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.
According to the Banfield State of Pet Health 2013 report, pets are living longer: The average lifespan of a cat in 2012 was 12 years, which has increased by 10 percent since 2002, adding a full year to a cat's life.