Dreaming of Rats: What is the Meaning, and What to do About it
Do you wake up in a sweat after dreams of beady eyes and twitching whiskers? In an otherwise pleasant dream does a rat scurry by and ruin your rest?
Look out, because that dream isn’t without meaning.
Most people don’t really pay attention to their dreams, but that’s a huge mistake. Dreams do have meaning, we dream for a reason.
In fact understanding the meaning of dreams has gotten the attention of huge, respected universities recently. Such as Harvard University, where a student is working on a start-up to help people better understand their dreams.
Sometimes we, as modern humans can be out of tune with our own natural instincts and dreams, are a way for our subconscious to send us messages.
Yet these messages aren’t always clear, so what are instincts saying when our nights are filled with visions of these pesky visitors?
When we think of rats we think of pests or plagues, and those of us who ask about dreams might try to think of metaphors and meanings.
Are rats a sign of something nibbling away at my savings? Is this a sign to act before disaster strikes?
There can be a dizzying number of answers to questions about our dreams so let’s walk through the many meanings of rats, and how to attract what we want to dream of instead.
Rats and Humans have a relationship spanning eons, wherever humans have gone rats have gone with us. It’s important to understand this as we look to find the deeper meaning our subconscious is trying to point us towards.
What Do Rats Symbolize in Our Dreams?
Rats have a nasty reputation that your dream is using to tell you that something is afoot. When you see a rat nibbling away at your house, it means deceit is in your midst. The old saying ‘I smell a rat’ holds true here.
The rat visiting you at night isn’t just a pest, but likely someone you have a relationship with. More than likely, there’s a financial aspect to this relationship too.
Could it be your co-worker taking the credit for your accomplishments, or a romantic interest who might be hiding something?
Look at the clues your rat is leaving you to determine who it is you’re dreaming of. A rat in your house is someone close to home, this pest nibbling at food in your kitchen might mean someone is mooching off of you.
But how about seeing them in the bedroom? This could be a sign that this most private space has been invaded, or that your lover is hiding a deceitful hidden side of themselves.
Can Rat-Dreams Have a Positive Meaning?
What if you have the feeling that the whiskered visitor to your nightly dreams isn’t a bad omen at all? While it’s true that the world over rats are known for nibbling our food and spreading diseases, any rat owner will tell you that rats aren’t all bad.
In Chinese culture, the first symbol of the zodiac is a rat and embodies traits such as creativity and intelligence.
So what does it mean then if your instincts are telling you this doesn’t smell like a rat at all? It could be a sign you need to take on some rat-like qualities yourself!
Rats are clever and can take advantage of any situation, maybe this is a sign to look for new doors in unexpected places.
Have you ever heard of the term ‘pack-rat’? Well it’s not just a turn of phrase, being able to take advantage of any situation means rats can make a home just about anywhere and will store up food for rainy days to come.
Take a look at your life and see if you can borrow some of the rats’ ingenuity and resourcefulness in your life.
What is the Meaning of Dreaming about Dead Rats?
Surprisingly seeing a dead rat in your dream is nearly as common as seeing these rodents scurrying around.
So what is it about seeing them after they’ve stopped moving that is so frightening?
For many, seeing the departed rat is a sign of something even bigger stalking the shadow, or maybe poison is hidden somewhere and this rodent is just the canary in a coal mine.
One thing is for certain, dreaming about a dead rat can be scarier than a live one, so let’s take a look together at what this chilling omen could mean.
A dream about a dead rat could mean that you’re feeling overwhelmed or afraid and not just because of your dreams waking you up at night. Perhaps that even after you’ve ended the toxic relationship evidence still lingers around you.
Or a disaster has struck and while you survived the fall out you feel that all around you is a mess to clean up.
After a tsunami it can take years to undo the damage and dead rats as just at the surface of this mess.
One thing is certain, seeing a dead rat means it’s time to figure out where you need to declutter yourself. This is a sign you’ve got housekeeping to do to figure out what toxic elements are lingering in your life.
Maybe whatever deceit or pests crept into your life are gone now, but that doesn’t mean the mess they left behind is. Your instincts are telling you there’s still some things left unfinished.
Different Rats, Different Meanings
Not all rat dreams are created equal. Here are some popluar rat-dreams i’ve gotten to my email by readers, and i’ll write a quick interpretation of each one below. If you have a unique rat-dream, please comment below so I can add the meaning in this post.
Dream of rats running?
If you’re dreaming of rats running around, whether its towards you or from you, it means that you’re dealing with some issue in your life that really bother you and is hard to get rid of. Try to think: what is it? is it a toxic relationship? money problems? health issues? Once you understand what the issue is, you will be able to stop these dreams.
Are You Dreaming of killing rats?

Dreaming of rats biting you
That means that the problems in your life are weighing heavy on you. They are taking a toll on you. Whether its mentally or physically, you must do something about them.
I remember dreaming of rats biting me when I had a lot of financial debt and didn’t know what to do. The dreams stopped once I was able to get a loan from a family member and finally pay them off. Look into the major issues in your life, get them out of the way. Be proactive about tackling those issues, don’t just let them be because they might get worse.
Dreaming of white rats
White rats symbolize luck, happiness, and wealth! So if you’re dreaming of white rats, consider yourself lucky. These are the best rats to dream of and you should not worry. The dreams mean that something good is about to happen in your life!
How To Deal With Rat and Mice Dreams
For centuries humans and rats have lived side by side in the waking world and in our dreams.
When we’re awake and see a rat in our way we call the professionals to keep them out of our homes.
But how do we get rid of rats when we’re dreaming?
The first step is to reflect and acknowledge what your dream is trying to tell you.
Take a minute to review what is going on around you and where you think these rats might be taking inspiration in the waking world.
Once you’ve found the source, it’s time to get to the bottom of this. Find out why your gut tells you someone close is being deceitful, or if your job feels like a rat maze find out why.
Once you know where this feeling is coming from and you’ve found your plan of attack the last step is the most important.
It’s time to manifest some positive into your life.
Manifestation is a powerful tool, without understanding attraction and manifestation you can inadvertently be leaving gaps for these pests to come into your life. But with a new understanding, you can go out and make sure the next visitor to your dreams is an omen of good things to come.
Wrapping it Up
Dreams do have meaning, and ignoring your dreams can be dangerous.
Rat-related dreams are not always a symbol of a bad thing. Sometimes they can reflect on your current situation, and sometimes they might be random. Regardless, you should try to look into it and see what causes them.
Whether you’re dreaming of rats running around, biting you, or even rats and snakes t, don’t freak out.
First, analyze the dream and write it down, try to remember exactly what you dreamed about.
Second, read the post and find out what the specific dream means and what it could relate to in your life.
Third, act upon it, whether its an issue you’re dealing with or a good dream.
If you need my help – comment below and I would love to help out.
Last, if you can share this post via social media so more people can enjoy the information, I will appreciate it!