# "Rats the size of cats" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 27, 2011, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-the-size-of-cats/607528 "2011-12-27T16:23:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-the-size-of-cats/607528/21 "2011-12-27T20:40:42Z")
> [@astro](#): > > With the tail extended[this one would be pretty large.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Th3RqUDKS4) > > [This one is also pretty sizeable.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcK3AGX4Aus&feature=related) The first one is a very big rat, but it’s maybe the size of a half-grown kitten. The head and body are only a couple of inches longer than the woman’s hand. The second does not seem extraordinarily large, and is nowhere near the size of even a small cat. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-the-size-of-cats/607528/22 "2011-12-27T21:59:24Z")
[Another good sized rat](http://www.mybodybuildingcoupons.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/rat.jpg) [Sizeable and dangerous!](http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/mans-life-1956-05-may-cover-by-wil-hulsey-8x6.jpg?w=304&h=400) ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-the-size-of-cats/607528/23 "2011-12-27T22:38:37Z")
A cat is really not all the large in most cases. A pet rat is little more than a hamster in size. But I have seen large rats in the really big city and in the news concerning the rat population in the really big city. Rats like to eat. I have also seen huge rats in the local county park where the food source would be nature plus picnickers plus trash cans tipped over. Trash cans are not an insignificant source of food. People throw pizza and home garbage in them. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-the-size-of-cats/607528/24 "2011-12-27T22:41:27Z")
I’ve seen really big rats in Boston. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-the-size-of-cats/607528/25 "2011-12-27T22:50:26Z")
> [@Al\_Bundy](#): > > A cat is really not all the large in most cases. A pet rat is little more than a hamster in size. But I have seen large rats in the really big city and in the news concerning the rat population in the really big city. Rats like to eat. I have also seen huge rats in the local county park where the food source would be nature plus picnickers plus trash cans tipped over. Trash cans are not an insignificant source of food. People throw pizza and home garbage in them. > [@ratatoskK](#): > > I’ve seen really big rats in Boston. Again, “I have seen big rats” doesn’t provide any substantive support for the allegation that wild _Rattus_ rats reach the size of cats. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-the-size-of-cats/607528/26 "2011-12-27T23:07:41Z")
My grandfather claims to have seen rats the size of cats during his service in Korea, sometimes crawling over him as he slept. I don’t know if these are actual rats, or some other rodent native to Korea. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-the-size-of-cats/607528/27 "2011-12-27T23:17:22Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > (And so help me, anyone who says “I don’t believe they exist” will be smacked with a poodle). Actually, an acquaintance of mine once encountered some unusually-sized rodents. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-the-size-of-cats/607528/28 "2011-12-27T23:26:48Z")
I’ve bought a bazillion fresh and frozen rats to feed my snakes over the last 30+ years. The last 20 or so years I always try to get the biggest available. Sometimes the place I get them from has extra larges. They are huge. Nowhere near as large as cats. The biggest were about as big as a really fat fox squirrel. If anyone would want to breed an extra large rat it would be the snake food breeders. I believe a lot of people that aren’t that familiar with the two species could mistake a possum for a rat. They turn up in a lot of the same places. Possums get as big or bigger than cats. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-the-size-of-cats/607528/29 "2011-12-28T00:09:13Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Again, “I have seen big rats” doesn’t provide any substantive support for the allegation that wild _Rattus_ rats reach the size of cats. _Rattus rattus_ and\* rattus norvegicus \*aren’t going to get as big as a cat. \*Rattus phantasticum \*is the giant species found in NYC. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-the-size-of-cats/607528/30 "2011-12-28T00:17:37Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Actually, an acquaintance of mine once encountered some unusually-sized rodents. All right, someone named **Inigo Montoya** probably gets a free pass on _Princess Bride_ quotes. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-the-size-of-cats/607528/31 "2011-12-28T00:24:08Z")
