What does it mean to dream about a pack rat?

by Lucy Moore | 17 May 2022

To dream about a pack rat suggests that you are hoarding something unnecessarily.

Oscar Anderson / Alamy Stock Photo

The very definition of a pack rat is ‘someone who keeps things that they do not need’. There is no question about the mass of items in your life- it’s superfluous.

Take a look around your home- what do you have to the excess? Whatever it is that is encroaching on your space- it might be wise to try and reduce this down to a more manageable level or get rid of it altogether.

Is your need to keep too many belongings affecting your relationships? If this is the case- perhaps you need a shift in your priorities and to realise that people are more important than possessions.

On the flipside, it’s possible you are accruing too many people in your world and trying to keep up with them all is exhausting. Is it prudent to distance yourself from some of these people if you are unsure why you are still acquaintances?

Is your head filled to the brim with negative thoughts, ideas, anxieties or jobs that need to be done? If so, perhaps you need to seek out some professional help or write it all down to lessen the mental burden. Let’s face it- you can’t get anything else done with such an emotional block hanging over you.

If someone else was a pack rat in your dreamscape, then you may be helping another person to lessen their load right now. Or do you feel they would benefit from a weight off their mind or their space? If so, what can you do to help them feel lighter?

To get frustrated with a pack rat in your dreams suggests that you are running out of patience with someone with these tendencies in your waking hours. Try to control what you can- your things and your attitude are within your remit- for others, it can take time to see the benefits of living with less.

On the other hand if you have lived with someone for some time who is overwhelmed by their things and nothing is changing- even with your offers of help- it might be time for you to move on. You can’t change others- only yourself so you may benefit from removing yourself from the trigger area altogether for the sake of healing your relationship.

Alternatively, perhaps the dream is telling you to acquire some more things in your life. If lockdown has taught us anything, it’s that it doesn’t hurt to have some emergency supplies in reserve. Do you need to establish a small area of your home for ‘just in case’ items? It never hurts to be prepared so long as it doesn’t turn into an obsession, so it may work in your favour to get some extra food or medicine on your next shopping trip.

Furthermore, the dream could be urging you to gain some understanding rather than things. If you don’t have enough knowledge about something right now but you want to become an authority on it- it’s in your interest to gather as much information about it as you possibly can.