Should I Adopt Rats? Here's the deal. Having rats is like having any other kind of animal or human relationship. You get as much out of it, as you are willing to put into it. If your rats are going to receive little to no attention, then they are not the right kind of companion animal for you. It is that simple. For a list of all the good points and bad points to having rats as a companion animal, visit the "Analysis" section of this site.