Others call to mind that a rat is first of the animals present in the 12-year Chinese zodiac. There is a Year of the Rat in the Chinese calendar, but in some countries it is a Year of the Mouse, as the word may mean either rat or mouse, or even a rodent. Someone tells that people born in the year of Rat possess rat-like qualities, such as creativity, honesty, generosity, ambition, a quick temper, and wastefulness.