Individual Rat Behaviours

Grooming

Self Grooming

Luke - the one of my boys that lives to groom

Self grooming involves maintaining coat cleanliness, health and condition.  The rat will lick all reachable
parts of its body then appear to nibble its fur.  It is in actual fact scraping the skin beneath the fur to rid
it of dead skin and any dirt or parasites that have accumulated, then combing the fur to rid of any muck
that has stuck, it also acts to keep the fur shiny and smooth as oils are spread along it’s length.  This is a
very important activity and often the first sign of illness in a rat is when it’s feeling too poorly to groom. 
The fur rapidly becomes dry and fluffy (or starey) and often dirty marks or porphyrin become obvious. 
Your rat can also suddenly become infested with mites (see health section) as it is unable to keep the
situation under control though this isn’t as common as the staring coat.  Some lazy rats, particularly
those that are a little chubby or not so flexible can begin to have fluffy hind quarters, some of this may
be linked with testosterone dropping (in males), some is a lack of grooming the offending area.  Stepping
in and giving them a quick daily brush can really help.

Rats groom themselves more frequently than even a cat, and will groom themselves many times during
a day.  Self grooming is also a good sign that the rats are contented and relaxed as it puts them naturally
in a very unsafe situation so to have a rat groom itself on you is a good sign it trust you.  Rats will also
groom themselves after any experience that threatens their natural smell.  This means that it’s perfectly
normal for a rat to groom itself after being played with, after a bath, getting wet, being in a fight with
another rat or eating something messy.  

Generally speaking a rat will begin grooming by licking it’s paws and using them to wash it’s face and
ears, then move nibbling and licking the fur on it’s shoulders, flanks and hind quarters.  It may also grab
pawfuls of the skin on it’s chest and pull it up so that it can reach the area with it’s mouth.  They then
generally move to sitting up and grooming there belly area.  At this stage rats (especially males) will
spend some time cleaning there gentiles ensuring they are kept in good condition.  If a rat appears to
have trouble balancing in this position they may be unable to keep themselves clean, this means that as
there human you should monitor the situation and step in to help if needed. Once this is over rats may
clean there ears with there feet, clean there paws and/or clean their tails.

Grooming his
arms

Luke grooming his back

Grooming his
feet
 Grooming his genitiles

Self Barbering (over grooming or fur loss)

a very old Cirrus, showing his pink barbered socks

Barbering is a form of over grooming, rather than neatly combing its fur with it’s teeth the rat will
instead bite off the fur close to the skin either giving a choppy look to the fur or bald spots.  The classic
places for self barbering are the front paw wrists, which can look like a rat has rolled up it’s sleeves, and
up a rats sides or on the inside of it’s thighs.  Basically if a rat can reach the area that is bald then there is
a fair chance it has barbered itself. 

Rats start barbering for a number of reasons, however there is a lot of evidence for a genetic link as
barbering is often found in family groups and related rats.  Many people only see barbering as brought
on by boredom and the standard response is to add more stimulation to the environment, however
barbering generally starts when the rat is under stress, though some rats will barber without being
triggered.  Boredom can be one of the causes of stress within rats but there are many other stresses
that can trigger barbering, some of the triggers that have been reported in the past are; loss of a rat
friend, new animals/rats/humans in the house, moving house or cage, illness, pregnancy/motherhood,
lack of human handling, lack of enrichment (food, exercise, environment etc). 

Self barbering is more often seen in rats with a nervous or unsettled personality though even the most
placid rat can start barbering, especially if there is a history of it in their family.  Once barbering has
started there is often little you can do to stop it.  Sometimes if you remove the trigger quickly enough it
can be stopped before it becomes a habit, but often once started rats will continue to barber for the rest
of there lives much like when a human bites their nails. 

