Final answer:
The rats first decided to live in man-made structures where there was an abundance of food and shelter, specifically meat storage rooms where piles of meat provided a conducive environment for them to thrive.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks about the first place the rats decided to live after escaping. From the provided text references, we can infer that the rats sought residence in areas where there was an ample food supply and shelter, which would be man-made structures, such as storage rooms for meat and grain or lodgings in crowded dwellings, especially in the historical context when hygiene and pest control were less advanced. Specifically, the first provided reference talks about meat storage rooms in which rats raced about on piles of meat, suggesting that these storage places could be among the first places rats decided to live after escaping due to the presence of food and shelter.