What small animal should i get: rats, or birds….?

ok, well i am 18. i’d really like to get a small pet. i’ve done a lot of research on rats, cockatiels, and lovebirds. they all sound great. i just can’t decide which one i should get. i am leaning towards 2 rats more than anything…but my bedroom really isn’t a rat proof room. plus, i have a cat who is a killer. she kills wild mice all the time. of course if i got rats i’d keep my cat & the rats away from each other, but i don’t know. what should i get, rats, cockatiels, or lovebirds?

thanks

which makes a better pet, a cockatiel or rats?(only answer if you have had both cockatiels AND rats please)?

ok, so. ive been doing a ton of research on cockatiels & rats for the past 3 months, and they both sound like great pets, i just cant deside which one i really want. i want a pet that will live a long time, which points to cockatiels. but from all the research i have done on cockatiels & rats, rats sound like they are more interactive & cuddly than cockatiels..its really too bad rats have a short lifespan, they sound like fantastic pets..this is so hard to decide…what pet should i get? and if you’ve had both cockatiels & rats, which one did you like more? o and, which do you find is more interactive?

thanks