'Rat boyfriend' trend explained as it's hailed the new 'golden retriever'

If I told you that your future partner should be a 'rat boyfriend', then it might not sound that appealing, but actually it could be a good thing.

A viral X post has appeared to liken men to different animals, and it now appears that a rat is something we should be looking for.

The post read: "Men are either eagle handsome, bear handsome, dog handsome, or reptilian handsome."

Alongside it were pictures of Ryan Gosling (eagle), Henry Cavill (bear), Heath Ledger (dog, golden retriever specifically if you were wondering) and Timothée Chalamet (reptile).

men are either eagle handsome, bear handsome, dog handsome, or reptilian handsome pic.twitter.com/or8uPZ7tre

— normal catholic girl (@marieprairiee) April 30, 2023

A man who is 'Eagle Handsome' has strong features, a long nose, lighter hair and small eyes, while Bear handsome describes someone with a rounder face, broad shoulders and lighter hair and/or eyes.

A 'Reptilian Handsome' man has strong features, dark hair and eyes and a straight nose and 'Dog Handsome' refers to someone with a rounder face, darker hair and eyes and often a cheeky or goofy 'Golden Retriever' grin.

However there is another category that people have spotted which is 'rodent handsome'. Whilst it sounds ugly and not something you'd necessarily want, it's thought to be a good thing.

In fact, so good that if you're a single then finding a rodent like partner is thought to be a positive for dating.

In fact some examples of hot rodent men include Kieran Culkin, Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Allen White, Logan Lerman, Tom Holland, Tobey Maguire and The 1975's Matty Healy. None of them are bad looking, so being called out as 'rodent handsome' doesn't mean they're ugly but in fact is thought to be a good thing.

In fact, rodent or 'rat boyfriend' are usually more svelte than muscular, with more pinched, angular features but again this doesn't mean ugly.

According to one online article, rodent men are the antithesis of toxic masculinity.

The new dating trend is going viral online, and has even caught the attention of US TV presenters as Jenna Bush Hager and Hoda Kotb who debated it on Today With Hoda & Jenna.

Jenna revealed how stars of The Challengers Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor have sparked the debate, as people say they look like mice.

She added: "People are saying they look like cartoon mice. I mean we’re not, by the way. This is not a slam at all, it’s the opposite."

Jenna then joked: "No, this means you should want to date Stuart Little. Stuart Little is actually quite attractive, right? He’s handsome."

Jenna went on as she revealed her issue with 'rodent boyfriends' as she explained: "Here’s the only thing, I have friends who love the hot rodent boyfriends, they’re always looking for that kind of sexy mouse. If you’re of a certain size, and I am — tall, broad — the problem with the hot rodent boyfriend is they can fit into your jeans."

She concluded: "So I think, yes, the hot rodent boyfriend can be good for some, it’s just not for me."