Rats are smart, social animals that can make wonderful pets, especially for older children. They are also easily tamed and relatively easy to care for. In fact, many rat owners compare their companionship to that of a dog! They are also clean animals considering they spend a lot of their time self-grooming. They are also inexpensive and come in a wide-variety of sizes and colors.

On the downside, they require a fair amount of attention and exercise outside of their cages (at least an hour per day). They only live about 2 or 3 years. Since they are nocturnal, they will be most active at night, which some will find troublesome. Females go into heat every 4 or 5 days and could seem agitated or restless during this time.
http://z.about.com/d/exoticpets/1/0/G/n/MeandChoxie06.jpg
Source(s):
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/careofrats/a/ratsaspets.htm
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art4125.asp

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Yes! Rats make excellent pets because they are very smart, trainable, and friendly. Kids are going to be able to get more out of a pet rat than a pet guinea pig, for instance, since the rat actually wants to interact with them and can perform fun feats.

Of course, little kids especially should be supervised with the rats, and probably won't be able to do all of the care (but when can they with a caged animal?)

As with any pet, you must do your homework. This is part of the fun in getting a pet for a child -- to give the child an opportunity to learn about the animal and how to care for it and make friends. If you do your research, you'll have a better experience.

For one thing, the pet rats you get aren't the same as wild rats! Taming a wild rat would be a bad idea. It's important to make sure you get a good, healthy rat from a reputable breeder or a pet store with exemplary practices.

Also, rats aren't going to be as much fun if you set them up to be unhappy. They need:

-Lots of space (at MINIMUM 12" x 24" -- 2 sq. feet of floor space -- for two smaller rats, if it's a tall cage with other space on shelves and such)

-A friend (they are very social, so it's best to get at least two -- it's actually EASIER to care for two rats than for one, because it's happier, and it's not the much more food etc for a second rat)

-Attention from you every day and time out of their cage

There's lots more info in terms of what to feed them, what type of cage, what to put in the cage (which can be found in the sources below), but I want to give you an idea of how much fun rats can be!

Another thing to know: Female rats are more active, generally, and male rats are more docile. This means male rats are happier hanging out on your shoulder or in your pocket and cuddling with you, while female rats want to explore.

I've been training my (female) rats to "come here" -- climb up on my shoulder -- and to go through a wrapping paper tube (paper towel tubes are too small.) It's a lot of fun to train them, and since they're smart they appreciate the attention! My brother has two male rats, and they love being picked up (mine would rather climb out themselves).

I've read that rats can even be litter box trained, although I haven't trained mine myself.

So, to sum it up, rats are intelligent and need less space than a dog or even a cat. They make fun and rewarding pets, if given what they need to thrive, and would be a great first pet for a child (although parental supervision of small children is important -- rats are fast!)
Source(s):
One of the best and most thorough sources I've used in preparing to get rats: http://www.quite.co.uk/rats/

Another great source of info about pet rats: http://www.petrats.org/index.html

Other good sources:
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/careofrats/a/ratscare.htm

http://www.petratscanada.com/ratcare.htm

http://www.fancypetrats.com/

http://ratfanclub.org/helpinfo.html

About rats with kids, specifically:
http://wondertime.go.com/life-at-home/article/first-pets-rats.html
http://parents.berkeley.edu/advice/pets/rats.html

A "statements you should agree with before getting pet rats" page:
http://www.ratzrealm.com/id115_htm.htm

Also, personal experience:
-I cared for a rat for a college student over last winter break (and invested over $70 in, because she wasn't having her needs met -- she was also alone, poor thing -- and seeing her is part of why I'm a huge advocate for enough SPACE and a COMPANION. Rats aren't as fun if they are deprived of what they need to develop their brains, similar to people. Luckily, we can also continue to learn and grow and so can rats!)
-Owning two lovely girls now, who I've had since this summer.

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Rats are great pets for one simple reason, they are easy to take care of, and are relatively lower maintenance than some other pets. They do not require some of the maintenance that a fish tank or the companionship (not as much as some dogs) or walking like a dog. They fit in a simple cage, you clean the cage, and you've got a nice rat in your life. Rats usually do not bite like some hamsters or rabbits. You won't have to worry about a rat keeping you up late at night or barking like a dog when it meets a stranger.

Rats are very clean animals, and they actually take care of themselves, so they do not have as much odor as other small animals. Overall, rats make great pets!
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I find the rat to be much more intelligent, fun, loyal, and even lovable than any other animal in the small pet category that includes rats, guinea pigs, gerbils, hamsters, ferrets, & even rabbits. A will trained and happy rat has as much personality as many dogs!
I have taught middle school science for many years and have always kept rats as classroom pets, in fact my last name is Atwood and I have finally come to the point where I do not even try to stop the nickname of Mr. Ratwood (especially since the other teachers call me that). My favorite rat was named Rodney and he was almost impossible to keep in his cage, he could always figure out some way to escape, but since he never went far I didn't try real hard to keep him locked up. His favorite game was to sneak under the wall early in the morning get up on the teacher next doors desk, and stand on his hind legs as she entered the room first thing in the morning. This would always produce a very loud shriek and then a yell of "RATWOOD!" Which I would respond to with a "RODNEY get back over here", he would then scamper down her desk, back under the wall, and climb up into his cage. This was nearly a daily event and I swear he did it for the fun of getting the shriek from the teacher. The students became very attached to him also, and many would return after they moved on to higher grades just to visit him.
Not all rats are the same however, just as dogs have different personalities so do rats. I have came across a few that were anti-social or biters and never seemed to calm down. The pet store would always let me trade them in for another individual as most were being sold to feed the pets of snake people anyway.
Give the rat a try, it will surprise you!
peace,
joe Ratwood
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Rats do make good pets, but you need to consider the life expectancy. Rats live anywhere from 2 to 4 years is all.
Source(s):
http://home.att.net/~toyletbowlbbs/growth.htm

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I love rats as pets. I do not currently have one though as they die very easily since they are prone to respiratory infections. They are very friendly and like to be cuddled. They are less jumpy and nervous than mice and, if you get a good one, they do not bite much. I think they have more of a personality than mice and hamsters and some are interested in learning tricks. My grandfather used to be able to whistle and his rat would come running from across the room, scurry up his leg and get a treat resting on his shoulder. My grandfather is 6'4 so this was quite a long trek for the little rat.
Rats are also very loving.
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No they will transfer disease.
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Yes rats are good pets, but they needs lots of care. I had two rats and it was kind of hard to take care of them. They need to have a big cage and the cage needs to be cleaned frequently. Also, they need to be exercised every day as well as taken to the vet every now and then. Unless your kids are ready for responsibility rats might not be a good idea, maybe you should try hamsters. Also rats do not carry disease.
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