my 7th grade AP biology teacher had A LOT of animals in his classroom…mostly snakes and hamsters, and one rat. rats typically live 3-4 years at most, but this thing was huge and around 8 years old, seriously. i was terrified of it at first; the cage was right next to where i sat, and watching that thing yawn with its giant teeth was fucking unpleasant. but no one ever had a problem with her, temperment-wise, and one day i finally got brave and took her out to play. her name was willow, and she was pudgy. i held her in both hands and she just kinda looked at me, then ran up one of my arms. scared the hell out of me - but she just wanted to chill on my shoulder as i did my classwork. i played with her more after that, and she’d hang out with me in class and sleep in my hoodie pockets and stuff. i babysat her over thanksgiving break, and she watched tv with me for five days. i was in love!!

despite common beliefs, domesticated rats make excellent companions. (DOMESTICATED being the key word here…please don’t try to snuggle a city rat or something, pleaseee.) they are curious, playful, social, and clean!! they spend a lot of time grooming, and will even bathe if you put them in some water - they’re natural swimmers as well. unlike hamsters and gerbils, rats bond just like dogs and cats do. 

it saddens me that rats aren’t wildly accepted as pets; they’re awesome. my mother grew up in brooklyn…if i can change HER opinion about rats, they can’t be that horrible haha.