Also have you heard of Richardson Ground Squierls?
I've heard them mentioned once, but nothing really after that. What are they?

Oh there's also small birds lol, you can buy hand fed finches in beautiful colours, they'll follow you around and can live from 5 to 10 years old depending on the breed and how well it's taken care of, not loud and easy to afford, they just need a small cage, a few toys, seeds and water. If you want you can pair 2 together.
I was wanting a mammal, but I'll keep that in mind if I ever decide that I want a birdie that isn't as high maitenence as a Tiel. I love how the finches look - and they sound like the birds off of the short film before "Monsters' Inc." LOL


Thank you for the links Suki. Rats sound awsome.