Dream dictionary



Dream Symbol: Rat

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Dream meaning: Rat

RatAlthough in Western cultures the rat is usually considered a sign of poverty or illness. In Asian cultures it’s good sign, signifying fertility and wealth in Japan, or good luck in China. It may refer to a person who has recently treated you badly or who is untrustworthy.

Relatives Family issues or feelings. One relative can substitute for your entire extended family; for another relative with whom he or she was particulary close; or for some aspect of yourself, possibly an inherited one.

See also family

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45 Personal Dreams and Interpretations so far ↓

  • anita // Jan 4, 2015 at 6:02 am

    I had a dream, I was eating food and behold there was dead rat in the food. Do you have any idea what it means?

  • Rhodesia // Sep 26, 2014 at 12:13 pm

    I keep having this dream of gray rats jumping on me. They are chasing me they latch on. I have to pull them off. I’m scared. What does this mean?

  • Vinay // Aug 1, 2014 at 3:01 am

    last night I dreamed that in a place unknown to me I was chasing a white rat and suddenly another white rat died under my feet, the first rat on seeing the other rat dead started chasing me to bite I ran trying to escape and climbed a drum but the rat came and bit me.

  • mae // Jul 24, 2013 at 9:52 pm

    I had a dream that I was at work and I was talking to co worker and all of a sudden I see a big black rat who was dying and saw my boyfriend as the dying rat. I picked it up and placed it in a plastic bag to throw away but then as I was going to throw it out it got loose and tries to go over my feet but I jumped and then I woke up frightened. Please can someone share their opinion on what this means? I am currently having problems with neighbors and my boyfriend.

  • Mesmerized in Memphis // Apr 3, 2013 at 8:23 pm

    Last night I dreamed of a gray rat or mouse. The rat kept attempting to jump on me but, I caught it each time in my dream. Last week I found out that my husband of 20 years has been secretly taking out another woman to “LUNCH” frequently. From the research I did tonight it, the dream meant that I have caught the rat. Now the question is what should I do. Just like in the dream I caught the rat each time it jumped on me but, after catching it I had no idea what to do with it so I just continued to hold it. Each time I let it go it continued to jump on me and I caught it again. I held it but, had no idea how or what to do. All comments are welcomed.

  • Glady // Mar 9, 2013 at 4:25 pm

    I had a dream that there was this big grey and black rat in my uncle’s house and I was there with my grandfather. All of a sudden the rat came up to me and jumped on my head and I was trying to get it off my head. My grandfather started crying and refused to help me. The weird thing is that in real life I think rats are cute even though I think they are disgusting and my grandfather is not afraid of rats at all.

  • lyn // Jan 31, 2013 at 8:38 pm

    I dreamed that a big rat bit my hands while i was in bed and i was so shocked that i was not able to move nor wake my husband.

  • Catherine // Jan 25, 2013 at 1:41 pm

    I dreamed of a room of big rats catching and eating smaller rats.
    What does this dream mean?

  • Johanna // Oct 8, 2012 at 7:03 am

    I had a dream that a rat was in the house walking around eating food off the floor. I felt worried and upset that it was there so I got a gun and shot it. It was almost shot in two and I could see inside it. Then I turned around to see my little dog eating rat poison then I just woke up.

  • Monique // Jul 24, 2012 at 8:00 am

    I had a dream once my parents and I were in our living room and there was a black and white rat in my living room as well. It had the same markings as a puppy that I used to own and it kept trying to bite me. I jumped on the couch and for to try to get away from it and I leaned back on the left arm rest, when I did this, the rat ran to where I was leaning and it jumped up an bit me on the lower right side of my back. Any ideas what this could mean?

  • Lydia // Jun 25, 2012 at 9:25 am

    I had a dream that I was sleeping and a rat began to walk on my legs. I woke up but was soooo tired, that I couldn’t make myself move to get the rat off. Then more rats came and were crawling on my legs. I finally was able to gather enough strength to catch them whip their heads on a concrete pold to kill them. But they turned into kittens as I was killing them.

