Behavior

Question
Hi Amanda,

I just got a rat and I named her Jitter Bug. She is a very silly rat and she is also the first rat I have ever had. I've been wondering about what type of sounds a rat would make and what those sounds would mean. I also would like to know about what they like. I was told they like obstical corses and mazes. We let her rome around on the couch and my moms bed and she loves it. some times when I take her out of her cage for a while and when I put her back she runs to the door and tries to get out, does that just maan that she wants to run and play(sometimes it kind of looks like she's a bit scared). Other times she gets really excited when she sees her cage. How long should I wait until I get her a friend? I was told to wait a couple months.I hope you can answer my questions and if you can't that is ok.

          sincerely,
                  Salena


Answer
Hi Salena,
Rats usually make squeaking noises when they're being hurt, they're having trouble breathing, or when they're scared but usually when they're trying to communicate with another rat. Because rat's sometimes tend to believe that you, like them, are a rat, they will squeak at you if they can't see you, or if they are lost. They grind their teeth together when they're happy. (this doen't happen usually). If your rat tries to nibble your thumb, don't get mad with her. If it's hard (and this doesn't usually happen either) the either thinks you are trying to hurt her, or she's mistaken your limb for a piece of food. If it's not hard, she is nibbling you affectionately. This doesn't happen often. I've had about six rats. Only one of them did it, and only once. It's a compliment from the rat. :)

Yes, rats like obsticle courses, but they're somewhat difficult to make. You can buy them, of course, but those are rather expensive. Find some creative ways to turn a rat safe part of your house into a fun house for your rat to explore. (ex. attatch a climbing rope to a short table, put a couple of small ladders going up something.)

Rats, like humans, know when they want attention, want to play, want to rest, etc. If you're rat runs to the door, she probably wants to come out and play some more. If she's happy to see her house, she is probably tired or needs to go to the washroom. (Only keep your rat out for about a half-hour at a time. Put her back in her cage for about ten minutes. That will give her time to relieve herself, rehydrate her self and eat a little. If she's tired, she'll sleep, and in that case you should leave her until she's woken herself back up again. If she's not tired, she might even come to the door to try to find her own way out of the cage.)

Where did you hear to wait a couple of months?? It is best to buy two rats of the same sex from the same litter at the same time. They've been together since birth, so there is less chance of one being more possessive than the other, and they will have already bonded. It will also make the transfer from being with family to being without family alot easier. But, since you've already had her for a while, I would buy a friend for her as soon as possible. When you get the second rat, don't introduce them in Jitter Bug's cage. Jitter will feel as if an intruder is coming in trying to take over. Introduce them in a neutral territory. A bath tub is a good place. let them meet there, and give them maybe a half-hour to get to know each other. If one is in danger of being hurt or attacked by the other, sepparate them immediately, and it would probably be best to just keep them separate.

Good luck,
Thankyou for the question.
Amanda