Home » Why Are People Scared of Rats? [Musophobia]
should I be scared of rats?

Why Are People Scared of Rats? [Musophobia]

Last Updated on: 23rd November 2022, 08:31 am

The extreme and irrational fear of rats is known as musophobia.

While most people have a rational fear of rodents based on the health and safety risks that rats carry, individuals with musophobia experience extreme fear and anxiety.

This is true even when there’s little or no threat. Although musophobia isn’t as well-known as other phobias, it’s believed to affect hundreds of tens of thousands worldwide.

Most phobias are undiagnosed, particularly if they relate to specific objects, activities, and situations. Since most of us aren’t aware of the types of phobias that exist, we may not realize they have one.

Moreover, the fact that rats evoke disgust in people means that most individuals who experience irrational and extreme thoughts, feelings, and behaviors around rats may not be aware that they have musophobia. Instead, they may believe that most people feel the way they do.

Consequently, most people exhibiting such irrational fears don’t receive a diagnosis. It’s difficult to establish exactly how many people have this condition.

Should I Be Scared of Rats?

Fears are often based on real dangers, but the disproportionate reactions they induce are the problem. Some of these fears include the following:

Fear of Infestation

It’s argued that most people with musophobia fear having their homes infested with rats.

This concern isn’t unfounded. Infestations can happen to anyone, even those with the cleanest or newest homes, and a rat population can grow exponentially.

You may only see one or two rats when far more are nesting in unseen places.

Moreover, rats reproduce at a fast pace when the conditions are favorable. According to PLoS One, Norway rats can produce up to 79 offspring per year for every female.

Seeing one rat and becoming concerned about a full-blown infestation is a reasonable concern.

However, experiencing a serious, life-disrupting reaction to the thought makes this normal concern a damaging phobia. Even if an infestation is present, there are ways to eradicate it in short order.

are rats harder to get rid of than mice?

Fear of Contamination

It’s normal to dislike being near a rat or living in a space a rat has visited. Rats carry diseases and parasites, which can transmit illnesses to humans and other animals via physical contact or, in some cases, airborne contamination.

According to Clinical Microbiology Review, rats are mostly asymptomatic carriers, meaning they don’t suffer from the illnesses themselves or manifest any signs.

This allows the rats to pick up additional pathogens or store them inside their body, making a single rat into a host of unpleasant, harmful, or deadly contaminants.

Catching a disease is unlikely if you take the right precautions, such as disinfecting surfaces the rat has touched, not handling rats, and wearing face protection if you locate a nest.

Due to advancements in medicine, even most ailments caught from a rat are treatable.

Fear of Being Bitten or Scratched

People experiencing musophobia may be terrified by the thought (or by the perceived certainty) that a rat will attack them. Some are more terrified of the higher chances of disease being transmitted to them through an open wound. Others are directly concerned about the bites and scratches themselves.

Rats have sharp teeth and claws, and their bite force is enough to bite through materials like concrete or metal. Despite that, this is one of the less reasonable fears because rat attacks are virtually nonexistent.

Rats are fearful scavengers that like to keep to themselves, move out of sight, and avoid predators (or larger animals, like humans) at all costs. A rat will not attack you unless you try to pick it up or touch it, leaving it no choice but to try and defend itself. It’ll always choose to run or hide if given a chance.

The bite or scratch may not even draw blood; if it does, it can be easily treated. This small injury won’t be any worse than a cat scratch. Even when cornered, rats are unlikely to bite with full force.

What Triggers The Fear Of Rats?

The fear of rats can be triggered by many factors, depending on how the phobia initially started, how extreme it is, and an individual’s current mental state. The most common triggers for musophobia include:

  • Real-life encounters with rats or mice.
  • Thinking about rats or mice.
  • Hearing sounds that rats and mice usually produce, such as squeaking or scratching.
  • Listening to negative second-hand experiences involving rats.
  • Watching portrayals of rats and mice on TV or looking at pictures of them.
  • Seeing an object that looks like a rat or mouse.

Fear of Rats Symptoms

Musophobia symptoms differ significantly. This is based on the severity of the individual’s phobia, their triggers, the current state of mental health, and coping mechanisms.

Some people experience mild symptoms that they can manage, while others experience more extreme symptoms that are far harder to cope with.

Remember that your symptoms may also vary based on the perceived threat and how close you are to it. For instance, most people experience highly pronounced symptoms if they cross paths with a rat inside their home, and the reaction may be less if they see a rat in a picture.

