Sneezing when your pet rats are out to play, or a stuffy nose that starts on lab days? Rats shed a strong allergen in their urine, and it spreads further than the cage. Our test checks your blood for IgE to Rat n 1, the major rat allergen, as part of 300 allergens and allergen components, next to mouse, hamster and the other pets on the panel.
The major rat allergen is Rat n 1, a urinary protein from the lipocalin family. Male rats excrete it in large amounts in urine. It is also found in hair, dander and saliva. Once urine dries on bedding and cage floors, the protein rides on dust and gets into the air.
That is why cleaning the cage or changing bedding is the moment many people notice symptoms. Rats also mark with urine when handled, so hands and sleeves pick up allergen too.
Typical reports are sneezing, a runny or blocked nose and itchy, watery eyes around rats. Itchy welts on the arms after handling, or at a scratch or bite, are common too. People with asthma may notice cough, wheeze or a tight chest.
Rat and mouse allergy is a known occupational problem in research labs. A 2026 review puts it at roughly 4 to 30 in every 100 lab animal workers. Severe reactions are rare, but a bite in a highly sensitised person can cause one. Swelling of the face or throat, trouble breathing or feeling faint is an emergency. Call 112 (EU) or your local emergency number.
IgE to rat shows sensitisation. It does not predict whether you will react or how strongly. Some people with IgE to rat keep pet rats without problems.
If you have symptoms at work, speak to your occupational health service or a doctor. They can put your result next to your exposure and decide on next steps.
From your finger-prick sample, the lab measures IgE to one single rat protein as part of 300 allergens and allergen components. Mouse, hamster, guinea pig, rabbit, cat and dog are on the same panel, so you can compare animals in one report. Your report gives the value a class from Negative to Very high.
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One finger-prick sample checks IgE to 300 allergens and allergen components, from birch and peanut to cat and house dust mite. Post it to the lab, and about 5 days after it arrives you get a value for every one. Our plain-English guide shows you how to read them. €399 in total, €1.33 per allergen.
Yes. Rat urine, dander and saliva carry allergens, mainly Rat n 1. A blood test shows whether you have IgE to it. A doctor can tell you what that means alongside your symptoms.
Male rats excrete much more of the main urinary allergen, so they shed more of it. But female rats produce allergen too, and no rat is allergen-free. A result tells you whether you are sensitised, not which rat will suit you.
Not necessarily. The proteins are related, and people who work with both often show IgE to both. The panel reports rat and mouse separately, so you can see each one.
