Rats are beautiful, wonderful creatures. Along as they don't get near human food sources (or, for example, chew the insulation on power cables) they're completely harmless. It's their world as much as ours!!!
I buy food for wild rats and I love feeding them. I just can't understand why people love watching wildlife when David Attenborough is enthusing about it from thousands of miles away but can't learn to live with it on their doorsteps.