Undomesticated rats in daylight?

My folks have observed four rats visiting their bird feeder regularly. Two are brown, one buff-colored and the other has Chinchilla coloring on his underside. Isn't it unusual for rats to be out and about during the daylight hours? Could these rats be former pets? My folks plan to eventually trap and relocate them. I'm concerned that their presence may not be safe for the birds and dogs that also share the yard. Undomesticated rats in daylight?
Generally, rats are nocturnal, but if they are in an area they have learned is safe they will appear in daylight. They can vary in colour, so there's no reason to suspect they are former pets based on their being seen during the day or their colour. Indeed, it's unlikely that escaped or released pet rats would survive for very long in the wild - they would not know how to forage for themselves or evade predators.





Rats are no threat to birds or dogs, though they will eat birds' eggs if they find them. I would be more worried about the dogs harming them (though of course they'd have to catch them first!). I'm glad to hear your folks plan to trap and relocate them rather than just killing them as many people would.Undomesticated rats in daylight?
It's not unusual. The place where I work has a compost pile and if you walk back to it during the day you're tripping over all the rats.