I just don't get rats sometimes. It IS true that they are very fastidious groomers, much like cats and don't like to get gooey stuff on their paws or faces. HOWEVER...

and this is a big however...

they pee where they sleep. They're pretty good about using their litter tray for dookie, but they piss all over their nice clean hammocks and then they lay there and marinate in it.

AND...

and this is a big and...

if you give them a particularly delectable tidbit, they will race off with it to a safe place. What place do they pick? Right in the middle of their litter box. How pleasant can that be?

Explain this to me. What survival instinct is at work here? There's gotta be a reason but i sure don't know what it is. They always say that animals don't pee where they sleep, so why do rats?

They obviously like to be clean. They groom themselves and each other continuously. In fact, there is an unspoken rat rule that if two rats are in the middle of a fight or eating or whatever, and one starts grooming, the other one will stop and groom, too. Then they will pick up where they left off.

I just don't get it. Good thing they're so dang sweet and fun.