Rats, like pigs, are all-purpose utility players in Muppet productions. Apart from just hanging around and being rat-like, these rodents have often taken on specific collective roles or portrayals. Some are traditional to the species, while others cast them against type.

Picture	Role	Production	Notes
	Judges	The Muppet Show episode 412	The judges for the Fred Awards turn out to be a couple of rats.
	Bellhops	The Great Muppet Caper	The rats are employed at the Happiness Hotel. Rizzo the Rat is the lead bellhop.
	Waiters/kitchen staff	The Muppets Take Manhattan and The Jim Henson Hour episode 112	Rizzo works at Pete's Luncheonette and later brings in Yolanda, Tatooey, Chester, and Masterson. When customers complain about rats bringing the food, Pete has them cook and wash dishes instead. They also worked at a restaurant in a sketch on The Jim Henson Hour, where Link Hogthrob reviews the food at a restaurant managed by Jacques Roach.
	Bookkeepers	The Muppet Christmas Carol	The rats serve as Scrooge's bookkeeping staff, with non-rat Bob Cratchit as chief clerk.
	Tourists	Muppet Treasure Island	Rizzo books the Hispaniola as a cruise ship to his fellow rodents. Only Mr. Plagueman is named.
	Surf Rats	Muppet Beach Party	The rats are a group of beach fanciers who provide backing vocals. Two of them appear in the liner notes.
	Stage crew	Muppet Classic Theater	Rats oversee the lights, props, curtain, and other technical aspects.
	The Rats' Patrol	Muppets Tonight episode 104	WWII era soldiers fighting the enemy cheese under the command of their human Sarge. Includes Rizzo and Indiana.
	Lab rats	Muppets from Space	Test subjects at the C.O.V.N.E.T. laboratories. Rizzo is introduced to the inmates: Bubba, Fast Eddie, The Birdman, Troy, and Shakes.
	Munchkins	The Muppets' Wizard of Oz	The cheerful, tiny, cute residents of Munchkinland who are not rats at all. Rizzo serves as their leader, and Bubba also appears.
	TV control room staff	The Muppets Take Over Today	Aside from Pokey (the director) and Big Mean Carl (the "boss"), the Today show production staff are rats.