Yeah, TYger, short life expectency is the only con of having a pet rat... You know, my last two girls were dumbo huskies, they're really fragile, I did my best to prevent them from having tumor (gave them broccoli, no milk products or meat, just grains, fresh vegetables and fruits), but they lived a little more than two years (
I love them toooooooooooo!!!!! They get so clever! Mine knew their names and were even litter trained (but just last two girls)
all my rats never pooed in my shirt lol i would take them with me everywhere and when they had to pee they would crawl up my sleeve and i would stretch my arm out and they would dangle their butt from my hand do their business and go back in my shirt lol. my oldest was 5 years old. sadly the whole cancer thing was bread into them wild rats in captivity can live up to 7 years :( but most that live outside die within the first two because of predators .