For some, rats are revered, for others, the most visceral reaction to them is, “eew, gross.” No matter what side of the fence one comes down upon, there is no denying these highly social and communicative animals seek out human society for survival, and they are well-equipped to thrive just about anywhere.

The rodents possess “the power of a top athlete, the nimbleness of a tightrope walker and the nose of a bloodhound.” They are also not noted for being picky eaters —generally, they prefer grains and fruits but will eat just about anything else they can find. So what makes that an endearing trait in an increasinly popoular choice as a pet? Perhaps the traits that are assigned to the Chinese zodiac symbol of the rat: wisdom, caution and charm.

Author and zoologist  Gerd Ludwig offers someintreresting insights in “My Rat,” a second-edition how-to book from Barron’s Educational Services Inc. (baronseduc.com).

Rule number one is one can be successful, keep only one rat as a pet — these are animals with a highly pronounced sense of commmmunity and “togetherness determines the well-being of the group.” One also has to accept that rats show affection by snuggling and nibbling the ear. They like to hide and males like to box each other to test strength.

But they are also very clean animals that spend a lot of time in mutual grooming. This is where Ludwig’s book is a must for the first-time rat owner. It points out key information such as proper habits — and the need for quick repairs on cage problems to prevent a calculated escape — acceptible cage materials they can chew, sanitary and dietary needs and color options available in pet rats.

There are handy checklists throughout the book to boil information down to the basics including cage materials, complete care needs and activies for a healthyand happy pet rat.

If the leash is not your dog’s favorite part of going for walks, there is a new product pledging “We won’t jerk your chain.”

It’s the Wacky Walk’r, which combies  fredom of movement from a force-inhiiting stretch of rubber tubing to ease stress on both pet and owner. It’s a welcome relief from a traditional leash, as the animal works against the leash, not the walker.

Among the product’s features is a reinforeced center containing a safety line to prevent tearing and breakage; a stretch limit of only twice the relaxed length; continous correction for your pet and natural rubber construction that deters chewing.

Orders may be placed at wackywalkr.websitesource.netor through a store locator on-site at a Massachusetts retailer. Products available in the line inlude and extention, Crazy Coupl’r and an urban edition that is shorter. Prices range from $13.99 for the extention to $30.99 for the Walk’rs.

The company donates 4 percent of sales to the cause linked to the Walk’r color and include: Defenders of Wildlife, The Fund for Animals, Pets of the Homeless, ASPCA, In Defense of Animals, Northeast Animal Shelter, Best Friends Animal Asociety, American Bird Conservancy, Save Japan Dolphins, Wild Horse and Burro Freedom Alliance, The National Anti-Vivisection Society and the United Sates War Dogs Association (see site for more information.)

We’re all busy people these days and adding a dog to the family dynamic can make things more hectic. For many caring dog owners, time is as much a concern in dog training as technique.

That’s the idea behind “Instant Dog Training,”  by Claire Arrowsmith, a consultant with the UK’s Pet Behavior Centre. She is a full member of the Association of Pet Behavior Counselors and holds an honors degree in zoology and a master’s in applied animal behavior and animal welfare.

Her book is a 93-pge illustrated guide to a quick response plan for training your dog from house breaking to trouble-shooting set up in a course of the day format.

Training  a guinea pig? Why?

Those are thoughts that might logically occur to a non-owner of these little guys. But for people who own them, here is a book that will certainly be a useful reference.

As cavies, from the scientific name Cavia porcellus, guinea pigs can live up to eight or nine years — that’s two to three times longer than other small rodents such as hamsters, gerbils or rats. They are also more sociable to humans than other rodents. Add those facts to their near-constant need to chew and there are sound reasons for wanting to train your guinea pig. It’ll show them what they can chew, can keep them from getting bored and it looks like a bit of fun from the illustrations in  “Training Your Pet Guinea Pig,” by Garry Bucsis and Barbara Somerville (Barron’s Educational Series, Hauppauge, N.Y, $9.99).

