The rat, like its pestilent namesake, has reproduced since hitting town in the '90s - at one time, there were some 30 nesting throughout the five boroughs.
Nick's use of birds in his writing runs the full spectrum, from pestilent purveyors of gloom and death through to bright winged messengers of love and adoration.
Entire districts of the once great capital are under strict quarantine while both the rich and poor seek refuge from the ever present danger of the pestilent infestation.