Rat Race

Question
Hi Sandra
Thanks so much for your advice on the little girl who was bleeding vaginally. I took her to the vet along with your recommendations.  She gave her an injection of baytril and put her on baytril and Doxy.  The vet thought she had a uterine infection and wanted to do surgery-which I dont think she would have survived anyhow, but by this evening after only one dose of antibiotics the bleeding has stopped.  You were once again right on the mark!
On a lighter note, I have a less urgent question.
Remember Sniffy, the first rat you helped me with? Well, I just have a curious question. Have you ever heard of a rat running in circles? I don't mean from an inner ear infection  but literally running in circles.  I have a little hidey hut in my rats' cage and Sniffy spends the entire night running in a circle around it. It's not a big deal except the cage is situated right above my head so I haven't had a good night's sleep in a while!LOL
I worry she is stressed about being in the cage but they both get to come out on my bed for several hours during the day which they use this free time sleeping. I also let them out on the bed for a few hours at night. They wander around the covers and play but as soon as it's time to go back in the cage Sniffy revs up and starts racing around the hut-THE WHOLE NIGHT LONG! I swear she is going to wear a ring around the bottom of the cage!
Just wondering if you know anything about this behavior.
Hope this finds you well and thanks again for all your help. You are AMAZING!!!
Kristin

Answer
Sorry for the delay...sometimes my email from allexperts ends up in SPAM and not until they submit the question again do I get the message.  This happens alot...I need to know how to shut my spam filter off....I am not that good with computer stuff to be honest. I am very generic that way.

Anyhow, does your rat do this outside the cage? Have you removed this particular toy to see if  this behavior stops?

Also, a bed is not the most interesting place for rats to play. Many of my readers write in and say their rat plays on the bed or "lives" on the bed or plays on the couch...but how stimulating is that?  Rats are very very smart animals. They need stimulation. They need to explore, they need change. Try reading my website, sandyscrittercity.com and refer to the page GETTING STARTED. There are instructions on how to make a cardboard enclosure to let your rats play in safely. Also, making toys for them just using cardboard boxes and some fun games for them using old socks that you hide treats in (treats they do not get often so its not the "same old thing" for them...you can even buy toys at a flea market or garage sale for them to play in such as a childs doll house etc...as long as the windows and cut outs for doors are not too small so they dont get stuck.  They will love going in and out of this, climbing on stuff....you name it.  Try this and see if this helps.  She sounds bored....