure Id want to eat one, nor cats, dogs or horses

For me, there's an enormous gulf between "pet animal of any kind" and "food animal of any kind". You don't eat someone's pet lamb or pet pig or pet horse or pet dog or pet rat. It's a pet. That's somewhere between rude and creepy. Or possibly both rude and creepy.

But lamb chops and bacon and horse steaks are all very good and don't bother me a bit. I've not eaten dog or rat yet (at least, not knowingly) but that's a matter of opportunity rather that discomfort.

With wild rodents, a really big thing is to make sure your mental picture isn't "sewer rat". There's a BIG difference between an animal living in humanity's waste, and one that's living in a forest eating acorns and beachnuts (and farmer's crops). The sewer rat shouldn't be eaten because ew.