
Factual error: The opening states the location as Bristol, England. Santa is drinking in a pub on Shirely Street (neither the pub or the street exist in Bristol), then shortly after is shown leaving from the rooftop, on his sleigh, with multiple high rise buildings in the background. Bristol does not have high rise buildings in the main city centre, only a few blocks of flats, which all have flat roof tops, not like those depicted.
Chosen answer: During the several years it took to construct the ship probably, or in any of the supplies/food brought on board, or in the furniture brought on board. A single pregnant female rat can be responsible for thousands of rats in a very short space of time (the offspring are not too choosy about who they breed with).
Soylent Purple
A pregnant female rat could have made a home in a underneath a third class couch and had the other rats then all the females would have baby rats quickly.