  • april // Jun 21, 2012 at 12:42 pm

    I had a dream I was at a friend’s house. She decided to play a trick on me – she hid six black rats under a basin on the toilet seat. They escaped. One was on the stairs. I jumped over it n it jumped on my back, but I wasn’t scared of it. What does this dream mean?

  • Ross // Mar 5, 2012 at 4:34 pm

    I was having a dream where I was on my bed in my room having a normal conversation with a work colleague and then realised that out of nowhere 2 grey rats appeared in my room; one was on the floor and the other jumped on my bed, I swerved with my doona to the side of the bed to avoid it as it ran along the length of my bed and then I awoke. What does this mean?

  • Holina // Feb 1, 2012 at 8:18 pm

    I had a dream that I was in a house with a man and a woman, and a fuzzy little bird flew in from a horrible ice winter storm outside. I picked up the little bird and I looked away and something bit me hard and would not let go of me. I looked at it and it was a tan and white rat. I threw it in a bag that ended up back outside.

  • Nina // Dec 15, 2011 at 10:01 am

    I dreamt of a brown rat coming up to me, I think I held it then it ran Off

  • Sara // Dec 6, 2011 at 1:28 am

    My mum was taking afternoon nap on the the living room sofa. She dreamed about a big rat entered into the house and the rat was eating the food in the kitchen. So my mum saw that and she took a stick and chased the rat out through the main door. Then she saw a few big rats that were sleeping outside the main door. What was the dream about ?

  • Annelyn // Nov 24, 2011 at 7:43 am

    Had a dream were there were a lot of big, grey rats running around. I got to my uncle’s car and saw another rat trying to get in the house by the window. They managed to get it out… What could this possibly mean?

  • Sophie // Nov 18, 2011 at 1:13 pm

    Please tell me the meaning of this dream:

    I had a dream that there were brown and grey rats running all over my bedroom. I noticed them in my bedroom and they seemed to be coming from my closet. In real life, I think rats are cute. However, I often associate “wild rats” with dirtiness and in my dream I worried that my house was very dirty and that I wouldn’t be able to get rid of the rats. Any thoughts on what this might mean? Another part of the dream was that I had a leaky ceiling (maybe that helps).

  • summer // Nov 7, 2011 at 8:23 am

    I had a dream that a big black bird killed a white and brown rat. Then some people shot the bird. It was a beautiful bird to me, though, and I was so unhappy that they killed it, I kept calling them murderers… Does anyone know what this means?

  • pascale // Oct 6, 2011 at 6:18 pm

    I had a dream that a rat was sitting on my neck. The rat wasn’t doing anything – just sitting there under my hair.

  • mike // May 12, 2011 at 3:06 am

    I dreamed that I killed more than three rats, but I do not know the meaning.

  • Tiffany // Mar 30, 2011 at 8:42 am

    I just woke up from my dream this morning, realizing I had dreamed about a rat that turned into a cat. I was at my aunt’s house and I had to use the bathroom, for an odd reason I didn’t turn the lights on. I then saw something black on the toilet-at first I thought it was fecal matter so I turned the light on to clean it up. I realized it was a rat that crawled off the toilet coming towards me. It was a sort of long and black-not fully mature yet. I was more worried than her to try and catch it-for I thought I would attract hantivirus. She kept picking it up and touching it like it was nothing. I then thought to use baking soda to kill it. I kept throwing the baking soda on the rat but it kept running away in the house. By the time I had caught it-it turned into my cat. This is where the dream shifts into a different location. Idk if the “cat” died. Can anyone help me with symbolism? I have to confess that I don’t like my cat very much at home-and my aunt has just recently not stuck to her word, this is beginning to upset me. Please help…stressing out.

  • ps // Mar 13, 2011 at 2:35 pm

    Dreamt about a white rat jumping on a green couch. Not my house, though. I pointed it out , like, “Shouldn’t you kill it? Whoever was in the dream was like, “Its OK.”

