Pet rabbits vs Pet rats?

1. It depends on the rabbit. My current rabbit is nice but prefers to be left alone. My past rabbits liked attention more but only on their terms.
2. Here in the US rabbits do not need vaccinations. In some countries they do need to be vaccinated (I think the UK and Australia). They do not need yearly checkups. Checkups are very stressful so you only want to bring them in when they are sick or injured. Females need to be spayed for health reasons. Both genders should be neutered to prevent spraying and aggression.
3. Depends on the size of the rabbits, how active they are and how much floor time they get. Somewhere between 20-100 square feet.
4. Rabbits are more expensive than rats.

1. Rats are far more social. They love attention and are very sweet.
2. Yes. They need to be in same sex or neutered pairs/groups.
3. Bare minimum is 6 cubic (not square) feet per rat but that's a bit small IMO. 8 or more cubic feet would be ideal.
4. Rats don't live as long.

I love all animals so I couldn't choose one over the other.
Rabbits: they're personalities are all different and it depends on how you treat them!
1)Usually bunnies are funny little guys who jump around and will put a smile on your face with all the silly things they do.
2)Yes it is best to bring your bunny to the vet, and it's best if you spay/ neuter them. It lowers aggression and risk of health problems
3) minimum cage size for two would depend on what kinda cage your thinking. I'll give you some ideas.
4) I'd suggest giving a whole room to a bunny. Whether that's a separate room or your room where they can run around and play. They need lots if exercise! Also best diet for rabbits would be very little pellet food and should consist of a lot of veggies and some fruits! Also ease check your near by shelter do not buy :)
Rats 1) their personalities change as well, all the rats that I've owned have been pretty chill funny little guys.
2) rats have to go in a pair+ it doesn't matter! UNLESS, the rat is aggressive and needs to be housed alone.
3) minim cage for 3 rats, I'd say the best cage would be the critter nation, but the one that's two levels. I forget what model that is.
4) once again please check your near by shelter! Also, most commercial rat food is not good for them, I'd suggest making your own food! Also they as well need to be out if their cage everyday!
Bunny cage: http://youtu.be/NUc-tAdiPYM
Ideal rat cage: even though hers is very crowded you don't need that much. http://youtu.be/ZZyQQp2AOEM

I work at a pet boarding kennel so I've met many rabbits and rats over the years. The only problem is, their personalities have all varied greatly based on how they were raised but I'll still try to help as best as I can.

Rabbits:
1. Like I said, they're personalities all varied a ton. Of the 10 or so who come in often, 4 are very well socialized and are free roam in a whole room of the family's home so they get a lot of interaction. 2 are very nasty and will try to bite you whenever you approach them. Both are intact rabbits, one male and one female but they spend their whole lives in a 3' by 4' cage and don't get handled ever. The other ones are sort of indifferent. They are very quiet and will not let you pick them up but don't really bite either.
2. You need an exotic vet for your rabbit, for sure, even if you don't take him/her often. Most of them don't get regular vaccines but regular check-ups can help with finding problems and a few rabbits I know go for regular toe clippings or teeth cleanings (the two that get their teeth ground down and cleaned are very old and can't eat much to wear their teeth down.) I definitely think they should be spayed/neutered though. It seems to do remarkable things to help with temperament and most the altered rabbits that come in are WAY less territorial than the unaltered ones. If it was my rabbit, I'd do it right away.
3. The cage size depends on the rabbit size because some are massive and some are somewhat small. I don't think it's fair to have them in a cage though. I think living with only 6 square feet and being a very active, hopping creature is kind of cruel. Most people keep their rabbits in a variety of different enclosures. A family I housesit for keep two rabbits in an indoor hutch and they clean it daily to keep it well maintained. The rabbit also gets to come out into a playpen occasionally. A few other rabbits have rooms in a house but you need to prep in advance because some will try to chew wires, molding, and doors. They usually had a whole room but were in a fenced in area of the room (like a playpen) with many litter boxes and hiding spots.
4. I'm not sure what else. Do a lot of research on diets as well. I feel like a lot of people who leave their pets with us don't have proper rabbit diets and often only give them pellets when they should get mostly timothy hay with a little bit of pellets and some greens. Also, keep in mind that you need to get your rabbit young or get a well socialized rabbit if you expect it to be cuddly and let you hold them. Most of the rabbits I know are pretty independent and NOT cuddly at all.

