A man who filmed himself biting off a live rat's head and then posted the video on Facebook has been given a community service order after pleading guilty to animal cruelty.

Matthew Clement Maloney's video of him swearing, pulling the pet rat from a box, chewing its head off and taking a swig of vodka, was viewed hundreds of thousands of times when it was posted online in January.

Outside court, Maloney said his actions "weren't that bad". ( AAP: Dan Peled )

Maloney, 25, from Albion in Brisbane, pleaded guilty to one count of animal cruelty in Brisbane Magistrates Court.

Magistrate Suzette Coates ordered him to complete 100 hours of community service and banned him from owning a pet for three years.

Facing a maximum penalty of three years' jail, Magistrate Coates described Maloney as a narcissist for the way in which he used the internet to seek attention but said he was unlikely to reoffend.

"The impulsive way in which you dealt with the rat was, as your solicitor says, ridiculous and embarrassing," she said.

"If that's what you have to do to get attention, well it's a really sad indictment on you and your relationship with society.

"There's nothing that really indicates that this behaviour is suitable, there's nothing that indicates that it is manly, there's nothing that indicates that it is admirable.

"It indicates that it's rabid, narcissistic, attention-seeking behaviour on your behalf."

Rat was in pain for 29 seconds: RSPCA

Maloney, who went by the moniker "Mad Matt" when he posted the video online, said he was remorseful but his actions weren't "that bad".

"There's a lot of worse stuff you could have done. Buy rat poison, all that stuff, rat traps," he told reporters outside court.

"I just don't think it was how they made it out to be."

Maloney rejected suggestions the animal had suffered.

"[The RSPCA] said it was in 29 seconds of pain. I don't know how they could have proven that when they test on rats all the time," he said.

Maloney said he would not be making any more videos.

"I just thought it was funny at the time and then yeah, just a stupid decision," he said.

RSPCA prosecutor Georgia Sakrzewski said she was very happy with the outcome.

"I think that he was wanting attention from social media and I don't think he gave much thought as to what he was actually doing in terms of the pain and suffering that he was causing to that animal," she said.