What Is Rat Cheese? The Cheddar Nickname Explained

So, what is rat cheese? It is an informal American name for inexpensive cheese, especially domestic or American cheddar. Also called “store cheese,” the nickname is presumed to mean cheese considered suitable only for rat traps, not cheese made from rats.

The term dates to 1935-40. “Rat cheese” can also refer to everyday cheddar in older writing, while Calef’s Rat Trap Cheddar is a separate named product: a creamy, slightly sharp cheddar sold by Calef’s Country Store.

What Is Rat Cheese?

Dictionaries also list “store cheese” as a synonym.

In ordinary use, the nickname describes a kind of low-cost cheddar rather than a separate cheese variety with its own recipe or production method. Vocabulary.com places the term among American cheese, American cheddar, cheddar, and cheddar cheese. That classification helps explain why “rat cheese” can refer broadly to familiar domestic cheddar rather than a particular brand.

Rather than describing cheese made from rats, the phrase refers to cheese judged inexpensive enough for a rat trap. Nor does the term, by itself, mean that the cheese was produced as food for rats. PetMD similarly describes the name as an informal term for cheddar and connects the nickname with domestic cheddar considered suitable only for rat traps.

Usage can emphasize slightly different parts of the same meaning. Dictionary.com foregrounds inexpensive cheese, especially domestic cheddar, while Vocabulary.com identifies it more directly with American cheddar. Both descriptions point to an informal American nickname associated with everyday, lower-cost cheddar.

Taken together, “rat cheese” means inexpensive domestic or American cheddar, often called store cheese. Its rat-related wording is a nickname, not a statement about the cheese’s ingredients or its intended consumer. As a result, someone encountering the term should read it as a casual label for cheddar rather than a literal description of cheese made from rats or cheese specifically intended for them.

Why Is It Called Rat Cheese?

Because the phrase evokes a rattrap, the nickname is presumed to have grown from a judgment about cheese considered cheap enough for that use. A dictionary’s explanation says the cheese was deemed suitable only for rattraps.

That wording matters because it frames the name as an assumption about value rather than a literal account of what cheese is. Instead, the label points to inexpensive domestic cheddar, the kind of cheese the expression treats as too ordinary or low-priced for a more valued use. Nothing in the nickname says that rats produced the cheese, that rat meat is involved, or that the cheese was necessarily intended as food for rats.

Presumably signals that the origin is an explanation rather than a documented account of a single person coining the term. Still, the rattrap image gives the phrase its force: it contrasts modest store-bought cheddar with cheese that might be treated as more special.

Vocabulary.com also lists “store cheese” as a synonym, reinforcing the connection between the nickname and an everyday retail cheese category. Cheddar supplies the relevant backdrop, since it is a hard, smooth-textured cheese originally made in Cheddar in southwestern England, yet that broader cheese definition does not turn every cheddar into rat cheese.

Context therefore matters when rat-related cheese language appears on a package or menu. A formal product name can use rat imagery for its own branding while the informal expression retains its separate meaning about inexpensive cheddar. Readers should not assume that every cheese bearing a rat-related name carries the old nickname, any more than the nickname identifies a particular maker, age, price, or cheese wheel.

Viewed in its usual sense, the term is a casual American label for cheese regarded as suitable for a rattrap. Its point is the cheese’s low value, not its ingredients or intended consumer: the phrase invokes rattrap suitability for inexpensive domestic cheddar in American usage rather than offering a literal description.

Rat Cheese, Store Cheese, and Cheddar

Store cheese and rat cheese are synonymous informal labels in the available dictionary material, both tied to cheddar in American usage. The dictionary descriptions use different wording for rat cheese. Both descriptions connect the nickname to cheddar, though they use different terms for the cheddar named.

Dictionary.com’s definition places the emphasis on price and on domestic cheddar. Its wording dates the Americanism to 1935-40. Vocabulary.com places the emphasis slightly differently, defining the expression as an informal name for American cheddar and giving “store cheese” as a synonym.

Consequently, the difference is one of wording and emphasis, not evidence that rat cheese and store cheese name separate cheddar types. Together, the entries point to the same general cheese context rather than to competing cheese categories.

Neither definition presents store cheese as a distinct cheese species or a separate recipe. Instead, “store cheese” functions as another name associated with rat cheese, while cheddar remains the cheese category named by the definitions. Because one entry says domestic cheddar and the other says American cheddar, the terms should be read as overlapping descriptions with different emphasis: low-cost domestic cheddar in one account and American cheddar in the other. No generic price, texture standard, aging requirement, or fixed production method is supplied for rat cheese or store cheese.

For practical reading, “rat cheese” signals an informal description, “store cheese” signals a listed synonym, and cheddar supplies the central cheese reference. Calef’s Rat Trap Cheddar, by contrast, is a named product rather than a dictionary synonym; its product page calls it creamy, a bit sharp, and the store’s best seller.

That distinction keeps a generic nickname separate from a particular cheddar sold under a rat-related product name. As a result, a reference to rat cheese or store cheese does not by itself identify a maker, a wheel, or a specific retail product. Accordingly, neither phrase alone specifies a price, texture, aging practice, maker, or particular cheddar product under these definitions in American usage.

