Positive side of owning a rat....
~ They make great pets for kids.
~ Rats are awake and ready to play when you are.
~ They don't sleep all day like other small mammals.
~ They don't get upset if you do wake them.
~ They don't bite. You may get one that will bite if she is pregnant or has babies nursing.
~ They greet you when you enter the room or walk by them.
~ Most love to play ( that is with your hand ) and act goofey making you laugh lots... Most rat owners will know what I'm talking about.
~ They are very friendly and most love to give kisses and burx when you pet them.
~ They burx which happens when their eye balls go in and out of their soccets and grind their teeth at the same time, almost like a cat purring. This makes petting them enjoyable knowing that they really enjoy it.
~ They are not loud, don't bark, don't keep you up all night like other animals.
~ They can be litter trained, I always use a litter container at the back of their cage which helps when it comes time to clean their cage. I find girls better at this then the boys.
~ They can be taught tricks and come to their name when called, most of my rats will come when I call them.
~ They are not squirmy like some other small pets, which make holding them easy and enjoyable even for very young kids.
~ They are easy to feed because the eat pretty much anything we eat plus they eat dog food, so all their food can be bought at a grocery store.
~ They don't stink, if they do your feeding them too much moist foods or your not using a good absorbant litter such as wood pellets. Another thing is maybe your leaving the cage too long before cleaning it.
~ They are just a great little pet, I would say the closest thing you would find to a dog in a small pet.
~ The best part is they don't cost alot to buy!

The negatives about owning a rat.
~ Rats chew, they love their hammocks you make or rags you put in their cage, but some will chew them up. If left unattended they can chew wires etc if left free in the house.
~ If their nails are not kept trimmed they can get long and sharp.
~ Some rats will leave a couple of drops of pee on you when you hold them, or if they are young and not trained yet they can poop or pee on you. The boys are more to mark you then the females with the drops.
~ Girls are sometimes more to play and explore then to be with you. The boys are more to cuddle.
~ Their life span is short only giving you around 2 years.
~ Their cage needs to be cleaned out every week or so depending on the number of rats you have and how big the cage is.
~ They can get cancer or tumers.
~ Really there is not alot of stuff to add to this list.