Rats:
1. I've had 5 rats of my own and most of them have been very sweet and social but again, it depends on the rat. Some have been very shy and some very independent. I will say this though, I've always gotten my rats at a pretty young age, handled them regularly, and was never bitten by a single one. They've always had pretty good manners.
2. They are very social animals so I had two when I knew I was going to be gone a lot and I had just one when I was at home all day and had lots of time to devote to socializing my rat. They've seemed happy either way but I still think getting two is probably when they're happiest.
3. There is no minimum cage size but I've always made sure my rat gets at least 4-5 square feet of space or 6-8 square feet for 2. There's no exact way to be sure what's right but I make sure they have a hiding house (like a kleenex box), an exercise wheel, and a place to sleep and/or burrow with some walking space between. Most cages deemed rat cages will do just fine.
4. In the five rats I've had (3 boys, 2 girls), only one had this issue but they are prone to having issues with controlling their bladders. My latest rat would uncontrollably leave a drip or two of pee behind. It's like when his little bits would touch something, he would occasionally let a little drip out. This wasn't a huge issue for me because all I would have to do is wrap him in a towel and wash my hands after every time I handled him but be aware, there's a slight possibility that you may get a rat like that.
Also, I figured out you shouldn't feed them snacks through cage bars. People would always stick fingers through the cage bars and stick treats through them as well and one of them started to associate the fingers as the treats so he tried to bite a finger before, thinking it was food. My recommendation is to not stick anything through the bars at all and only give treats through doors.

That's all I can really think of. In all honesty, I think it's much easier for me to handle a rat than a rabbit. They are a little easier to maintain, although you may not think they're as much fun. It was still really fun to let my rat wander around in a rat ball or he would wander around a room with strict supervision. Rabbits are definitely fun too as long as you've found one that's been well socialized or young and impressionable.

Adding on to Merp's idea (awesome answer Merp!), you can also have a big cage with an x-pen attached to it. Or, you could make a NIC condo, and just remember to bring them out everyday. But, like Merp said, a room would be the best option.
Good luck! :)

Rabbits are almost AS expensive as a cat or dog. They are NOT cheap pets! They require regular vet visits as well. Guinea pigs and rats are much cheaper in that they do not necessarily need to see a vet. You should still locate an exotic vet and ask for their fees and prepare that in case the animal needs to see a vet. Rabbits can live up to 12 years, while guinea pigs to 8 and rats up to 3. Both guinea pigs and rats MUST have at least one same-sexed cage mate, so you'd need to get two. No matter what you hear, this really isn't that much more work or money, and will benefit their living conditions very much. Guinea pigs are not nearly as interactive as rats. Rats develop very strong bonds to people, just like dogs and cats. They can even get deppressed if you leave them for a while. Rabbits also develop these bonds, but they are much shyer and take longer to warm up. So do guinea pigs. All of these animals need floor time EVERY day. At least one hour of it. You can set up a pen or just let them wonder in a safe room. You CANNOT use wheels or balls with these animals. Well, you can try giving rats a wheel, but they rarely use them because they aren't as interesting as running around. Rabbits and guinea pigs also NEED fresh vegetables regularly, while rats don't require any (but love all types of treats!). Rats can also learn their names and simple tricks, and I think rabbits can learn just names but don't know about piggies.

A bunny can live up to 15 years. A rat lives about 5 years.

They both make quality food for pythons and boas. Both will make a squealing noise when in the snake's grasp.

I agree with Merp about spaying and neutering a rabbit, although it isn't necessary. I have a female and male rabbit and they are perfectly fine. NOT together of course, but they are the sweetest little pets. I would adopt a bunny from a local shelter. That way when you buy them, they are already spayed(if you were thinking about spaying them) and some have a bonded pair. That way if you're not home they have a playmate, and they don't spray or get moody. Oh and they also get really attached to you and if they are happy they will lick you, chin rub you, and bink around. Oh and they can flop over(like fall over on their side or lay upside down)

I personally have never owned a rat, but I've had to pet sit my neighbors, and It wasn't very nice. I tried to give it food and it charged at me, as well jumping at me! And they can get diseases(like other animals), but they are more prone to diseases and abscesses. Hope this helps!
Good Day!The picture below is my bun Clover. She is a Holland lop. And this picture was taken a while back but I haven't downloaded recent pics onto my computer. Check out her instagram profile (hollandlopclover) for recent pictures and videos!