Diamond is acting strange...I THINK I KNOW WHY!!!!

[Jems71]

My 5-6month old girl Diamond is acting strange these past few days since Mama (Altana) has taken ill with possible stroke or PT...Diamond has always been the more oug going one of the group...first to take off out of the cage, first at the door to great me in the mornings and when I come home after work...always exploring and running...very very active...But since Tuesday I noticed she seems scared...very ver skiddish and not coming out to see us as much you have to coax her to come down and see you and then she really is hesitant about you handling her and she has not left the cage since Tuesday either...if you take her out she runs right back in...I am confused and worried...Could it be Mama's illness stressing her out? I did remove the wheel as it was on a stand and Mama was wiggling her way under it and getting stuck, and I removed the big litter box and one of the small hide boxes from the first level too because mama was having troubles getting stuck places...there now only a log hid on the bottom level and a smaller litter box...the smaller upper level and the hammocks and tubes have not changed...
I have checked her over listening for breathing issues, possible bumps, scrapes and porphyrin nothing unusual...Altho I did witness this morning Ellie sort of bullying her...after wards she sort sort quietly and carefully snuck away to hide she was so stealthy about it, it was like she was trying not to draw attention to herself.
Any ideas?

 

[lilspaz68]

I find the 3-4 month range for my girls they get through a spooky phase, and the changes in her life may have set it off..

 

[dogsnbears]

I find the 3-4 month range for my girls they get through a spooky phase, and the changes in her life may have set it off..

i never thought of them going through a spooky phase. i noticed my girls get spooked the odd time. i just thought it was something new in the house setting them off (which it could be as well). they usually go back to normal the next day or 2, i find.

 

[Jems71]

I find the 3-4 month range for my girls they get through a spooky phase, and the changes in her life may have set it off..

My poor babies are all in a mess...the oldest Mama is ill and I am spending alot of time with her feeding and cleaning her and the cage doesn't have as much stuff in it and not the younger ones are being effected I am sure of it...so sad... :sad3:

 

[henry's_mum]

:hugs:
hun we do what we can... You're girls will be ok. I too have noticed many of the girls i've had in the rescue go through this 'spook' phase too. I would let them out for more out time, and give them LOTS of toys there to play with. Tire them out, so the in cage time doesn't get too boring.
Chin up love, you're doing a great job!
:hugs:

 

[Jems71]

:hugs:
hun we do what we can... You're girls will be ok. I too have noticed many of the girls i've had in the rescue go through this 'spook' phase too. I would let them out for more out time, and give them LOTS of toys there to play with. Tire them out, so the in cage time doesn't get too boring.
Chin up love, you're doing a great job!
:hugs:

Thanks! I do let them out the same amount of time...maybe even more...when I have Mama out the younger ones are free to come and go from the cage as they want...Lucy and Ellie take off as son as the door is open...Diamond hides...Maybe her and I need some alone time...but she even seems afraid of me and her favorite kid, oh well maybe its just a phase and will pass all my puppies go thru this too at differnt stages of growing up...hope its soon tho!
Thanks again for the kind words I really need to hear (read) them sometimes...

 

[Jems71]

:giggle:
I think I know why she was acting strange!
There is a foil balloon floating around the room since Tues evening! My daughters B'day this week...every time it floats by she will run and hide...I have the ceiling fan on alll the time to keep the air moving so the balloon is just floating around just a little higher than the cage...there is a weight on it to keep it from going all the way to the ceiling...Poor baby is scared of a Tinker bell Balloon... :laugh4:
I am sure all the changes to the cage and Mama being ill has not helped her out either...

 

[SQ]

Poor girl, no wonder she is afraid.
She likely thinks it is a predator, as rats are prey for large birds.

 

[henry's_mum]

awwwww

 

[lilspaz68]

Yeah she's probably going instinctual thinking that is a bird of prey. One of the reasons I work with unsocialized babies/rats under a blanket, so they can relax a bit because they are hidden from aerial predators. I hope you got rid of that balloon asap.

 

[ryelle]

We have an archway going from our dining room into our living room and there is curtains covering it. My girls got super stressed for a while. took me ages to figure out that when someone walked through the curtains it was scaring the living bejezus out of them. Its hard to think outside of the box (cage?) sometimes lol

 

[Jems71]

Actually she is playing with it now...chasing the ribbon...I turned the fan down so it would not move so much...now she thinks its fun...but I do remove it when I am not there to make sure she is not freaking out...she has been out playing last night and today now that she knows its not going to eat her...
My poor little girl...but now she is the predator...so maybe she is not such a poor little girl after all...

 

[jorats]

Rats can overcome their fear, I was going to say that eventually she won't be as scared. Same with loud noises at first it scares some rats but leave a TV on or radio on for a while and you'll see the rat no longer afraid and no longer hide at loud noises.

 

[Dahlas]

My rats are right in the very busy nosy living room and they are not scared of anything.....right now hubby is putting trim in the next room....he is using a nail gun....and a table saw and they are not batting any eye. They can and will get used to many things.....I think it is good for them to learn things will not hurt them...they are safe.