Rats are great pets for those who want a furry friend but may not have enough space for a dog or cat. Domestic rats in particular can be friendly, calm, and can bond emotionally with their owners.

Maybe a rat is right for you! Kelli Bender is the Pets Editor at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2013. Her work has previously appeared on MTV, The Frisky, Vice, and Best Friends Magazine ...

The earliest documented evidence of domesticated rats originates from Japan and dates back to the Edo period (1603 to 1868). The tradition of keeping fancy rats may have originated in Japan, but pet ...

These have short, smooth, and glossy coats, although the males may have a coarser coat than the females. In general, they are easy to look after and have no special dietary or medical needs. You can ...

Those beady eyes. The twitchy whiskers. And that long naked tail. To you it says "vermin," maybe, but if you live with a pet rat, that's the look of true love. Prejudices are hard to overcome -- no ...