I had a rat a year ago that I had to have put down, I named him Fink. He had cancer. I loved him! He wasn't anything special, just a feeder rat to be honest, but I truly enjoyed him. He shared oatmeal with me every morning and I miss that. He'd hang on the side of his cage impatiently waiting for his share of the goodies. The dog we had at the time, a miniature poodle, thought he was her puppy and would lick him until he was soaked. She was cleaning "her baby".
I have two rats now, both females, Babylon and Asia. Babs is all white with pink eyes, just like Fink, and Asia is chocolate brown with a white belly. Both are cute as buttons!
Unfortunately, I can't play with them like I did Fink, the hubby's beagles are wa-ay too interested in them. They've already killed rabbits, moles, birds, mice and bugs in the yard and I'm afraid if I play with the rats and one gets away the dogs will find them and eat them before I can stop it. So, they're doomed to life in the cage for the most part.
But they're cute. And they beg worse than the dogs do. Every time I walk toward the kitchen they both jump on the side of the cage wanting me to feed them. I share everything with them. Crackers, green beans, apples, bananas, potato chips, pork chops, whatever I'm eating, they get a bite too.
Babylon likes to hang upside down from the top bars of the cage and walk across it. Asia will try it, but always ends up hanging from one front paw, dangling and swinging like a acrobat. Or one will be hanging in the corner and the other one will just crawl up her like she isn't there. Makes for an interesting tumble if they're not careful.
I keep an empty oatmeal box in the cage and they love it. Also have discovered that they like cow hooves. I know dogs like to chew on them, but rats? Yes, they chew the crap out of them and it keeps their teeth down. They like the light colored ones the best, but will chew on the darker ones if that's all they have.
Can't put your finger through the bars though, they think they're getting food and they bite. Hubby knows this and he stuck his finger in it and Babylon bit the crap out of him. Got him right above the nail on the quick and it bled like a sieve, left a good sized scratch on his finger. But if you put your hand IN the cage they run rather than bite. Have to catch them by the tails and take them out that way when I take them out.
So, no. You aren't the only one that likes rats as pets.