Rats are highly social, intelligent companion animals whose welfare needs for companionship, space, and environmental complexity are frequently underestimated.
Rat welfare is poorly understood by many owners who purchase them as low-maintenance pets. In reality, rats are cognitively comparable to dogs in many domains, experience complex social emotions, and suffer significantly from isolation, inadequate space, and environmental boredom. The empathy research is particularly striking - rats will delay their own rewards to free distressed companions, indicating a level of social sensitivity that places significant obligations on responsible owners. Pair or group keeping with appropriately enriched housing is the minimum welfare standard.