Eastern woodrats are known for their foraging and caching habits. When searching for food is dangerous or unproductive, animals often use food stores to supply all or part of their diet. This is a feasible strategy to avoid food shortage. It is the habit of collecting and storing both food and nonfood items that has earned the eastern woodrat is other common name of "pack-rat" or "trade rat". Starting in September, the woodrat will start to forage and store food in its midden for use and survival in the winter. Although caches do not serve as the sole source of winter food, caches examined yielded as much as of plant material.