shaking

Question
Hi my pet rat is a female but keeps on shaking and keeps doing it over and over again and her teeth chatter like clack clack and when i take her out of her cage to check on her she climb's up my arm and huddles close to my neck oh and she whimpers a lot its almost like shes crying I'm really worried so please contact me fast Okay from Ashlea

Answer
Sounds like he is bruxing. Rats do this when they are happy and content.  They grind their teeth and sometimes the vibration from grinding so hard actually makes their eyes vibrate which we refer to as "boggling"!  I have to laugh because a few months ago someone wrote to me and wanted to tell me that the vet that saw her rat claimed to be a rat vet, which there is no such thing to be honest, and he told her that her rat had brain damage because her eyes would vibrate in and out and she would grind her teeth.  Luckily the owner knew what was really going on and had to fill in the so called "rat vet" too.  LOL
Also, some rats do whimper but its not common.  My big 700 gram buck whimpers if he hears the cat meow from outside the door.  Its sad when he does it but it can be done when they are content as well.