Of course it's a lie,unless it was already dead and he'd pretended to strangle it,but I can't even imagine he'd handle one somehow.
Well did she say it was alive and he killed it or that he was practicing on dead rats?
I'd never handle one with my bare hands unless forced to do but I woudl not kill my family either so...
Some of them have sharp nails which is a reaosn beyond being scared of rabies that I would only use gloves. Rats are different sizes too I saw a water rat bigger than some small dogs and that thing I would not go near. Were they just plain little rats or what.