house rat
Unwanted home dweller
A house rat is someone who spends most of their time indoors, rarely venturing out socially or for activities: I've become such a house rat since I started working from home.
The term parallels "gym rat" or "mall rat"—someone who frequents a particular place—but applied to one's own home.
Less common than homebody, it carries a slightly self-deprecating tone.
Harmful small animals
- plagueDeadly epidemic disease
- swarmMass of moving insects
- invasionForcible entry into territory
- overrunSpread throughout uncontrollably
teeming · outbreak · contamination · droppings · gnawing · filth · harborage · breeding
Gnawing mammal order
- whiskersFacial sensory hairs
- tailRear animal appendage
- incisorsFront cutting teeth
- nocturnalActive during darkness
mammal · omnivore · scurry · foraging · burrowing · nibbling · squeak · furry
Rodent-spread respiratory pathogen
- leptospirosisBacterial illness from contaminated water
- salmonellaFoodborne bacterial illness
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
- hygienePractices maintaining cleanliness
contamination · parasites · fleas · mites · transmission · infection · droppings · urine
Barred confinement structure
- companionOne who keeps company
- tameMade gentle, manageable
- domesticatedBred under human care
- beddingMaterials covering a mattress
feeding · care · socialization · playful · friendly · gentle · training · handling
One who eradicates vermin
- trapDevice for catching animals
- poisonHarmful ingested substance
- baitLure for prey
- pesticideAgent destroying harmful organisms
repellent · fumigation · sanitation · prevention · exclusion · snap trap · glue trap · rodenticide
vermin
Harmful small animals
overrun · teeming · outbreak · contamination · droppings · gnawing · filth · harborage · breeding · proliferation
rodent
Gnawing mammal order
nocturnal · mammal · omnivore · scurry · foraging · burrowing · nibbling · squeak · furry · paws
hantavirus
Rodent-spread respiratory pathogen
- leptospirosisBacterial illness from contaminated water
- salmonellaFoodborne bacterial illness
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
hygiene · contamination · parasites · fleas · mites · transmission · infection · droppings · urine · bite
cage
Barred confinement structure
- companionOne who keeps company
- tameMade gentle, manageable
- domesticatedBred under human care
bedding · feeding · care · socialization · playful · friendly · gentle · training · handling · enrichment
exterminator
One who eradicates vermin
pesticide · repellent · fumigation · sanitation · prevention · exclusion · snap trap · glue trap · rodenticide · pest control
house ratpet rat
Kept rodent companion
fancy rat · pet mouse · guinea pig · laboratory rat · companion animal
house, rat, houses, housed, housing, housemate, household, housework, housekeeper