In reality there is little problems with barbering as long as it does not pass into the realms of self
mutilation where the rat begins to damage it’s skin and cause sores.  However for those who wish to
show rats in the variety classes this can cause immense frustration.  If a rat gets to the stage where it is
damaging it’s skin it may be worth attempting to protect the skin with a tea tree based cream to help
the skin recover.  This also is an unpleasant flavour for most rats so can discourage further barbering
though there are no guarantees.  Some owners have also had luck using products to prevent feather
plucking in parrots.  These should not be used if the skin is broken however they may be worth a try if
the barbering is caught early enough.

Ear Cleaning
Another specific form of grooming behaviour is ear cleaning, it is not carried out very frequently and is
amusing to watch but rarely comes with any associated problems.  To clean it’s ears the rats will appear
to very gently scoop in it’s ear with it’s back foot whilst balancing on it’s remaining 3 legs, often with an
intense look of concentration on their face.  The only negative behaviour associated with this is when a
rat takes it too far, possibly scratching there ear leaving it looking red and sore.  There is likely to be a
health condition behind this, causing the ear to become itchy or sore.  If this is occurring it’s worth
bringing your rat along to the vet to check for ear mites or signs of infection.  It’s worth noting that rats
suffering from weakness in the hind legs may struggle to properly clean there ears, if you notice a build
up of wax in a rat with this problem it is possible to very gently clean inside the ear with a slightly damp
cotton bud, don’t use a wet one and don’t push further in to the ear. 

Paw Shaking

You may notice a rat who has eaten something wet, messy or sticky rapidly shaking their paws to get rid
of the unwanted substance.  They will then often lead into detailed licking of the fingers, making there
hand nice and clean again.  If you have a rat who shakes there paws for no obvious reason this can be a
sign that something is not quite right.  If it occurs regularly it is worth taking them along to a vet.  It can
be a sign that thy have numbness or tingling in their hands, it can also be a sign of discomfort due to an
injury in their paws though it is more commonly linked to a pins and needles type effect.

Tail Cleaning

One of the holy grails of rat keeping is a rat who chooses to clean their own tail.  Most rats treat their
tail merely as a balancing pole to help them get around.  Some rat however realise that their tails are
part of them and therefore should be kept as clean as they keep the rest of themselves.  When a rat
cleans it’s tail it will pull it round normally starting at the tip and lick it clean.  As rats are not always
highly flexible it is more common to have a rat who cleans the tail tip rather than the whole tail.  There
are little negatives associated with tail cleaning and I have yet to here of a rat who has over cleaned it’s
tails.  The positives is your rats tail stays nice and clean without intervention, admittedly more useful if
you plan to show the rat but it makes it less disconcerting when your rats tail inevitably ends up in your
mouth (they have a knack).
The Tail - more than just for balance

The tail is an essential part of a rats agility and ability to balance and move around.  Some rats are born
without tails and as such will have physiologically adapted to being without tails, other rats are forced to
loose some or all of there tail due to an injury, these do learn to adapt over time.  Regardless a tailless
rat my have more difficulty balancing than other rats.  A rat uses it’s tail in a similar way to a tight rope
walkers pole.  When they are running along it is normally held parallel to the floor and very straight, this
helps counteract the weight of there head and even up the load across the paws.  When turning at
speed the tail often is used to counteract the forces, whipping round to help the rat change direction
quicker.  When climbing a surface it is often pressed against it, helping keep the overall weight of the rat
closer to the bars, putting less outward force on their arms.  A rat doesn’t have the necessary flexibility
in there tail to wrap around objects however it’s not unusual for a rat to bend there tail around an
anchoring object (such as your hand or fingers) when leaning further over a ledge than they would
otherwise.  A rat will also use it’s tail to help it stand up on it’s hind legs.  It presses the tail firmly into
the ground creating a tripod effect, giving them much more stability than they would otherwise.

