Is not a rat, is hamster.

[maple_leaf_eh]

I'll trade you a few raccoons, skunks and ground hogs. The first ones are urban bandits. The second ones are hard of hearing, short sighted and have a pungent smell. The last ones eat vegetation but dig burrows that undermine woodpiles and sheds. None are worth eating.

PS How about a porcupine? Eats tree bark and has quills. Not worth taming, make noisy cat-like mewing sounds and get cranky when confronted. Labrador Retrievers don't have the right genes to avoid these guys.