OK, you have a dog and you want to train it. That means you’re one up on a lot of dog owners out there, but it also means you are probably confused by the sheer number of contradictory dog-training manuals on the market.

Are you a member of the pack? Is everything you say to your dog just so much “blah, blah, blah, cookie?”

Barron’s Educational Series offers “Barron’s Dog Training Bible” as a solution to all that.

Written by Andrea Arden, a Certified Pet Dog Trainer and host  of Animal Planet’s “Dogs 101” series, this is a book that starts at the beginning by discussing realistic expectations, the “wolf inside” debate and how your dog looks at the world.

Canine massage is intended to be an effective way to ease pain and discomfort for your dog, but highly regarded professional Canine Masseuse Natalie Lenton of the Canine Massage Therapy Centre in England believes it can also be beneficial to owners as well.

Her international best-selling DVD “Canine Message in 3 Easy Steps,” is now available in the Region 1 format compatible with DVD players sold in the United States.

Among the Web sites carrying Lenton’s DVD is Dogwise (dogwise.com) a Washington state-based site. Mastercard, Visa and Discover are accepted for orders on Dogwise.

Dogs love water — baths, not so much — so anything that makes it easier to bathe your canine, without getting equally wet is a welcome notion. That’s where the Soggy Dog Towel comes in.

It’s not your bath towel.  It’s shaped with your dog’s body in mind, and provides four handy pockets in which to slip your hands to better control your dog while drying him off.

When one set of pockets gets wet, rotate the towel to use the dry ones. They also flip inside out for added surfaces to dry your dog. A loop at one end provides a way to hang the towel for air drying.

The Soggy Dog is made of high-quality heavy-weight, double-loop 100-percent cotton terry and is preshrunk and color fast. The towel is also machine washable and comes packaged in a tote with instructions. Available online at Amazon.com or see farfetched.com for a list of Massachusetts retalers.

If you have a cat and a home office, you know the cat is going to end up lounging on your desk anyway, so you might as well make him comfortable.

The Refined Feline presents its solution to the old cat sleeping on your keyboard problem — the Kitt-In Box. Just as it sounds, it is an “in box” for your cat. They can nap and keep an eye on you all while being both out of your way and within reach of a scratch behind the ear.

The Kitt-In Box bed can attach to the side of a desk or on top of it, with felt pads to protect the desktop surface. It can handle up to a 20-pound cat or a small dog and comes in three wood stains — cherry, birch or mahogany. Available online for $29.99 plus shipping from therefinedfeline.com.

A pet carrier is one of the safest ways to transport your pet in the car, but when a driver is forced to stop short, the carrier is not guaranteed to stay put, leaving pets susceptible for injury and a frightening experience if the sudden stop causes the carrier to move.

The Kurgo Carrier Keeper allows pet owners to securely buckle in their pet’s carrier, working with any carrier that fits on a car seat, using the car’s seatbelt as a restraint. Slip the seat belt through the Carrier Keeper’s straps and follow with your seat carrier or crate. It is compatible with all seat belts and carriers with straps that extend to eight feet.

Always check seat belt straps and closures for signs of wear or damage before traveling. Make sure pets have proper ventilation and never leave them in a vehicle alone.

The suggested retail price is $25 available at kurgostore.com.

It’s even happened on the green carpet at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show — a change of food and/or water when traveling and you have dog in distress having an accident. It’s embarrassing for both dog and owner. And lugging around all those familiar bowls, bottled water and bags of food from home is a pain. Buddy Meals of Phoenix, Ariz., has a solution for pet owners on the go. The company markets all-in-one portable and complete meals and feeding trays — everything you need to ensure your dog’s nutritional need are met. Each Budd Meals pack contains an all-natural main course, purified water and treats along with a disposable, two-sectioned serving tray that is biodegradable and scented waste bag.