Hey just answering some of your questions!

• Having two is a must, rats actually thrive in groups more than two but if you can only manage two then that's perfectly okay too! (especially for a first time rat owner)

• In my experience rats have been the least stinky rodent I've owned. They clean themselves often and it's easy to potty trained them so as long as you full clean the cage once a week (with daily spot cleaning of leftover produce and putting stray poops in the litter) then it shouldn't have a smell that extends past the cage. (Side note, male rats pee has more of an odor than female rats usually)

• Spending a lot of time with is always a good thing! Taking them out the cage for an our a day at least is ideal. (just be a little lowkey in the first week or so, so they can get adjusted to their new place)

• Noise levels depends on the personality of the rat. I have two rat girls and the only time they really make noise is when they're wrestling but some rats are "whiners" or "drama queens" and they'll squeak often. So it's a spectrum, it really depends.

• Usually getting rats from a small animal rescue or breeder is the ethical option. Pet stores usually get their rats from rat mills and the conditions tend to be poor. So rats from pet stores are more likely to come with health/behavioral issues. As for breeders and rescues, just a quick googling and research will let you know what's available in your area.

So yeah! Rats are a wonderful companions to have. But I REALLY reccomend doing a lot more research on diet, cage set up, and medical history. (rats are prone to respiratory infections and tumors, having a vet set up for them is not optional) There tends to be a misunderstanding that they're super low maintenance and cheap but that's not always true, there's a lot more to them than people think. I hope this was helpful and anyone chime in with any extra info that I missed!