Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a devastating chronic inflammatory disorder which is characterized by autoimmune reactivity and persistent active inflammation with concurrent tissue destruction, and its rate of disability is high. Effective models serve as a valuable tool to investigate the pathogenesis and therapy of RA. There is no model to perfectly duplicate the condition of human RA for the genetic gap between human and rodent. This review gives a broad introduction of the current stage of RA rodent animal models which could be classified into three categories: induced, transgenic, and spontaneous models. The characterization of each model focuses on induction ways, features, and pathogenesis, which is useful for the selection of appropriate model for RA research.