Tail ‘Windmilling’

This is where a rat rapidly spins it’s tail around, much like a windmill or a helicopter rotor.  This normally
occurs when the rat is picked up in what it feels is an insecure manner.  Typically if you pick a rat up one
handed who is not familiar with it they may windmill the tail.  Some rat who happily hang contented
may also windmill there tail when picked up unexpectedly, so make sure your rat knows your coming. 
This can easily be resolved by bringing your hand under the rats bottom/hind quarters to add additional
support, and carrying your rat securely close to your body.  You may see a rat occasionally starting to
‘windmill’ when balancing on a thin/unstable object such as a rope, they will not flick there tail round
madly here but flick it from side to side to add balance, much like a tightrope walker uses their pole. 
You can also see this effect when they are descending head first down the cage, especially in bucks who
typically lack a does grace in this area.

Tail Swishing/wagging

Rats do not wag there tails in a friendly manner like dogs, in this they are more like cats where a
swishing or wagging tail can be a warning sign.  Aggressive rats will often whip there tail from side to
side, coupled with fur fluffing up and an aggressive stance and a rat in this state should not be
approached unless you have appropriate protection (a towel or thick gloves), though it is often best to
leave them to calm down on there own (free of rats and humans alike).  Sometimes, in contrast to this
aggressive tail wagging, very excited rats can also wag there tail, but in this situation there body
language will be much different with no fluffed up fur, the rat unable to keep still and a more forward
open posture often bruxing manically too.  This seems to be more a tail rattle (like a rattle snake) than a
true swish).

Tail Curling

Occasionally one of your rats may hold there tail in an unusual way, it may appear to arch over there
back like a scorpions tail, or curl more into a corkscrew effect.  This is generally caused by a rat spending
a lot of their time running in a wheel so is far more common in does rather than bucks.  It isn’t
necessarily a problem and normally if needed the rat can straighten it’s tail for balance.  It has just
become so used to holding there tail up and out of the way of the wheel that straightening takes more
muscle use than holding it curved.  To minimise the chances of this occurring rats should always be given
a wheel that is big enough for them, hamster sized wheels are too small even for the smallest female
rat, look for a wheel at least 30cm in diameter (the ‘wobust’ wodent wheel and large silent spinners are
good examples of this) or try a more open form of wheel such as the flying saucer which means the rat
can hold there tail straight.

Other Body Language

Bruxing and boggling (teeth grinding and eye bulging)

Bruxing is the action of a rat rapidly grinding it’s teeth together.  Rats carry out this activity to help keep
there constantly growing teeth to the right length as well as to ensure their biting surface is the correct
angle and sharpness.  Boggling is a side effect of particularly enthusiastic bruxing and is caused by a build
up of pressure resulting in the eyeballs bulging out of the socket, this can be quite disturbing the first
few times you see it but is perfectly normal and often a good sign.

Bruxing and boggling in rats can be linked to certain moods and feelings.  Much like a cat purring or even
a human humming or whistling it can be a sign of happiness, contentedness or of feeling unwell or in
pain (acting as a self comforter).  To tell for sure what the rat is feeling when it bruxes you need to look
at the general body languages of the rat.  If a rat is hunched, fluffed up and possibly looking unwell and
bruxing it is likely to be in some discomfort, possibly in pain.  If a rat resembles a rug, is totally relaxed
and possibly being stroked or scratched then they are ‘happy or content bruxing’.  If a rat is leaping
around and madly exploring whilst bruxing they are happy and excited.

Bruxing is different from teeth chomping which is a slower more deliberate motion generally
accompanied by further aggressive/dominant behaviour.

Teeth Chomping
Teeth chomping is where a rat will appear to bite down repeatedly, almost like teeth chattering, in order
to splay it’s bottom teeth apart.  This is an aggressive motion aimed at maximising the damage done
when biting and is generally done by rats before they attack either as a warning or preparation.  This is
done when the rat is in an aggressive stance rather than bruxing which is generally done in a more
relaxed stance.

