a rat question?

Question

we just got 2 rats today. they are both females. we have them in a 10 gallon tank and the top add on part. so its like 4 stories for them. we have them the wood treats, food and water. and a little thing to hide under.. well the one rat plays around in that box thing and on the bottom. and the other will just set at the very top level with her eyes open.. why could she be doing this? she is grooming her self and everything but we are not sure if she is eatin or drinkin anything. could she be under stress? we picked her up, and she didnt want to be picked up or held but the other one is fine with being picked up or held...am I over reacting or what should I be worried about the rat? I mean she isnt lonely she has company.

Answer 1

Kudos to you for getting 2 same-sex ratties. Rats love the company of both their own kind, and their human care-giver.

You have an extroverted rat that has adapted quite quickly to her new surroundings. The other girl is intoverted and she is going to take a bit more time to get use to her new surroundings and her loving care-giver.

The "freezing in place" is a sign that she is afraid, and she might just "freeze" when you pick her up as well. But with gentleness and patience, she will come around. Have you ever heard of whistling when you are afraid? It calms you down right? Well rats groom themselves to calm down, takes their minds off of their stress for a minute. Besides rats don't have lips so they can't whistle. By grooming she is making herself feel better. Try feeding her by hand, using rice krispies as treats.

Here's something that other rat-keepers have used to bond with their rats and get them use to being held:
http://members.aol.com/juliesrats/behavior.html

Sounds like you might have one of those Martin's-style aquarium/cage topper set-ups? That's good because a 10 gallon aquarium, alone, is too small for two girls when they are full grown. I'm assuming that you have picked up your girls as 5 - 6 week old youngsters. In spite of the added height of the cage topper many other rat-keepers have reported that their rats spend most of their time in the bottom aquarium. Aquariums are not the preferred habitats for rats because of poor ventilation in spite of the topper. Rats pee and poop more then any other rodent and there is a danger of ammonia build-up in the aquarium. Inhailing ammonia leads to a Myco flair-up. You will probably want to keep the aquarium very clean.

Here's some more info on caring for your rats.
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=caring+for+your+rats&ei=UTF-8&fr=ks-ans&ico-yahoo-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAnYM54NvMNPtXBeKUqFf2zcazKIX%2FSIG%3D111gjvvgj%2F*-http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAs6qPmKbEGuHV570VYkOMTkazKIX%2FSIG%3D11ia1qo58%2F**http%253a%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&p=caring+for+your+rats

Happy Ratting :)

spazrats
http://spazrats.tripod.com
Specializing in the care of pet rats since 1997

Answer 2

She is just acclimating to her environment. She may be "shyer" than the other one. It is a very good sign that she is grooming since that tells you that she is somewhat comfortable in her new surroundings.

As far as being handled, rats love it and need it, but let them become familiar with their home first for a few days. Also, rats have VERY poor eyesight and can be startled when you put your hand in. Make sure you haven't been handling other types of pets when you put in your hand to pet them without first washing your hands very well.

When introducing your "hand" into their cage, put a drop of vanilla extract on your palms and rub it in. This will give you a neutral smell that will be accepted better. Go slower with the shy one and start with petting her (behind and around the ears is a favorite) in her cage.

Also, to help them make this house their own home, you can put in soft kleenex torn in half. They should love this and start hording it into the box or a corner to establish their sleeping area.

Also, every day they can and should have very small bits of fresh fruits and vegies. Just a teaspoon or two such as broccoli flouretts, apple pieces without skins, banana etc..Stay away from carrots, bread and peanut butter as they can choke on them and rats do not have a swallowing reflex to rescue them from this hazard.

Last of all, check out all of the great sites for rat care on the web and especially look for the sites that "site" "The Rat Lady" from UCLA.

Best of luck with the best pocket pet in the world!

Answer 3

They need time to settle in.

Rats, like any other animal, do notice when their surroundings change.

Depending on their age, and unique personality, each rat will adjust differently. It seems like one has settled in just fine but the other still needs a little time to check the place out and get used to it before she's comfortable.

Keep an eye on them to be sure they interact alright together. Generally, females do fine with other females but you'll occasionally get two that arn't too keen on each other.

However, don't continue to hang around the cage too much. It may distract her, and make her a little edgey. Just let her explore on her own time.

Answer 4

If you just got them today, I'd give them a little bit of time to settle down and adjust. It could be that the one is more shy and is having a little harder time adjusting. Give her some time to get used to things and she will hopefully come out of her shell.

I've had a couple rats who simply weren't as human-social as their cagemates, so it could also be simply an individual rat personality thing.

Answer 5

Since you just got her today she could be stressed and getting used to her new environment. Are they babies? 10 gallons is a bit small for 2 rats, you might want to get a larger home. They get fairly large.

She should settle in with time, try not to bother her too much.

Answer 6

Give her a few days to get comfy in her new house. Maybe add another hiding spot for her. Feed her treat by hand so she knows that your hand means something good. Be patent, and congrats!

Answer 7

Rodents like with any animal has their own personality and fears and feelings...she may be just scared or shy. give her time and i am sure she will come out of it and start playing with the other rat. she will even warm up to you if you continue to give her attention.

Answer 8

Don't worry! Rats have their own personalities. She probably needs to adjust to her surroundings or she just isn't a sociable rat. I have had many and they are all different.

Answer 9

the active rat is the dominant one. The quieter one may either be nervous or sick.
Give it a few days and see if she loosens up. Maybe get her a hiding place too.
If she still seems withdrawn and motionless...I'd return her for safe measure.

Answer 10

If there is a few squeaking and one pinning the different it truly is continually play. yet when there is squeaking, blood, and the use o enamel then it truly is strive against. If this happens separate them once plausible.