There are many reasons to get a pet rat.
Pet Rat Pro’s
There are some good reasons for keeping a rat as a pet.
1/ Pet Rats are cheap pets to look after. Rat food is not expensive as they can petty much eat everything that humans eat with some exceptions. See article on Rat Diet.
2/ They enjoy the company of humans and other rats.
3/ It is not hard to give them the attention that they need every day. On average they need about an hour of attention each day from their human family outside of their cage where and when it is safe for them to run around in. This attention could just be them running around your room, while you’re doing something else. For example, homework, watching television, and playing video games.
4/ They pose no major known health threats to humans or other animals if looked after properly. (When you first get a pet rat, it properly a good idea to get them a health check to be on the safe side, but this is something you should do with all new pets. Like all animals, there are some health problems that can be transferred to humans, but the chance of this is no worst than for any other pet)
5/ Pet rats do keep themselves well groomed. They do shed hair but do not require any additional special grooming except maybe a bath occasionally (use warm water and a towel to dry them with).
6/ Rats can be trained to do a range of tricks. The best way to train them is to use food as a reward. Showing off your pet rat tricks to your friends can be enjoyable. See the article on Rat Training.
7/ They do not take up a lot of room compared to other pets, but this does depend on the size of your rat cage.
8/ They came in a variety of breeds and colors.
9/ They do not have a long life span compared to some other pets. This could be a pro or a con.
10/ They do not judge you and they do not answer back to you. Plus, they will listen to you when you talk to them. Like all good pets.
11/ Pet rat cages can be used for other pets. For example, Guinea Pigs.
Pet Rat Con’s
There are some of good reasons for not keeping a rat as a pet.
1/ The biggest problem I can see, is the reputation that pet rats have, as this put a lot of people off them without even giving them a fair chance.
2/ Finding somewhere to put their cage. But this problem should be sorted out prior to getting your pet.
3/ Finding someone to look after them when you are on vacation.
4/ They do not have a long life span compared to some other pets. This could be a pro or a con.
Overall there are more reasons why rats make a great pet than a bad pet.