Rat Cheese vs. Rat Trap Cheddar

Rat Trap Cheddar is a particular product. Product details describe Calef’s offering, not a definition for the generic expression.

Beyond that, rat Trap identifies neither the whole category nor every cheese with a rat-related name. Rather, it is a named cheddar within one store’s lineup, so the product description cannot serve as a universal definition of rat cheese. That distinction matters because the generic term does not establish a producer, aging period, texture, price, or fixed recipe.

One Nickname, One Store Product

Within Calef’s own sharpness scale, Rat Trap falls after Extra Sharp and before Super Sharp. Its cheese is cut from hand-packed 40 lb wheels and was listed at $15.99 per pound on a product page dated June 12, 2023, as of September 2026. Elsewhere on the scale, Calef’s lists Sharp as its mildest offering and 6 Year Vintage as its sharpest, with several cheddar styles between them.

Comparison Point	Rat Cheese	Calef’s Rat Trap Cheddar	Cheese for a Pet Rat
Role	Informal name for inexpensive domestic or American cheddar	A specific cheddar product	An occasional treat, not a main diet
Identification	Does not name a maker or fixed recipe	Sold by Calef’s Country Store	Requires feeding choices based on a rat’s diet
Details provided	No generic price or aging standard	Creamy, a bit sharp, from hand-packed 40 lb wheels	Hard cheese is recommended over soft cheese

For a pet rat, cheese has a separate meaning altogether: it may be an occasional treat, not a name for a cheddar category or a branded product. Hard cheese is recommended over soft cheese, which can get stuck in teeth, contribute to plaque buildup and dental issues, and pose a choking hazard. Blue cheese should never be fed to rats because of Penicillium mold and potentially harmful mycotoxins. Treats and other supplementary nutrition should account for only 10% to 20% of a rat’s diet, with 80% to 90% consisting of species-appropriate rodent pellets or blocks.

Serving cheese to a pet rat calls for no more than one kind per day, ideally no more than once daily, with 1 gram, or 1/4 teaspoon, of cheddar as the recommended portion. Many rats will eat cheese, but they do not necessarily prefer it and may choose bananas, cookies, or standard rat pellets when given a choice.

Names involving rats therefore require context: a dictionary nickname, a Calef’s product, and a pet treat describe three different things. Veterinarians should be consulted about diet and nutrition, especially for rats with medical conditions.

When I need the meaning of the phrase, I would follow the generic definition rather than let Calef’s product name decide it. The labels serve different jobs. That distinction also prevents a bad price comparison. The listed $15.99 per pound describes Rat Trap, not what the nickname means or what cheddar using related language should cost.

How to Read Rat-Related Cheese Names

Names involving rats can be sorted by asking whether the words define a general term, identify a specific product, or belong to a seller’s brand. Begin with the wording itself, then check what the description says the cheese is and who uses that wording.

Start with the label, because a plain phrase and a capitalized product name serve different jobs.

1. First, look for a dictionary-style definition. If it does, read it as a nickname rather than a package label.
2. Next, inspect the name’s formatting and nearby description. A named product may use capitals and include details such as texture, sharpness, wheel size, or the seller’s ranking.
3. Then, identify who is using the rat-related name. A store can sell a cheddar with “Rat Trap” in its name, while a separate company can use “River Rat” as a brand name.
4. Finally, compare the claim being made. Descriptions of creaminess, sharpness, age, price, or availability tell readers about that seller’s item, not the general dictionary meaning.

Calef’s Rat Trap Cheddar is a useful example of why the distinction matters. Its page places it between Extra Sharp and Super Sharp on Calef’s scale. That language identifies a product, not a category that defines every cheese called rat-related.

River Rat Cheese shows the same naming principle from another angle. Its offerings are New York State cheddars ranging from mild through 20-year-old sharp, so “rat” there works within a seller’s brand identity. Product listings, including 3 Year Old XXX Cheddar, Mean & Nasty 8 oz, and 20-Year-Old Cheddar, should be read as individual offerings.

Food intended for a pet rat is a third category altogether. Context, not the animal word alone, tells readers whether a cheese name is a nickname, a product name, a brand, or a feeding question.

Roundups that cite a roundup are my particular irritation, because each repetition can turn a seller’s brand name into a supposedly universal cheese category. For rat-related cheese names, I would stick to the individual product listing and its stated cheddar, age, or flavor, rather than let “rat” do more work than the label does.

What Calef’s Rat Trap Cheddar Is

It is Calef’s distinct product.

Rather than presenting a bare name, the product page identifies Rat Trap through flavor, format, and its place among Calef’s other cheddars. In the store’s wording, “creamy” and “a bit sharp” are the central flavor descriptions. Store language also calls Rat Trap a famous, best-selling, hand-packed creamy cheddar.

Sharp is first in the sequence and is described as the mildest offering. After Extra Sharp comes Rat Trap, followed by Super Sharp, Rugged Cheddar, 3 Year Aged, Wicked Sharp, and 6 Year Vintage. At the other end of the scale, Calef’s describes the final offering as the sharpest offering.