Scratching

Rats use there hind legs to scratch themselves, supporting themselves on their remaining three legs
whilst bringing there rear leg to scratch their side, face or anywhere else they can reach.  When they
have an itch on their hind leg they itch it by grooming that spot.  Rat scratching is often identified by a
rapid thumping sound as there foot hits the ground rapidly.  Rats scratch regularly, it is not unusual for
them to scratch several times in a day, however if they are scratching many times a day and potentially
leaving tiny scabs and scratch marks on there skin then there may be something making them feeling
particularly itchy.  This could be mites, or lice (which can be seen as small orange sticks moving on the
hair shaft), a fungal or similar skin infection or an allergy to bedding or a food stuff.  The first response
should be to treat for mites and lice to eliminate that possibility and then try to narrow down potential
causes in consultation with your vet. It can also help to trim your rats nails taking off the sharp point,
though this can sometimes disguise the problem until the nails grow sharp again.

Rats generally do not scratch themselves compulsively to cause an injury, though it is possible for a rat
to be triggered by some sort of itching and continue to scratch as the scabs themselves become itchy as
they are healing, this can lead to a self propagating cycle of itchiness and is very uncomfortable to the
rat and can lead to infections entering.  The best response to this is to trim the rats nails to be very
short, and regularly apply a soothing cream such as tea tree cream (if the skin is broken consult with
your vet first).

Old rats with hind leg degeneration or general overall weakness may struggle to scratch themselves. 
You can see this when they sit hunched, thumping there back foot in the general direction of there body
often with there toes appearing fisted or relaxed.  These rats will greatly appreciate you scratching that
spot for them and should also be closely monitored for signs of lice/mites, dry looking skin and anything
else that could cause them discomfort.
 Limi, showing it's not just old rats that a young Limi, mid scratch
like a scratch

Quivering/Vibrating 

This behaviour occurs when you feel a rat literally quiver or vibrate in your hand, it shouldn’t be
confused with ear waggling / vibrating which will be discussed later.  The rats feet literally buzz and the
whole rat often feels tense and ready to explode.  This behaviour is literally the rats feeling something
too intensely for them to express.  It can be a sign of nerves, but can also be a sign of intense excitement
or apprehension.  To try and judge what exactly your rat is feeling so intensely you have to look at it’s
overall body language.  An excited rat will literally be unable to keep still, they will be sniffing at
everything making rapid movements and there energy will very much be directed forwards.  A nervous
or apprehensive rat will have much lower more fearful body language, whilst they may still move and
dart about their focus will be to hide, cower or run from the strange new thing.  More commonly in my
experience you get a rat who is feeling a mixture of these feelings, so they are both hyper excited but
also scared and not sure how to act.  These rats exhibit both forward explorative behaviour and nervous
fear, and generally need plenty of reassurance to relax to a state where they can enjoy the experience.

Sleeping rats
Rats sleep in a number of positions, all cute, many amusing and some down right uncomfortable
looking.  Rats sleep for much of the day, often settling into a sleep pattern where they are awake for
your key activity hours (morning and evening) and sleep during the day time and at night.  Rats generally
sleep in short bursts of 4 hours or so of sleep, then carry out activities such as feeding, grooming, playing
or exploring before returning to sleep again.  Below are some of the main ways our rats sleep and what
you can read from them.

Rat Ball 

Rats often sleep tucked up in a ball, this is more often seen when they sleep on there own but can be
seen in a nest.  The ball normally involves the rat tucking it’s head between it’s legs and tucking it’s paws
in.  Sometimes the rat is vertical, almost sitting up, sometimes it is on it’s side in a more relaxed
position.  The more hunched vertical position may be a sign your rat is uncomfortable or nervous in
there situation as it naturally defends the precious internal organs from outside dangers.  Some rats do
choose to sleep this way even when fully settled.

