New York is doubtless the best place for bagels—and even the rats agree.

In the Atlantic Avenue subway station in Brooklyn last week, an enterprising rat carting a poppy seed bagel with cream cheese was spotted by Chloe Finch near the train tracks. In true New Yorker fashion, the rodent—dubbed “Bagel Rat”—clearly understands the importance of a good bagel, even at the expense of his safety.

We all know rats love cheese, and while this one is, as far as we know, the first to make off with a bagel, he isn’t the first to steal a cheese-laden food meant for humans. In September of last year, another rat entered a subway station with a whole slice of pizza in hand. Although rumors have floated that Pizza Rat was staged, no clear evidence has indicated that he wasn’t just a run-of-the-mill hungry, mozzarella-lovin’ vermin.

Just recently, at the beginning of July, journalist Ben Popper was lucky enough to witness a Brooklyn squirrel following suit, dragging a slice of pizza up a tree to enjoy it in peace. Undoubtedly, this cheese thief has better taste in ambience than his whiskered predecessor, as well as an unpretentious palate—the plunder appears to be a plain, New York style cheese slice, and he appears to be loving it.

Pizza-gobbling critters aren’t confined to New York. According to Vice, a fox in Somerset, England, has been enjoying some personal pizzas of her own recently. Jimmy, the formerly emaciated vixen, showed up in Maxine and Tony Hawker’s garden three years ago with a bad case of mange, so they began leaving food out for her with medication mixed in. Initially, the Hawkers stuck to giving her dog food, but several months ago they treated her to a slice of pepperoni, and she fell head over heels for it. Now, they give it to her twice a week.

“It’s ever so funny,” says Maxine, “because when I leave dog food, she looks at me as if to say ‘where’s the rest?’”

Photo courtesy of Maxine Hawker via Somerset Live

So Bagel Rat isn’t exactly a trailblazer, but he’s joining an illustrious group of cheese-stealing creatures, and we have to admire his pluck. Here’s to you, Bagel Rat—keep on keepin’ on.

Feature Photo Credit: Tatjana Melnik | Shutterstock

Caroline Fenn

While Caroline Fenn’s primary pursuit is an M.A. in publishing from Emerson College, she thinks almost as frequently about whether burrata or Brie would be her desert island cheese. She comes to Boston via Connecticut and Rhode Island and also loves writing, coffee shops, and Fountains of Wayne.