"Rats are wonderful little animals."

I say that very often. Most people stare at me with boggled eyes and their mouths ajar when I do so, and then they burst into a chorus of icky noises. About one time in fifty, I will encounter another person who has had prolonged exposure to the little critters, and they join me in praising them to high heaven. In all truth, once you've had the opportunity to know a rat, you fall in love.

Personality-wise, rats fall somewhere between a large, friendly dog and a ferret. They love to give kisses, they love to be cuddled, but they also will get into everything and cause all sorts of trouble. Rats that have been properly socialized do not bite and love to be handled by their people, unlike many other smaller animals who would much prefer that you just left them at peace in their cage.

I've only had my rats since May of 2002, but I already know that this is a species of animal that I will keep for the rest of my life.