What pet rat owners ask Google most: 2026 data
Bruxlings by Ripleys Nest · data study · published 6 November 2026
We read 1,072 questions pet rat owners typed into Google, seen 24,162 times across the UK and US. Nearly two in three are about one thing: food.
The headlines
- Food is the big worry. 64% of question searches (15,376) were about what rats can eat.
- Raisins top the "can rats eat" list (262), ahead of guinea pig food (129) and hamster food (57): owners checking what's already in the cupboard. (RSPCA advice: avoid raisins.)
- Sight is the second-biggest topic. 3,431 question searches were about how well rats see, often whether they can see in the dark or see red light.
- UK owners ask about cages; US owners ask about food. Cage and setup questions were 1,818 in the UK against 159 in the US.
- On Etsy, rat owners shop for the cage. "Rat cage accessories" was searched 1,600 times in 30 days, with "rat hammock" at 706 and "rat enrichment" at 428.
What owners ask about
Times Google showed one of our rat guides for a question, UK and US together, July 2025 to November 2026.
"Can rats eat...?" The top 10
| Question | Searches seen | Short answer |
|---|---|---|
| Can rats eat raisins? | 262 | Best avoided: RSPCA advice lists grapes and raisins among foods not to give rats. |
| Can rats eat guinea pig food? | 129 | Not as their main food. It is made for a plant-only diet; rats do best on a complete rat food. |
| Can rats eat hamster food? | 57 | Not as their main food. Seed mixes let rats pick out the fatty bits and leave the rest. |
| Can rats eat pak choi? | 46 | Yes, a good leafy green, washed and in small amounts. |
| Can rats eat lettuce? | 33 | Romaine and other dark leaves, yes, in small amounts. Iceberg is mostly water. |
| Can rats eat weetabix? | 24 | A small piece of a plain one is fine as an occasional treat. |
| Can rats eat carrots? | 21 | Yes, washed and in small pieces. |
| Can rats eat squash? | 15 | Yes, washed, peeled and seeded, in small pieces. |
| Can rats eat romaine lettuce? | 15 | Yes, in small amounts with other greens. |
| Can rats eat rabbit food? | 14 | Not as their main food. Like guinea pig food, it is made for a plant-only diet. |
For anything not on the list, try the rat food checker, or read the full rat diet guide.
The 20 most-asked questions
| Question | UK | US |
|---|---|---|
| what to feed a rat | 51 | 8,138 |
| what do pet rats eat | 1,172 | 144 |
| can rats see in the dark | 458 | 629 |
| what do rats eat | 448 | 75 |
| what can rats eat | 411 | 11 |
| what to feed pet rats | 246 | 18 |
| how to set up a rat cage | 245 | 11 |
| what to put in a rat cage | 232 | 18 |
| what do rats need in their cage | 236 | 9 |
| do rats have good eyesight | 166 | 78 |
| can rats eat raisins | 98 | 91 |
| what to feed rats | 140 | 44 |
| how big does a rat cage need to be | 165 | 13 |
| can rats see red light | 168 | 6 |
| how big should a rat cage be | 145 | 26 |
| can rats see | 79 | 90 |
| what can rats eat daily | 154 | 3 |
| what do pet rats like to eat | 139 | 2 |
| what do rats see | 44 | 88 |
| what can pet rats eat | 116 | 12 |
What rat owners shop for on Etsy
Etsy searches in 30 days, read October to November 2026.
Where to go next
- New to rats: the first-time rat owner guide and your first 30 days.
- Food: rat food checker and rat diet guide.
- Reading your rats: rat body language.
- Making the cage fun: enrichment that keeps rats busy and the Bruxlings rat care hub.
Method
Google: every question-style search (starting with what, how, can, do, are, why and so on) for which Google showed one of our rat guides between 3 July 2025 and 2 November 2026, from Google Search Console for ripleysnest.co.uk, split by UK and US. "Searches seen" means impressions: how many times our page appeared for that exact search. It is a sample of what owners ask, not the size of the whole market. Topics come from words in each question.
Etsy: 30-day search counts from Etsy Marketplace Insights for 266 rat phrases, read October to November 2026.
This study uses search data only; no animals were involved. Short answers follow everyday welfare, vet and rescue advice for pet rats.