Pancakeing

This sleeping behaviour involves the rat stretching out fully and appearinglike a small furry carpet.  The
body is fully relaxed and the rat seems flopped.  This is often carried out on a shelf or even in the floor of
the cage and is particularly common in hot weather with big rats.  The rat is usually maximising it’s
contact with a cooler surface in an attempt to cool itself down.  If you see this behaviour and the
weather is warm it can be worth gently spraying your rat with cool water or offering them some sort of
cooling surface (such as a damp towel that has been in the freezer, a cold piece of slate/tile, ice pod or
frozen water bottle wrapped in a towel.  Rat can easily over heat in hot weather and do need to be
monitored.  Sometimes a rat will appear to pancake when the weather is not warm, in some it is a sign
of intense relaxation (often accompanied by the rat merrily bruxing and boggling away), in others it can
be a sign of illness, such as a sudden stroke or the onset of Hind Leg Degeneration.  If this behaviour
comes out of the blue and your rat shows any sign of distress take them along to the vet to be checked
out.

Sleepin
g on
their
back 

This
behavio
ur is a
particul
arly
cute
form of
sleepin
g, more
commo
nly
seen in
young
rats and
kittens
though
occasio
nally in
adults
too. 
The rat
normall
y sleeps
curved
slightly
on it’s
back in
a
hammo
ck of
soft
bed, it’s
front
paws
laying
against
it’s
chest,
it’s back
feet
sticking
up in
the air
like a
mini
umbrell
a.  It is a
sign of
absolut
e trust
and so
is lovely
to see,
the rat
is
effectiv
ely
exposin
g it’s
unprote
cted
undersi
de
without
a
thought
.  Do
not
think
that if
your rat
doesn’t
sleep
on it’s
 back it
isn’t
relaxed,
just like
humans
some
rats
seem to
be able
to get
comfy
this
way
and
others
don’t.

Head Hanging 

Some rats sleep with the head hanging over surfaces such as hammocks, shelves and ledges.  In itself
this may not mean anything however if your rat is generally lethargic, seems to actively struggle to do
anything strenuous (as opposed to being incredibly lazy and not wanting to do anything) and holds it’s
mouth slightly open whilst it does this it can be worth getting them checked over by the vet.  It can be a
symptom of  a heart or respiratory problem.  Also look out for deep irregular breathing and other
general signs of illness.  Some rats do this regardless of health so observe the rat over a few days before
taking them along to the vet, unless other signs lead you to suspect something is up.

The Rat Pile

A lovely rat pile courtesy of Hannah Field,

A rats most natural sleeping position is that of the rat pile.  Where it sleeps in a pile with it's friends, not
only sharing warmth but also building stronger ties as a group.  It is always extraordinary just how many
rats can fit in such a small space, and how those on the bottom can breath.
Yawn

When you
wake your
rats up
from
sleeping or
from a
position
where they
are
particularly
comfortabl
e you may
notice
them
yawn, this
involves
opening
there moth
to the full
extent
showing
off there
teeth often
whilst
arching the
head
backwards,
it is also
normally
accompani
ed by
stretching. 
Some
people
have
linked this
with a
greeting or
welcome
but in
 reality it is
much the
same as
with
humans,
the bodies
response
from
coming
from a
state of
shallow
breathing
and it is
more
coincident
al that it
normally
occurs
when we
greet our
rats (and
disturb
them from
there
sleep).

Stretch

A rat may stretch at any time, but it is more usual on waking up or moving from a position they have
been in for some time.  There are several kinds of stretches that are often seen.  The most common is
probably the yawn-stretch, in this a rat will yawn, arch it’s back and neck in a U shape and often stretch
out a front paw or paws, sometimes separately and sometimes together.  Rats may also do a more
general stretch, arching there back in an n shape whilst stretching each paw out in turn, and often
moving there tail around a bit.  Stretching is nice to see as it is part of a general state of relaxation, few
stressed rats will stretch and if they do it will be quick and hesitant.

