Do rats get jealous?

[smalltowngirl]

I had the boys out playing with them last night. I had 2 kid size little tables pushed together, covered w/a fleece blanket, and various toys/balls/tubes for them to play with. I laid back on the couch to relax to where they could get on my leg and come up to see me as usual. Deigo & Archie came up to my chest/face, stretched out, and I was quietly talking to them/loving on them. Rizzo noticed and came up over top of them, got between them and myself, and peed on ME! I have had him since March and this is the first time he has marked me. He always does a little tinkle on Jim(My man) but never me! Was he jealous or what? :giggle:

 

[jorats]

I honestly don't think rats know "jealousy" but they do like to claim things/people.
He probably heard the other two sending happy signals while being with you and so went to check it out and thought, oh ya, this is super nice, it's now mine. :cheeky:

 

[Moon]

I on the other hand think rats can be jealous, but it's more from a resource point of few.
"He has food, I need food! He has mom, I need mom too!!"

 

[twitch]

oh i think rats can be jealous just fine. i have chancey as current poof and had bribery as proof before him though bribes only routinely got between me and the other rat i was loving on so i would only be able to love on him. chancey on the other hand will chase kevin off the bed and pull the ears of other rats if i'm paying them attention instead of him... apparently i am his and his alone and no one else should ever have my attention. ever. i think its kinda cute in a sad sort of way...

but not knowing your boys i think either of jo's or moon's observations could be right. it could have been, "they are having nice, let's see... ah yes, this is nice and now mine," or "i want it too, now its mine." or he could be like my chancey and be all, "whaaaAaaAAT!!?!? NO! I must be the center of attention!! move, move, mom is MINE dangit!!" or maybe like my bribes used to be, "wait... no... I'M mom's. stupid other rat is getting MY pets. maybe if i just put a foot here, and another here...yes, she's not noticing. and i wiggle my butt here and THERE now mom HAS to pet me and ONLY me! and for good measure, *marks* yeah she is MINE noob!"

 

[Fidget]

Oh yeah, they can be jealous. Only the odd ratty really shows it tho, I've only had a couple that would act out, January the most, she will come running whenever she hears me talking to someone else, and it's not for treats, she'll push herself under my hand to be petted if I'm patting someone else.. I actually have to have more alone time with her than anyone else or she starts getting cranky (even kind of nasty) with the others and starts shredding paper manically.
I saw a show on TV with dogs, and it showed that if you have 3 together and give treats to 2 and not one the one will gradually start to become unhappy & insecure. They surely do notice.
I think only the odd one really feels jealousy tho, it's not a 'pack' type feeling is it?

 

[smalltowngirl]

He didn't "mark" me last night but he did make sure he was in the center of EVERYTHING. I'm sure it's because he was the only rattie for 3 months and is spoiled beyond belief! I'm still giving him his "special" times out with me. They can all be playing and if the other boys stop for cuddles from me then here comes Rizzo. :heart: (He will always be special because he is my first.) He loves Diego & Archie and they all get along just fine in and out of the cage. My Mom says Rizzo acts more like a dog then a rat. :giggle:

 

[melon_mayhem]

I think that they could get jealous (in their own rattie way)
Emma is the 1st rat i ever owned and for a month or 2 she was a lone rat.
So she got TONS of attention!

Once i got my 2nd rat Izzy Emma would throw little fits and fight for my attention when ever i would play with Iz.

I just dont think that rats are good at sharing :giggle:

 

[jorats]

I think that they could get jealous (in their own rattie way)

Exactly... In their own rattie way... but not sure if it would be called jealousy. Jealousy is such an ugly emotion, I can't relate to animals.

 

[melon_mayhem]

Exactly... In their own rattie way... but not sure if it would be called jealousy. Jealousy is such an ugly emotion, I can't relate to animals.

I can understand why you feel that way, animals are cute and innocent :nod:

 

[Fidget]

I think that they could get jealous (in their own rattie way)

Exactly... In their own rattie way... but not sure if it would be called jealousy. Jealousy is such an ugly emotion, I can't relate to animals.

Yeah, I can see that. I guess when it's critters we're better to say 'territorial' than 'jealous'. They sure can be territorial, over their place in the heirarchy, a favorite hideyplace or toy, why not their person too? And try giving one a chocolate chip and see if they take a bite and pass it on to the others, lol.

That program I saw with the dogs sure made it obvious that they are aware of what others are getting and relate it to what they are getting tho, and show not anger, but insecurity when they are being short-changed. I don't think jealousy is an ugly emotion, more a sad one, if it's ugly it's in the reaction, not the feeling, and those dogs didn't act out angrily, just insecurely. Which certainly is better than we would expect from most humans!