Rat The Pet Qualities of Rats Like other pet rodents, rats are small, clean, quiet and easy to care for, but they have two characteristics that set them apart. First, they're much more intelligent than other small pets. In fact, rats can learn their names and will come when they're called.
Rats also are smart enough to learn a variety of tricks.
Second, rats are social butterflies that love to be with people and beg to come out of their cages to play or be petted. Rats also will wrestle with your hand, much as a kitten will. Like all pets, rats have some behaviors that can annoy. First, because they are rodents, they like to chew on things. But you must expect that rats, especially when young, will chew on at least some things, especially wood, paper, soft plastic and fabric.