I never will understand you humans!
My cousin and I are truly much the same,
But him you love while me you cannot stand;
Me you want to kill, him to tame.

For my cousin you will often provide a feeder.
Why you even try to get him to eat from your hand!
For me you put out poison to murder.
What did I do to earn such hatred by man?

My cousin gets to enjoy frolicking in the sun.
I have to sneak around always in the dark,
Constantly being vigilant, always on the run,
While he gets to beg peanuts from you in the park.

If you would only be willing to get to know my kind,
You would soon learn my species are admirable creatures.
We keep ourselves scrupulously clean you'd find,
That ingenuity and intelligence are our best features.

As far as I can discern, the answer must lie in our tails.
His is quite hairy and fluffy, mine hairless, ropey, and fat.
Him you call squirrel and cute -- it never fails.
Me you call repulsive and ugly -- me you call rat.