This thread intrigued me, so I went looking and found [this: > [@](#): > > Largest Rat Ever Caught: Most large urban rats weigh under a 3/4 of pound. Despite the ubiquitous “it was larger than a cat” description of city rats, few rats weigh much more than a pound. The largest dog-caught rat ever weighed (by Brian Plummer) was a monster that tipped the scales at 2.4 pounds. ]([Rats: About Rattus Invictus](http://www.terrierman.com/aboutrats.htm)) ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-the-size-of-cats/607528/32 "2011-12-28T00:27:46Z")
I have seen some big rats in DC. While not as big as cats, they still make a pretty deep thunk when hit with a beer bottle. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-the-size-of-cats/607528/33 "2011-12-28T00:38:08Z")
Depends on the cats. [http://www.google.com/search?q=smallest+cat+in+the+world&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=814&sei=MGT6TqSRMcmHgwe01sChAg](http://www.google.com/search?q=smallest+cat+in+the+world&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=814&sei=MGT6TqSRMcmHgwe01sChAg) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-the-size-of-cats/607528/34 "2011-12-28T01:18:49Z")
> [@astro](#): > > [Another good sized rat](http://www.mybodybuildingcoupons.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/rat.jpg) Given that that’s from an article on a [body building site](http://www.mybodybuildingcoupons.com/giant-rat-protein-powder/) that claims the rate got that size by eating protein supplements, I’m betting it’s a hoax. > [@davidm](#): > > Depends on the cats. > > [smallest cat in the world - Google Search](http://www.google.com/search?q=smallest+cat+in+the+world&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=814&sei=MGT6TqSRMcmHgwe01sChAg) Most of those are either kittens or photoshopped, or in one case a lizard. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-the-size-of-cats/607528/35 "2011-12-28T01:25:31Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > Unlike dogs, they also have the advantage that even “giant” rats are too small to trip the mine, and they don’t bond to particular handlers - they’ll work with anyone who has food. Dogs and mines have also historically gone the [other way](http://images.google.com/search?q=giant+rats+mines&tbm=isch&hl=en&imgsz=&imgar=&imgtype=&imgsrc=&imgc=&imgcc=&cr=&safe=images&biw=1024&bih=619&sei=Xvj5TtyQDoHP4QSwksyNCA#hl=en&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=fG76TtLeNY7MtgfH__TRBg&ved=0CD0QBSgA&q=dog+anti+tank+mines&spell=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=f1d6eb17b39ed22a&biw=1613&bih=880). ---
**Author:** ![YoDoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e68b1a/32.png) [@YoDoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YoDoc)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-the-size-of-cats/607528/36 "2011-12-28T01:26:52Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Actually, an acquaintance of mine once encountered some unusually-sized rodents. You don’t say? I thought there was no such thing! ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-the-size-of-cats/607528/37 "2011-12-28T02:29:22Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Given that that’s from an article on a [body building site](http://www.mybodybuildingcoupons.com/giant-rat-protein-powder/) that claims the rate got that size by eating protein supplements, I’m betting it’s a hoax. > > Most of those are either kittens or photoshopped, or in one case a lizard. You never heard of a lizard cat? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-the-size-of-cats/607528/38 "2011-12-28T03:25:39Z")
> [@YoDoc](#): > > You don’t say? I thought there was no such thing! Now where did I put that poodle…? ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-the-size-of-cats/607528/39 "2011-12-28T03:41:13Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > It’s possible that you had rodents of this size, but as Tamerlane says if they were as big as cats they were not Rattus norvegicus or Rattus rattus. However, I am not aware of any species in India that would qualify. I am no expert in this. But these rats were exception.My dad had seen one scaring a cat on one occasion.( cats were no big sized either) Most were regular sized ones, typical to tapioca farms. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-the-size-of-cats/607528/40 "2011-12-28T09:40:12Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > They sniff them out and indicate them. They have very acute senses of smell and are trainable. Unlike dogs, they also have the advantage that even “giant” rats are too small to trip the mine, and they don’t bond to particular handlers - they’ll work with anyone who has food. A friend’s friend is landmine detection expert and he would rather work with rats than with dogs, I’m told. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-the-size-of-cats/607528.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-the-size-of-cats/607528.md?page=3)