Thanks for all the help guys! I think my situation might be a little different living in a very cold climate since we DO need to thaw hamburger meat for 4-5+ hours for it to be cook-able haha! Our freezer is serious business. I smelled and examined the rat and it seemed totally fine, but in future I'll be sure to be more proactive about making sure nothing comes up to prevent me from immediately using a thawed rat Thanks a bunch!