What Do Rats Eat in The Wild? - Rat Diet

Before discussing what rats eat, let’s take a look at some types of rats that exist in the world. Rats belong to the genus Rattus, a division of the Muridae family, which also includes mice. But, ‘‘Where do rats come from?’’ It is believed that rat species originated in Asia, although today they are distributed throughout almost the entire world (except for the polar regions).

In the past, rats were considered wild animals that made up part of the abundant fauna of fields and vegetation. However, with the growth and evolution of human settlements, these rodents have become abundant in cities as well. Additionally, rats are now considered great companion animals, like mice!

In total, there are more than 20 different types of rat species in the world. The most common rat types include:

Brown rat

Rattus norvegicus is also known as the common rat, sewer rat, Norwegian rat, Parisian rat and/or street rat. The brown rat is considered the most abundant rat species in urban environments and is characterized by its brown coat, short tail and small ears.

This species is known for being more aggressive than other rat types. In the wild, these rats prefer to live near slopes and rivers, and are also considered excellent swimmers.

Black rat

Rattus rattus, also referred to as a house rat, roof rat or ship rat, is very similar to a mouse but larger. The black rat is characterized by its black fur and distinctively long tail. This rat species prefers to live in elevated areas, such as roofs and attics.

Both of the above rat species are commonly adopted as pets and make up part of the list of types of domestic rats. For more about what these rats eat, keep reading below!

A rat’s preferred environment will depend largely on the species. Rats are nocturnal animals, so you may not actually see them often. You can find rats in the garden, in the house, and in many other places. A commonly asked question is, ‘‘Where do rats hide?’’ Again, this will depend on whether it is an urban or rural rat. Generally, rats hide in nests. If you’re dealing with a rat in the garden, you can assume that it is hiding in a burrow. Because rats have flexible skeletons, they are able to move into tiny spaces, including cracks in walls and holes. They may also use sheltered spaces near food and water, lining nests with materials such as leaves or scraps of fabric. Keeping these areas clear can make a garden or home less attractive as a nesting site.

Whether they are city rats or wild rats, all rat species follow an omnivorous diet, which means that they consume both plants and animals. In rural environments, rats generally eat fruits, leaves, plant stems, fungi, insects, grains, cereals, small mammals, fish, mollusks, eggs, snails and more. Do rats eat seeds? Yes, these are also part of their varied diet! What is available can change with the season, so rats often switch between different food sources rather than relying on just one.

In the wild, rats do not reject carrion and can even resort to cannibalism when desperate. This ability to adapt their eating habits is an incredibly important part of their survival in different environments, which is why they are also able to live in cities. So, what do city rats eat? City or sewer rats eat all kinds of waste found in drains, rubbish dumps and sewers.

Water intake is also extremely important for all rodents. Generally, rats set up their nests near an available water source. For this reason, rats may also drink poor-quality water that would be considered contaminated by human standards. Access to clean water is important for pet rats, even though wild rats may survive in less sanitary conditions.

What do rats eat in the garden?

Is your garden full of fruits, vegetables and delicious plants? This could be the reason for the presence of rats in your garden. Fallen fruit, seeds and accessible compost can also provide an easy food source, so clearing up leftovers may help discourage them.

For more, you may also be interested in our article where we list 10 rat diseases transferred to humans.

Now that you know what rats eat, let’s analyze how to feed a rat. When feeding your rat, you should consider:

• When offering your rat meat, it should be lightly cooked to avoid the presence of bacteria.
• All fruits offered to your rat must be washed; seeds and pits must be removed, and the fruit should be chopped well so that the rat can eat it without difficulty. If you want to offer your rat more fiber, you can leave the skin on after washing the fruit properly, but only offer a small piece.
• Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, can be offered washed and raw. Carrots should be peeled and chopped. Peas must also be peeled and, most importantly, completely thawed if originally frozen.
• Corn can be offered raw, but rice must be cooked.

The proportions of a rat’s diet should be based predominantly on seeds, fruits and vegetables. We suggest only offering your rat animal protein once or twice a week.

Because rats eat several times a day, we recommend leaving a seed mix in the cage for your rat to nibble on. If you leave fruit and vegetables exposed for too long, they can become contaminated. Offer small portions and remove uneaten fresh food before it spoils.

Most importantly, don’t forget the importance of changing your rat’s water regularly!

As mammals, baby rats first feed on their mother’s breast milk until approximately 21 days of age, at which point they begin to eat solid food. If you have found an orphaned baby rat and are wondering what to feed it, we suggest consulting a veterinarian who can offer you a special milk preparation appropriate for baby rats. You should never offer a baby rat cow's milk! As they begin weaning, solid food should be introduced gradually, and a veterinarian can advise on suitable portions for their age.

It’s very easy to confuse rats with mice, but although they are both part of the Muridae family, they are different species. The most common differences between rats and mice include:

• Rats can measure up to 30 centimeters in length, while mice only measure 15.
• Rats have long legs and small ears, while mice stand out for their large ears and tiny legs.
• A mouse’s whiskers are longer than a rat’s.
• Mice usually have a light coat combined with dark tones, such as gray, white and brown. A rat’s coat, however, is mainly black or brown, although they may have white spots (but this is not as common).
• Mice exhibit tamer behavior, while rats can have a more aggressive temperament, which can be manifested in squeals, ruffled hair and bites. Temperament varies between individuals, and both animals may become accustomed to gentle handling.

What do mice eat?

In the wild, mice follow a herbivorous diet and feed on fruits, leaves, stems, seeds, cereals, mushrooms and other plant foods. Over time, mice in cities and urban environments have become accustomed to ingesting a broad spectrum of human waste and can follow an omnivorous diet.

When it comes to feeding a domestic mouse, you can offer it commercial mouse feed, small amounts of clean and fresh fruit and vegetables (remove skin and seeds) and some pulses. Make sure your mice have access to clean and fresh water.

For more, we recommend reading our article where we discuss the differences between rats and mice.

Rats can generally eat cheese; however, because cheese is a very fatty food, we don’t recommend feeding your rat too much. Offering your rat a little cube of cheese as a treat now and then is alright, but this consumption needs to be controlled. Keep it occasional, rather than using cheese as a regular source of food.

If you want to read similar articles to What Do Rats Eat in The Wild? - Rat Diet, we recommend you visit our Healthy diets category.