Rats are amazingly smart, very affectionate to people, and a lot of fun to have around.

I had a friend who asked me what kind of pet she could get for her daughter, not a cat or dog, but something smaller.

She wondered if a hamster would be nice, or maybe gerbils would be better? I said that while either of those are OK, my personal preference for the absolute best pocket pet would be a rat. She was horrified.

"A rat! Why would I want one of those in my house?"

"Have you ever known a rat?" I asked her.

"Of course not!" she replied.

Link