Little shiver and chattering teeth

[marmie]

Does it mean something when a rat gives a little shiver through his body and/or chatters his teeth together? I may not be describing it correctly but maybe someone will know what I mean?

Thanks

[littleindiangirl]

fear, excited, content, horny... lol

I usually see them do it when excited and playful or in heat. Females wiggle their ears and chatter. haha, funny things

[marmie]

LOL, Thanks Connie! I figured you'd know what I was talking about.

[frankykeno]

Here's a great link about rat behaviour.....

http://www.ratbehavior.org/WhatIsMyRatDoingFAQ.htm

What you are hearing is called "bruxing" and it's when they are grinding their teeth together. Bruxing is a funny thing because it can indicate stress but it can also indicate a happy rat. You kind of need to look at the whole picture to figure out which it is.

Example...

Rat #1 is huddled in the corner of it's enclosure, it's hair looks funny, it's not interacting with the other rats, it's backed in there face outward and grinding it's teeth....this is not happy bruxing

Rat #2 has run up to you as you approach the enclosure with food, it stands up on it's hind legs and bounces around waiting to see what you've got there, it's loudly grinding it's teeth...this is happy bruxing

Happy bruxing will often be accompanied by boggling (eye bulging) which is when it looks like if they got any happier with life, their eyes would pop right out of their sockets. It's to do with how their facial muscles are connected and move so you usually see both bruxing and boggling occuring at the same time.

[SlitherinSisters]

My pet rat, Kitty, does that the whole time she's with me. I describe it as "purring" to the people come over and meet her.

[marmie]

Purring is what I thought at first. LOL

Thanks for the link Joanne. I'm not sure if he's happy or not he's still young so he tucks his head in the crook of my arm (as he happily poops all over me) and he's not comfortable enough to come to me but he doesn't run for his life anymore either. I have 2 in the house in QT so I'm spending more time with them than I've ever done with the other breeders.

Someone told me when he gets older the pooping part won't be as bad, is this true?

Thanks for the feedback.

[frankykeno]

Wellllllllllllllllllllllll....rats poop LOL. I would say though a socialized adult rat isn't as likely to use you as a toilet simply because they tend not to poop as much as a stress reaction to being held. However, male rats especially seem to like to mark those they like (females do it too but it always seems my pet male rats dribbled on me more). Kind of..."I love YOU! I must pee on YOU so everyone knows you are MINE!" lol

Some rats seem to brux a lot and very loudly. We had one female in our breeding group last year that every single time you went to feed in her enclosure or touched her she'd brux VERY loudly. I swear all the other rats were plugging their ears and going "oh gawd no...it's HAPPY RAT time again!" She'd get going so loudly the other rats would literally move to the other side of the enclosure in a group away from her.

We had another old female breeder that for some reason adored my husband. Anyone else handling her, she really could care less. If Mike picked her up she hit high volume bruxing LOL. She'd also run and nip Mike but only if he dared to touch another rat before her. What a funny old rat she was.

Just ply the little male rat with a favored food item that he only gets from your hands never in his feeding dish. Very quickly he'll figure out that you are the Godess of All Things Yummy. Rats are so incredibly food driven. They are also total sucks about having the back of their ears scratched for some reason.

[littleindiangirl]

Most of my adult rats do not poop when they are running around with us. The young ones certainly do! LOL, I strongly believe as they get older they hold it in until they are in their cage and are used to the routine of being outside of the cage.

Most of my boys continue to pee everywhere they go. Across my arm, on my shirt, on my pants, my floor, couch, windowsill... yea, they piddle as they go. I'm very glad they don't poo everywhere!

Jo is right on the money, rats love food! Especially sweet things. I usually greet my grow ups with some yogurt drops or small bit of fruit preserve on a bread... They love it!

[marmie]

Thanks for the tips Joanna and Connie. I did try the food trick last night but he just looked at me like I was crazy . . . didn't even sniff it. The girl I have him with almost bit my finger off though, LOL. However, I did notice him on his hind legs watching me this morning so I'll take that as happy to see me.

[frankykeno]

Owwww I hate rat bites! I've never had a serious snake bite or had one go nasty on me but a rat can really slash you up if they want to and boy they are FAST! Their bites have a tendency to fester to if you don't watch it and for some reason mine always get me right on the knuckle which is darned hard to keep bandaged up properly.

I got nailed the other day by a mamma rat. She's normally fine but this time around she wants me nowhere near her litter (maybe she just now figured out why once in awhile some of her babies go mysteriously missing).