Ever heard of anything like this?

Ok so this started a few weeks ago. It'd wake me up from a dead sleep because it's so loud. At first I thought the rats were rough housing really hard. But then I finally saw it. I have one female who I just don't even know how to describe it. She'll run at all sides of the tub just flipping out. I mean just throw herself against all sides of the tub, really heard and really fast. No rats are bothering her, nothing scaring her. She just appears to have a sanity leave. She'll ping pong ball herself against all sides then stop. She broke one of her nails the other day doing this and was bleeding a little. When the running at the walls thing is done she'll stop in a corner and her tail just twitches. She gets real still after this and just sits there staring off. I've come to the conclusions that I don't have much luck with rats. She's my favorite ratty but I'm scared she's got something wrong with her.

She's either really happy or really scared. Have you tried handling her after/during one of these episodes? Her reaction to you attempting to handle her should show whether she's happy or scared. If she runs from your hand or bites, she's probably scared, if she plays or lets you handle her she's probably just getting over-excited.

If her tail is twitching, mice and rats do this when they are -very- upset. She might be having a problem with another rat in the cage with her, and you just don't see it happening. Or maybe there's a wild rat or mouse in the house, that she sees and you don't. Try separating her and see if the problem subsides. If she has a problem with her cagemates, that hould fix it. If she's just an aggressive rat, then she'll probably stay that way and keep acting out.


I just recently had to put a mouse down, who was doing this same thing. He was virtually unhandleable, and I thought it was because he was alone, and just on guard all the time from being a single mouse in a cage. So I moved him in with my elderly female ASFs and he was fine, until I cleaned the cage. Then he immediately started violently attacking the ASFs. I decided that was the last straw, because nobody is going to want a mouse for breeding, or a pet, that is that mean/scared/defensive. :/

I have no experience with rats but if my dog did that, I would be concerned about neurological damage. If nothing is spooking the other rats, it has to be something very specific to that one rat. If you have the space, I would suggest quarantining that one. Good luck..

I've held her after an "episode" and she just sits there absolutely still. Normally when I have her out she can't sit still. Nothing is bothering the other rats. I did have her by herself for a few days and she still did it. Her and the other female get along really well.

Tarzan- neuro issue is what I was thinking as a first explanation. I just don't know how'd that happen and why all of a sudden. Nothing has changed.

If she's wiped out/still in the aftermath... I'm thinking seizure. There doesn't need to be an external change for that. Could be age, could be brain tumor, but it doesn't sound good.

Is she running in circles? Does she look like her head is tilted?

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Originally Posted by Deborah

Is she running in circles? Does she look like her head is tilted?

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Nope. She otherwise acts normal.

I was also considering a brain tumor. Very odd. I would separate her and see what happens, maybe try to get a really good look at her when she freaks out if it continues.

:( It's getting more frequent. She has two nails ripped off on one of her back paws. Two broken on one front paw and that original one on another from doing the ping pong thing.

Please shoot a video for the super curious and young breeder :)