Foods that are poisonous to rats include both human foods that are toxic to pet fancy rats and should never be fed, and commercial rodenticide poisons designed to kill wild rats. For pet rats, toxic foods include chocolate containing theobromine which can cause heart failure, caffeine from coffee and energy drinks, raw dried beans containing lectins, raw green potatoes and rhubarb containing solanine and oxalates, onions and garlic which can damage red blood cells, citrus fruits for male rats due to d-limonene causing kidney damage, alcohol, and foods high in sugar, salt, and fat in large amounts. Sticky foods like large globs of peanut butter can be a choking hazard. Avocado skin and pit are also considered harmful. For wild rats, the most poisonous substances are commercial rodenticides containing second-generation anticoagulants like brodifacoum and bromadiolone which cause fatal internal bleeding, cholecalciferol which causes calcium overdose and organ failure, zinc phosphide which releases phosphine gas, and bromethalin which causes brain swelling. These poisons are highly toxic to rats but also dangerous to pets, wildlife, and humans, so they must be used in tamper-resistant bait stations and ideally applied by licensed professionals following safety regulations. Never use homemade toxic mixtures in homes with children or pets.
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