Would rats make suitable pets for a four-year old?

[Rorytigger]

DD1 would like a pet for her 4th birthday in Sept. She loves all small, furry animals like guinea pigs and rabbits. I'm not too keen on getting a rabbit but can't decide whether guinea pigs or rats would be better. I like the idea that rats will curl up and fall asleep on you and you can form quite a close bond with them.

Rats are wonderful, very intelligent and entertaining and they will whiffle charmingly in your ear but

you must get at least 2 because they are social animals;

males smell terribly because they scent-mark (tiny drops of urine) all the time;

they need an enormous cage because they like to run and climb - DS2 has 2 and their cage is this one - 80cm tall and wide, 50cm deep, it's the footprint of a small wardrobe ;

then you need arms 4' long to clean it out properly

I think at 4 I'd get a guineapig but again, you should get 2 (and if you're "lucky" at least one of them will be a pregnant female, that's happened to us twice )

HTH