You get better protection if you use your credit card. The key difference is that when you claim on a credit card under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, the credit card company is legally liable.
A pet rat can live between 2-4 years maybe longer it just depends on how well you look after it.
When an animal can survive for longer, there's a selection for genes that provide longevity, because they can provide a real advantage, Jay Olshanksy, a public health researcher who studies aging, told me last year for an article about the naked mole rat, a rodent that can live for up to 30 years.