Hand-packed 40 lb wheels supply the cheese that Calef’s cuts into Rat Trap portions. Sold by the pound, the product was listed at “$15.99” on Calef’s page dated June 12, 2023. Dated pricing is useful as a record of that page’s listing, while the stated wheel size describes the larger form used for the cheese.

Placed after Extra Sharp, Rat Trap is not Calef’s mildest cheddar: Calef’s assigns that description to Sharp. Positioned before Super Sharp, Rat Trap also precedes Rugged Cheddar, 3 Year Aged, and Wicked Sharp. Those names reflect the order on Calef’s cheddar-sharpness scale, where the final offering is the sharpest.

Viewed as a Calef’s offering, Rat Trap has several concrete details attached to it. First, the product has the characteristics noted above. Next, the cheese is cut from hand-packed wheels, rather than being described only by an aging label.

Finally, Calef’s placed it between Extra Sharp and Super Sharp on the store’s own scale and listed it by the pound at “$15.99” on June 12, 2023. Combined, those details identify what Calef’s sells under the Rat Trap name: a creamy, somewhat sharp cheddar in a particular spot in the store’s lineup. Together, the flavor, wheel, scale, and price details form Calef’s description of the product.

Does Rat Cheese Mean Food for Rats?

No, “rat cheese” does not indicate that cheese is a rat’s preferred food, nor does the phrase provide feeding advice for pet rats. Instead, the name and the question of what a pet rat should eat are separate matters. PetMD’s guidance addresses feeding, not the meaning of a cheese name.

When given a choice, rats may choose bananas, cookies, or standard rat pellets instead. Rather, cheese belongs in the narrower category of a possible occasional treat.

Portion size also matters if cheddar is offered to a pet rat. PetMD gives a recommended serving of 1 gram, which it equates to 1/4 teaspoon, of cheddar.

For the type of cheese, its guidance recommends hard cheese. Soft or blue cheeses should not be given. A small hard-cheese serving is different from making cheese the animal’s main diet.

Diet decisions also merit a conversation with a veterinarian before cheese is added. That step keeps pet-feeding guidance focused on the animal’s individual circumstances rather than on a food-related phrase.

Cheese may be offered as a treat without serving as a replacement for the standard rat pellets PetMD identifies among the foods rats may select. Likewise, the mention of bananas and cookies does not turn either food into a universal feeding recommendation; PetMD reports that rats may choose them when offered a choice. Its examples describe what rats may choose, while the cheese advice provides a specific cheddar portion and cheese-type guidance.

Taken together, the feeding guidance is straightforward: rats can eat a small amount of cheddar, but cheese is not presented as their ideal food. Bananas, cookies, and standard rat pellets are all foods PetMD says rats may choose when given the option. Reading “rat cheese” as an instruction to feed cheese to a rat would therefore confuse a name with nutritional guidance. Careful interpretation keeps the term separate from the practical questions of portion, cheese type, and veterinary discussion for rats with medical conditions before adding cheese to the diet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Rat Cheese Made from Rats?

No. “Rat cheese” is an informal American nickname for inexpensive cheese, especially domestic or American cheddar. The name is presumed to mean cheese considered suitable only for rat traps, not cheese made from rats.

Is Rat Cheese the Same as Cheddar?

It does not identify a separate cheese species or a fixed recipe. Vocabulary.com classifies the term under American cheese, American cheddar, cheddar, and cheddar cheese.

What Is Store Cheese?

The term refers to the same informal American cheddar nickname rather than a distinct type of cheese. It is connected with inexpensive domestic or American cheddar.

Is Rat Trap Cheddar the Same as Rat Cheese?

No. Rat Trap Cheddar Cheese is a specific cheddar product sold by Calef’s Country Store in Barrington, New Hampshire, while rat cheese is a generic informal nickname. Calef’s describes Rat Trap as creamy, a bit sharp, and its best seller, and cuts it from hand-packed wheels.

Can Pet Rats Eat Cheddar Cheese?

Cheddar can be an occasional treat for a pet rat, not its main diet. PetMD recommends hard cheese and advises against soft or blue cheeses. Its cheddar serving recommendation is 1 gram, or 1/4 teaspoon.

Rat cheese is not a cheese made from rats, nor is it automatically cheese intended for rats to eat. It is also called “store cheese”. A product such as Calef’s Rat Trap Cheddar may share the rat-related theme, but it is a named cheddar product rather than the general definition of rat cheese.

References

• Rat Trap Cheddar Cheese – Calef’s Country Store, Calef’s Country Store, calefs.com
• Do Rats Like Cheese? Everything a Pet Parent Should Know | PetMD, PetMD, petmd.com
• RAT CHEESE Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com, dictionary.com
• Rat Trap Cheddar Cheese – Calef’s Country Store, Calef’s Country Store, calefs.com
• Rat cheese – Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com, vocabulary.com
• River Rat Cheese, River Rat Cheese, riverratcheese.com
• Rat Trap Cheddar Cheese – Calef’s Country Store, Calef’s Country Store, calefs.com

Sources read in September 2026.