I had a rat named Rachel, about 7 years ago. She was a beautiful hooded rat - silky grey hair and big pink ears!
I use to enjoy putting nuts on the couch. She would grab as many as possible and try to hide them behind a cushion.
Then I would retrieve them and put them back on the couch. We'd do this until I got tired...
Anyways, she was a gentle old soul and a real treat to have in my life.
Sadly, she developed a huge tumor. I believed that she was in pain so I had to put her to sleep.
In my opinion, the only thing wrong with rats is that they don't live long enough.
I've had many pets in my life. Rachel definately ranks as one of my favourite.