1. Rats are very intelligent animals. They will often find ways to outsmart people who set traps, by taking the food without getting caught. Pet rats can be trained to come when called and do heaps of tricks.
2. Rats are very friendly and tend to love people and even other larger animals, like dogs. My little rat Summer loves to snuggle up with Charlie the dog. Rats like to sit on peoples' shoulders and chatter into their ears.
3. Rats are ticklish. If you tickle their bellies they will laugh a very high pitched laugh that can be picked up by the equipment people use to listen to bats. How cute!
4. Rats are adorable. I love wild rats too, but pet rats come in all kinds of colours. You can even get Dumbo rats that have adorable large ears and silky rats that have the softest fur. Average brown rats have intelligent looking eyes and very cute faces.
5. Rats are not picky eaters. They like to try a bit of everything and always like to sample a little of your leftovers. Thinking up their meals is fun, as they can have their cereal/block as a base and more exciting things as a side dish.
6. Rats love to hoard things. When they find an attractive piece of fluff or paper. They will carry it in their mouths and hop back to their homes like a little kangaroo.
7. Rats are very sociable. They love to play both with humans and with other rats. It is important to get more than one rat (of the same sex), so that they can snuggle together at night in their ratty hammock and play together in the day. They will still bond with you just as much.
Look at all those reasons to love rats. Perhaps you should give them a chance after all?