Dreaming of a rat indicates that which is dirty and unclean. You may be feeling that you have done something dirty or foul. Rats can also indicate disease and death as they are prone to congregate in filthy areas and feed off dead animals. In this sense disease and death should be interpreted symbolically, rather than literally. There may be an aspect of your life that isn’t functioning properly and needs to “die” in order for you to transform. Alternatively, dreaming of a rat could indicate that you feel betrayed by someone in your life or by yourself – as in the phrase “you dirty rat.” Finally, dreaming of a rat could indicate that you feel stuck in your job or in your current situation – that you are working hard to get ahead. But no matter how hard you work, you never feel you get ahead – as in the “rat race.”