  • sarah // Mar 13, 2011 at 12:23 pm

    There was a big rat in my room and I didn’t know what to do, so I killed myself.

  • joanne // Feb 10, 2011 at 6:38 am

    I had a dream where a big black rat was sitting at my back door cleaning itself. It seemed relaxed and when I tried to show another person the rat had gone and in its place there was a cat licking its wounds. Any suggestions?

  • CC // Feb 1, 2011 at 4:36 pm

    Kaz…I had the same dream as yours last night. In my dream I’m petting its belly. Did you ever work out what it means?

  • Jennifer // Jan 31, 2011 at 5:27 pm

    In my dream, I saw a rat eating her babies. Any ideas what that might mean?

  • Aaron // Nov 23, 2010 at 9:01 am

    I was having a nice dream. I can’t remember what it was about, but I know it was pleasant. I remember sitting in the living room in a house, I might’ve been in before, with some friends and all of a sudden this huge rat the size of a person’s leg came out of nowhere and started running around. At first it seemed scared and lost then it turned its attention to me and started chasing and trying to climb on top of me. I fought it off and was able to get it out of the house. But that was the first time I had a dream like that. Any suggestions?

  • kaz // Nov 19, 2010 at 6:01 am

    I have arecurring dream of a large rat asleep on its back and looking very peaceful.

  • Brooke // Sep 21, 2010 at 6:54 am

    My dream was of a house I was going to buy that was listed for 600K but was dropped to 162K. But then I found out why. There was a section in the house that contained the water heater, or some place where you were supposed to put in salt to soften the water. In that same area was a huge wooden crate that opened and closed. A cat lived up there and kept going in and out of the crate. When I asked why the cat was up there, the Realtor told me it was to take care of the rat problem. As the wooden crate opened I saw a swarm of rats running around inside, and the cat jumped in. It was disgusting and gross. I was afraid they would jump out and chase me. There was also a canoe hanging from the ceiling in the same area. The weird thing too, was the person selling the house was Joanna, a former actual real life landlord (I rented her house for awhile). The kitchen was really neat too, it had two ovens. But I woke up disturbed about the rats, and am still thinking about it.

  • Brenda // Jul 6, 2010 at 9:13 am

    I had a dream that there was a man who had a woman trapped in his basement….I waited until he left and went inside to free her. After a time I figured out how to get her out, but when I did, it turned out to be a black and white rat. very odd. Any ideas?

  • J.P. // Mar 16, 2010 at 4:19 am

    In mine, I lived in a house different than my own. I never wanted to go to a certain part of the house because, it sounds silly, but Billy Crystal stand-up was being played over the radio at all times. I had to go to that area to do my laundry, and the laundry room was very dusty and I saw rats scurrying around on shelves. There were traps set, and I could hear the rats talking to each other in squeak talk, debating on whether they should try to get the food in the traps. One rat was like, “How about we just leave w/out getting any food?” And the other rat said “Not if I have anything to do about it.” They sounded like Alvin & The Chipmunks. LoL. Then a big mess of rats fell through the ceiling onto my head, and I woke up feeling very freaked out. I could still feel their little rat claws on my neck. Ughh. *shudder*

  • Louie // Feb 14, 2010 at 11:37 pm

    I had a dream that I was standing in a room watching a rat with what seemed to be two broken back legs crawl. I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off the rat and for some reason I was unable to focus my eyes to see exact detail.

  • diana // Feb 13, 2010 at 10:51 am

    Me and my mom had the same dream of a black mouse biting us and we try to get it off us and it won’t get of us. It was gripped on us. I was able to get it off me finally but my mom was not. She woke up. We have all had strange dreams that seem real.

  • Nicole // Dec 2, 2009 at 2:28 am

    I had a dream that I was at a party with friends late in the night, we where standing in the kitchen counting out money that was owed. A person appeared at the party with a great big brown rat which they said was a pet. I screamed and tried to run as I have always had a phobia of rats while everyone told me to calm down it was a pet. The rat then sratched my arm making me flee from the party. Can you tell me what this means? I am also pregnant at the moment and been having very vivid dreams!

