Yeah, i have seen hairless rats and wondered. I don’t get it because they were cuter with fur, so why breed them to be naked? Plus hairless rats are more susceptible to rashes and drafts. That was a dumb creation.
Sugar gliders are really cute. I wouldn’t go for one though, because they are probably expensive and as you said, there are vet problems.
There are a lot of reasons why people might opt for a non-dog/cat/bird/hamster.
I love William, my millipede (he’s really big- 8 inches). He is really gentle and I am busy a lot so I can still have a millipede for a pet because they require so little care. You never have to clean the cage, and they aren’t noisy or smelly and feeding them is no big deal- any leftover veggies are fine.
And he’s cool-looking. Fish are easy to care for and cool-looking, but you can’t pick them up and play with them.
William doesn’t really jump through hoops or anything, but he was only nine bucks and he has a million tickly little legs and it feels so neat when he walks up your arm. He looks almost like a toy and not a real animal. And he never bites.
My hissing cockroach is not as much fun as William, but I keep him in there so William can have company.
And then there is my rat, Turpentine- anyone who has ever owned a rat would understand the appeal here. Rats are the sweetest animals in the world. Much nicer than a dumb ol’ cat that thinks it’s cool to be aloof.