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welcome | facts | choosing | feeding | looking after | care | links | leaflets To be able to make a decision whether or not your rat is well, you need to know what is “normal” for them. Like children, behaviour in rats can be inherited or learnt. Some behaviour is instinctive, such as suckling their mother as soon as they are born. The rest of a rat’s behaviour is learnt from parents and by observation, and then becomes instinctive. Animals continually learn throughout their lives. They rely heavily on sight, sound and smell. Verbal signals are avoided as they could result in detection by a predator. The functions of behaviour are to eat, to avoid being eaten, and to reproduce. Click on a link below to find out more: |
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Rats are diurnal, but tend to be more active in the
evening, so it is best to feed some of your rat’s daily allowance
in the evening. Your rat will normally wake at feeding time, so it
is possible to train him to come out at that time. Give rats time
to wake up fully before trying to handle them as they may bite if
they have been poked and prodded to wake up!
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High Pitched Squeal - Young rats may squeal if frightened, especially if he has only just been taken away from his family. In older rats this is an expression of alarm or shock. Teeth Chattering - This is a sign of pleasure in rats
and is similar to purring by a cat. It is known as 'bruxing" and
you'll notice that his eyes will look as if they are about to pop out
of his head. However, if a rat is scared - when he is at the vets for
example - he may also chatter (but no eye popping).
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Rats
are very playful and will often “play
fight”. However, in instances where any rat is being introduced
to another, the introductions should be taken gradually over a
few days. If serious fighting does occur when they are introduced,
this may cause injury, and they should be separated immediately.
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If you provide the correct care, diet, environment, exercise and attention to your rat it will normally stay fit and healthy, and will be bright, alert and eating and drinking normally. Any change in normal behaviour may indicate an underlying
problem. eating or drinking less than normal Rats do not often get ill but, because of their size, if
they do get ill, they can deteriorate very quickly. If your rat looks
ill you should take him to the vet as soon as possible.
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Overfeeding
with green food is the most common cause of diarrhoea. If your rat has
diarrhoea, stop feeding green food immediately. If the diarrhoea persists,
you should take your rat to the vet. |
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Rats can catch colds from humans, and if you have a cold you should still keep the handling of your rat to a minimum. If you have tonsillitis, this can be fatal to your rat. If your rat has a runny nose or sneezes, he should be kept in a warm room away from draughts and not too near the radiator and will need antibiotics from the vet. Sneezing can also be indicative of an allergy. Always take him to the vet if you have any concerns.
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Rat’s teeth continue to grow throughout their life.
Rats need to gnaw to keep their teeth in trim. If there is a chipped
tooth, or their teeth do not meet properly, this may cause overgrown
teeth and they must be trimmed by your vet.
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Nails can also become overgrown and should be trimmed by
a vet to ensure your rat is comfortable.
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Flies could be attracted to rat droppings, either in the
cage or around the rear end of the rat. Fly eggs will hatch into maggots
and will initially feed on the droppings and may then burrow into the
rat and eat its flesh. This will result in discomfort, pain and, often,
death. Avoid flystrike by removing droppings regularly from the cage,
grooming your rat daily and ensuring good ventilation to the cage as
this will prevent flies becoming attracted and then trapped in the cage.
Spray a safe disinfectant in the cage
and on bedding to deter flies and eliminate bacteria. Seek veterinary
attention immediately if you suspect flystrike..
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