Signs of Illness
a poorly Willow, showing several signs of not being well

A rat instinctively tries to hide it’s illness as many prey animals do, however if you know your rat well it
often will tell you it is poorly long before it becomes obvious.  If you can pick up on some of these subtle
signals you can often react faster and this may have a big impact on your rats ability to survive the
illness.  The key to this is to know your individual rats behaviour, it’s habits, expressions and likes and
dislikes.  It’s worth spending time just watching how your rats behave in there cages as well as the
information you get from out time and direct interaction.  Whilst the list below contains some specific
things to look out for it is by no means exhaustive, rats are all different and you should go by your gut
feeling.  If you feel there is something up with your rat you are normally right, though sometimes
gathering more data before you go to the vet is useful as vets can’t have an owners gut feeling and
explaining it can be very hard. 

Spiky, Staring or fluffy coat 

A rats fur appears fluffy sticking out almost perpendicularly to their body.  Often combined with a
hunched ‘grumpy’ looking posture.  The rat may well be bruxing and also may have porphyrin staining. 
This is caused by a number of factors, a rat will fluff up it’s fur to appear larger and more threatening
(why this behaviour is also used in aggression) but in this case it does it so potential predators will leave
it alone whilst it is unable to defend itself.  You can distinguish this from aggressive fur fluffing as the
rats motion will very much be forward when aggressive, and it will seem like a bundle of tense energy. 
An ill rat will appear miserable and down.  The fur fluffing is also exacerbated by the fact the rat will
often not be grooming itself so much so it’s fur will loose condition and appear dry and fluffy.  This
behaviour also helps the rat stay warm when it’s body temperature may drop too low.  You may also see
this fluffing in cold weather but it can be distinguished from illness by looking for other signs of illness.  If
your rat appears cold it can be nice to offer a microwavable heat pack or pad, or place a hot water bottle
near part of the cage (out of reach of teeth).  Though a rat will gain much of it’s warmth from it’s cage
mates and bedding.

Red (Porphyrin) Staining 

A poorly rat will often have a dark red substance (looks remarkably like dried blood) around there nose,
eyes and sometimes spread on there face, flanks and inside there wrists.  This is actually mucus carried
in the rats salvia or nose.  When you see excessive amounts of this to the point where the rats eyes look
crusty red or there nose has more than a tiny bit on it then it is a sign your rat is feeling a little under the
weather.  This can be a sign of stress; such as when you introduce new rats to a group, or even getting
your rats home for the first few weeks, or it can be a sign of illness.  It is often accompanied by sneezing
more than usual.  If your rats have gone through something stressful recently and this is the only
symptom (along with sneezing) present, then it’s worth keeping a careful eye on them for a while,
looking out for further symptoms but ultimately letting the problem settle down on it’s own.  Feeding
something with immune boosting properties such as echinacea or garlic can be useful in this time. 
Medication should be saved for when a rat is properly ill or you risk it being less effective.

Hunched Posture 

this is where a rat lies down with it’s shoulders and hind quarters very stiff and drawn into there body,
there front paws often together and tucked under there body.  This kind of posture is an instinctive
reaction to being poorly, keeping your extremities close to the body to preserve warmth and energy, it is
normally combined with a starey fluffed coat.

Side Sucking 

This is where a rat seems to suck in it’s flanks (sides of their abdomen, above the rear leg and up to
where the rib cage starts).  It’s sides almost seeming scooped inwards.  Rather than a very slow gradual
onset, that can be seen in a rat loosing weight or condition, this comes out of the blue.  The rat can
appear to hold it’s sides in or suck them in occasionally, their body tense and straining, then release. 
This can be confused with deep abdominal breathing but unlike this side sucking lasts for longer than a
single breath.  It is normally accompanied by a hunched posture and fluffed up fur, sometimes bruxing
and even boggling.  It is a sign that the rat is in a great deal of pain and you should take a rat like this to
the vet as soon as possible, or at minimum treat with painkillers dosed appropriately.