getting a rat...advise needed.

[Sorraia]

There are a lot of people who put quite a bit of effort into their pet rats beyond an aquarium or a branch. You would probably pass out if you saw some of the set ups I have! lol

I just came out of the rat hobby, after about 10 years of breeding them for show and pets, and some 20 years keeping them strictly as pets. I've seen a lot of changes over that time, and I've seen a lot of set ups. There are people out there who stick their rats in a tank (or even tubs) and call it done. But there are a lot of people who go well beyond that. There's a whole sector of the rat hobby that recommends a minimum of 2 cu ft cage space per rat. These people also deck out their cages with all kinds of equipment, including but not limited to multiple toys for mental stimulation, toys, chains, and branches for physical stimulation, various hides, hammocks, levels, balconies, etc. Some people even include litter boxes and put in the effort to litter train their rats (I used to, until a stubborn rat undid all my efforts in short order), others offer dig boxes and hide treats and toys in it so the rats can "forage" for food. There is a lot of effort put into diets beyond what you can buy in a pet store too.

I don't think it is fair to say "most" people do it any one particular way. There is also absolutely NO reason to discourage someone from putting full effort into their animals.