Animals in the classroom, in middle school?

I very much enjoy working at the middle school level. But all middle school kids have interest far beyond the classroom, and even when they are in the classroom, their minds may not be. Enter Robin, our newest addition to the class. As most new additions, all students are interested to get to know her, what she likes to eat, and if she will be their friend. But Robin is a bit different than middle school students: she is alot younger, alot furrier, and will climb on anyone who allows her…she is our clasroom pet rat.
I bought her from a breeder, because I wanted to be sure she was hand raised from birth. Her entire name is RobinHood, because she has hooded markings. The students instantly responded and became excited about her. They were motivated to get their work done so I would bring her out to play. They arrived to class early because I would bring her out to play. And they signed up quickly for the chance to take her home for the night or weekend. Most of my teaching career, I saw animals in the classrooms of younger students, kindergarten through 5th. At middle school grades, animals are commonly found in the science room, (alive or preserved) and only if they made students ‘freak out’ like tarantulas and snakes. In the world of electronics, movies and instant gratification, I under-estimated the real impact and motivation a simple animal, such as a rat, can have on the students.