Can Rats Open Doors?

One common question in animal behaviour is: can rats open doors? In one study, the rats were conditioned to open restrainer doors to reach food or a cagemate. The rats’ door opening latency was significantly longer than in the empty condition, and the researchers hypothesized that the conditioned response was a form of empathic motivation.

To answer the question “can rats open doors?” we must first understand how they fit through such a small space. Rats have a spring-like body and are very agile. They are able to lift up to 100 grams of food or more. Furthermore, they are able to leap up to two feet and jump four feet across. This is all thanks to their hind legs, which act like springs.