Feet

The front feet

Rats have four feet, but 18 toes and claws. The back feet have five toes, spread out with the central toes being longer than the outer ones. They are sometimes unkindly referred to as being like chicken feet. The front feet are more like hands than feet, having four fingers with an un-clawed 'nubbin' where the thumb would be. They are very dextrous and handle small food items easily. It's often said by rat owners that if they only had opposable thumbs, they'd rule the world.

Underneath the back foot The feet are unfurred on the lower side, with pronounced bumps which help the rat to grip and climb surfaces which would otherwise be too slippery. Nails may need clipping occasionally to keep them from over-growing, or prevent scratches on the rat's owner.

An occasional problem is bumblefoot, which affects the underside and ankle area most frequently. Other problems include breaks, sprains, pulled nails and bitten toes.

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