What Is A Rat’s Natural Diet?

Rats can eat a lot of different things. What rats, mice, and squirrels eat, as examples, are not all the same. Every rodent is unique and will have a diet that reflects their own needs and locations. Even so, there is a lot of overlap between rodents. For the most part, they will eat just about anything, though they tend to prefer foods that are easy to get and readily available. Since rodents will oftentimes live near humans, they will eat what humans do, too. It is common to see rodents eating human food or the foods that humans throw away, alongside foods they may find around them.



Their Habitat
Where the rodent lives determines a lot about what it eats. A rodent that lives in the wild, like mice, may eat more grains, seeds, berries, and other foods it can find lying around. Rats living near urban environments, like rats and squirrels, will eat far more. A rat will eat nearly anything. Human food like pizza and pretzels, or the fruits and vegetables it can find lying around, make great meals for it. It will pick up anything edible, a main reason they tend to stick around humans.

Eating human food may not seem like a natural part of a diet, but rats have coexisted with humans for ages. They have survived by eating what humans eat – and that is natural to them. Other rodents that stick around humans, like squirrels, will eat human food less often, but may do so. Generally, they prefer nuts, seeds, berries, and other foods around them.

Every Rat is Different
It is important to note that every rodent is different. When thinking about rodents like rats, you can assume they will eat nearly anything, including meat. Other rodents may not eat almost everything, like rats, but may still have a varied diet. Seeds, nuts, fruits, and vegetables do make up a large portion of most rodents’ diets in the wild. Meat is a small part of their diet, but they do eat that, too, from time to time. Those in urban settings will also eat garbage and scraps, whatever they find. This is true of most rodent types. A rodent’s natural diet depends on its habitat and the type of rodent it is. For the most part, they eat whatever they can find and get. They are great survivalists because they can eat so much, especially when in urban environments.

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