Rat
A rat stands for wealth and diligence, and at the same time for what quietly leaks away. A rat carrying grain, or a white rat, is a good omen of money gathering; something gnawed by rats warns you to check where your money — or your trust — is draining. A bite means a small loss showing itself first, and catching the rat means finding the leak and closing it. More than one appearing was taken to mean there are that many places to check.
Rats in the granary once meant there was grain to begin with, so the dream was never read as purely bad — but gnawing was read as a clear warning. The rat's color and what it is doing decide the branch.
Readings by Situation
Seeing a white rat
The most auspicious of rat dreams. Read as unexpected money or the help of a benefactor, and as a season when long preparation bears fruit. A white rat entering the house is better still.
A rat carrying grain or goods
Read as money gathering. But a rat carrying things out of the house means the opposite — money leaking — so the direction of travel is what matters.
A rat gnawing at something
A signal to look at leaking expenses or someone slowly eating into what is yours. A good time to review subscriptions and dues that escape notice; tradition put it as minding the granary.
Being bitten by a rat, or catching one
A bite means a small loss or gossip, but is not read as badly ominous. Catching the rat means stopping the leak, and is read as fortunate.
Rat dreams read as a picture of money coming and going. If you are actually worried about your finances, your spending record deserves a look before the dream does.