Did you know that rat's teeth are strong enough to chew through glass and cinder blocks? When considering a new pew, people don’t usually think of rats. However, rats are some of the best pets to own. They are small and very smart.

Contrary to popular belief, rats are actually very clean. Rats actually spend hours a day cleaning themselves and their cagemates. Studies have shown that rats experience emotions similar to humans such as empathy and excitement. They show excitement by bruxing, which is where they grind their teeth together to make a clicking noise. Rats can also giggle, though the pitch is too high for humans to hear.

They can also get attached to their owners and can get sad when they aren’t around. They are also very emotionally connected with their cage mates and owners. They tend to take care of sick or injured cage mates. These amazing animals make good pets for small children since they are such clean and loving animals. They give kisses and will ride around on your shoulder for hours at a time. Rats are very affectionate and make very good companions.

These intelligent animals can learn tricks and can be litter trained as well. There is actually a rat that would sniff out landmines. Magawa, the giant African pouched rat, was awarded the gold medal of bravery for sniffing out landmines in Cambodia.

Many parents would probably be totally against their child getting rats; however, once they get to know more about them, I think they will change their minds. So to try to help them better understand, I asked my own parents how they felt when I first got my rats versus how they feel now.

“At first, they scared me. I hated their tails, and I was worried about them biting me,” says Molly Oskowski.

Over the three years that I have owned rats, her opinion has changed. “It took some getting used to, but now I love them very much,” Oskowski said, “They are some of the nicest animals I have ever owned.”

Though rats are not your average pet, they do make some of the best companions for people of all ages. They help to teach patience and responsibility. They are great company and provide endless amusement. Rats are probably one of the most misunderstood pets, but they provide endless love to their owners through some of their most difficult times.