  • edgar esco // Nov 26, 2009 at 10:46 am

    i recently had a dream that i was sitting in the living room and suddenly i turned my head and seen a gray rat crawling on the wall. my dog seen it and started chasing it into the backyard. can someone help me understand what this dream is about?

  • Mel // Nov 18, 2009 at 2:24 pm

    in my dream, I walk into a room and rats start falling from the ceiling. I am not sure if they are biting me or their claws are digging in. There is one rat the size of an average housecat that keeps facing the wall and hiding it’s face. It will peak out then turn away again like it can’t stand to watch. My husband said that I was whimpering in my sleep, as if I was crying. Just curious what this could mean.

  • prettylyn // Oct 20, 2009 at 7:21 pm

    just last night i dreamed about rats.. lots.. very huge rats,, i keep on screaming cause they’re passing through my fingers.. and i closed my eyes while they keep on running over my feet.. i cried because i felt very scared.. soo muchh! what does my dream telling about??

  • jewel // Sep 10, 2009 at 10:28 pm

    My cousin falls asleep in my living room, on a bed. She fell asleep with what is supposed to be my big, BIG pet Rat. Then the BIG WHITE RAT FALLS ON THE FLOOR and turns it’s back to me. I feel fear but my pet cat RUNS screaming away from the rat. I don’t run. This is not the first time I have had this dream. It’s always either one cousin or the other.

  • Fred // Aug 10, 2009 at 2:19 am

    I had the following dream:

    I was carrying a shotgun with 3 friends and we’re headed into a house that were full of big, black, wild rats. We were supposed to kill those rats when suddenly, lots of wild cats came out that killed off the rats. I managed to shoot and kill one rat though. What does it mean?

  • Suniji // Jun 7, 2009 at 9:33 pm

    I had one dream in two parts, both of which showed a huge rat in my presence. The rat was no ordinary rat for it was as large as big male housecat. In both dream sequences, I petted the rat on his large bowl-shaped head, having no fear of or threat by the rat.

    I certainly will appreciate if someone can aid in interpreting this dream.

  • Silvana // May 20, 2009 at 11:41 pm

    I dreamed that there were two mice – a white one and black one – and I had them as pets. Then I was taking them into my room to save them from my cats. Once I was inside the room they fell from my hand and so I started looking for the black mouse (just the black one) and my brother found it, picked it up and threw it against the wall and it died. I was extremely mad at my brother. I’ll really appreciate it if someone helps me finding the interpretation of it.

  • Abel // Feb 28, 2009 at 10:43 am

    There are a lot of toys (mostly dolls) in a dark house trying to kill some of my family members and me. The only way we could stop them is to flash a light at them – in our case a camera. But later we run out of film, and I wake up.

  • Amanda // Jan 10, 2009 at 8:33 pm

    I feel that they are positive dreams telling of something to come.
    1} (the lizards) I see it as you overcoming things that were overwelming and just deciding to do away with it.
    2} Your second dream seems to just be almost the same as the first. One significant problem(plump cat) and so many kittens refers to the different aspects of it. The dead mouse…the end of a situation. The weak looking dog could be you overcoming whatever has been going on in the other 2 dreams. The cat could also represent a specific person that may have been a negative issue. Good luck and I hope I have helped.

  • Rashmi // Jun 21, 2008 at 12:04 am

    Not sure what is the meaning of my dreams …
    I usually see just two dreams
    1) There are so many lizards in the house – a copule sitting on the couch and sitting beside them on the bed and now…i just clean up all the lizards with a vacuum cleaner and collect them in a sack, planning to throw them in river.
    2) One plump cat and so many kittens ….a dead mouse and and then a weak-looking dog peeing on the cat. lolz. It may sound funny but I’m not sure whether I should take it as positive dream or negative. Can anyone help?

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