Likewise, some people only experience symptoms when they encounter a rat or mouse in real life. Others may experience intense anxiety and fear even in the absence of the rats. Here are common physiological symptoms you may experience with musophobia:

  • Heart palpitations or increased heart rate
  • Difficulty breathing or rapid breathing
  • Light-headedness
  • A feeling of tightening in the chest
  • Stomach upset is often accompanied by nausea and vomiting
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Body tremors or trembling
  • Sweating accompanied by chills
  • Inability to sleep (insomnia)
  • Freeze response or feeling unable to move
  • Loss of appetite

In addition to these symptoms, musophobia may be characterized by psychological symptoms such as:

  • Overwhelming anxiety
  • Immediate and intense fear or panic
  • A sense of impending doom
  • A sudden fear of death or dying
  • Difficulty functioning normally when triggered
  • Disorientation or confusion

How To Overcome Fear of Rats

Musophobia might seem irrational and trivial for people who don’t experience or understand it. However, it’s a very real phobia that has very real effects on a person.

The extent of the reaction may be extreme, and the root fears may be irrational in the sense that they move beyond realistic concerns, but that doesn’t mean they’re unimportant or easy to discard.

Individuals affected by a phobia of rats often have difficulty living normally. Whether it’s due to the physiological effects or the mental strain, musophobia can be highly disruptive to a person’s mental health and daily routine.

Most attempt to deal with their fear by avoiding environments and situations where they’re likely to encounter or be reminded of rats.

While it’s a sensible approach, it’s rarely a practical, long-term solution. Whether real-life encounters, pop culture references, or second-hand exposure, rats can’t be eradicated from most people’s lives.

Addressing the phobia can help you address the triggers and, by extension, alleviate the very real symptoms you may experience. Fortunately, there are coping strategies that you can employ to manage your phobia more successfully. These include:

Educate Yourself On Rats

People often develop musophobia due to long-held beliefs and misconceptions about rats. Granted, these beliefs often stem from negative experiences in the past and the associations they developed.

Likewise, some are built off of core truth, such as that rats carry disease. However, these truths are often overblown, with myths saying that contact with a wild rat will guarantee illness. 

Therefore, an effective way to cope with your fear of rats is to learn about them. Doing so will help you understand that these small creatures pose a very low threat to humans.

are rats harder to catch than mice?

Understand Your Phobia

Phobias are often difficult to cope with because they trigger a primal sense of danger, pushing us into survival mode. In this state, it can be difficult to think clearly, leading to reacting in ways that are disproportionate to the perceived threat.

Taking the time to study yourself and understand where your phobia stems from is helpful. Realizing what your triggers are can help you think more rationally when you are triggered.

This, in turn, will help you regulate your emotions and have more control over your reactions.

Practice Taking Rational Steps

Reasonably safeguarding your home against rats (be they one or many) is a good way of balancing the irrationality of musophobia with sensible precautions.

You don’t need to avoid any thoughts of rats at all times, but you can also take steps to ensure your home doesn’t develop a rodent problem.

This will allow you to take actionable steps to process your fears and help you practice measured rational responses. For example, instead of compulsively spraying poison around your home or even leaving home altogether, you can:

  • Seal off potential entry points, such as cracks on your walls and flooring.
  • Keep your attics, basements, and sheds clean, dry, and well-ventilated.
  • Dispose of your trash properly.
  • Store your food in rat-proof containers.
  • Maintain your yard by trimming grass and pruning overgrown trees.
  • Consider getting a pet that wards off rats, such as a cat or ferret.

Avoid Catastrophizing

When you have an extreme fear of rats, even the mere thought of an encounter may cause crippling panic and anxiety. However, entertaining these negative thoughts only serves to worsen your symptoms.

Instead of obsessing over negative scenarios, remind yourself that rats don’t pose any true threat to you, and you’re safe. If you experience physiological symptoms, reassure yourself that your fear is irrational and will pass soon.

In tandem, it may help to allow yourself to process the worst-case scenario for a measured amount of time. For 10 minutes, think about the worst thing that could happen.

Then, remind yourself of the solutions available to you. Focus on these resolutions and how they can help soothe your base fear.

For example, you may be terrified of an infestation, so remembering that pest control services can help will ensure the fear doesn’t spiral into infinity.

You may even be comforted by researching local options to help understand that, should the worst come to pass, you’re in control and can make the problem disappear.