My rat is hiding behind my dresser & won’t come back.

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Joined
May 16, 2020
Messages
18
Location
Toronto, Ontario
My rat is missing. For 2-3 days now. She always takes off for a bit n then comes back but this time she hasn’t returned. I know she is under this huge mirror/dresser that is very large n heavy, impossible for me to move it even a little. So i have sat so many times on the floor near the dresser, calling her & i know she’s there i’ve heard her but she’s not coming back. I do have a water bowl for my dog in my room so i’m guessing she’s drinking that water. I just don’t understand why she’s not returning. She loves exploring but never leaves for longer than a few hrs, maybe a full day one other time, but its been too long. I’m stressed out. I don’t know what will entice her to come back out. Not sure if i put food down, if she will be able to smell it from back there & what food would be irresistible for a rat?? I’m worried but completely unable to move the dresser :( Any ideas anyone? Thx for your time.
 
Coco's cage is a 6 story critter nation so its kind of too big to squeeze in that area plus all her sisters are in there so i can't even leave the door open. But i have a bunch of habitrails that have no door & open tube spacings & she's used to those bc i have 2 of those on my bed & they sleep & eat & play in there when i have them free roaming. So u think if i put a cage in the vacinity, she might go in it? I just don't think thats gonna work. Then she has free access to food & water & she'll continue to hide. Im so stressed out. I could hear her chewing on something in middle of every night behind the dresser. Except last night, its been too long, im really worried. Today i found her poop (lots of poop) in my dog's crate which is right by the water bowl. On the other side of my room far ways from the dresser!! This means she's explored my entire room! And she obviously has numerous hiding spots which means she could be anywhere. I may never find her! Last night was the first night i didn't hear her chewing behind the dresser. I had even left a treat last night but its still sitting there. Why is she doing this?! I don't get it. I got her when she was only 3-4 wks old, i saw these tiny lil baby rats & they were so cute, they were snake food & i just couldn't allow that. That was in February. I thought we had a close bond & i spend so much time with them, why would she want to leave? I do wonder if maybe her behaviour might be related to her coming from a (feeder) breeder, can genetics affect their personalities? Sorry for the long post. I just needed to vent & desperate for any ideas/suggestions because im drawing a blank. And i figured if i gave more details on the situation maybe it will give u more insight & maybe you'll have a really creative solution that i just haven't thought of yet! lol Thx for your time & your help.
 
OK so she's definitely there, just being a brat. Put down the habitrails and see if she goes inside them. Water as you know is most important, food less so. Do you have a small cage you can put her fav sister in on the floor to draw her out?

You might end up having to buy a humane live trap for her, bait it with water and peanut butter (smelly)
 
Omg why didn’t i think of that?!
Thats BRILLIANT 💡😛 I tried the habitrail cages in a few areas but she’s too smart, i think this is like a game to her & she has yet to take the bait lol She’s probably waiting til after i fall asleep. As soon as i saw ur suggestion, i went on amazon & ordered one. Should be here tomorrow👍🏼
Thx again lilspaz68🌟🌟🌟
 
I just spent a good 20 minutes calling her name over & over again, with freshly made popcorn in my lap. And after calling her name nonstop for that long, it had an effect. The trick was to not stop, i wore her out in 20 minutes time lol A bit exhausting but totally worth it .Still can’t believe she came back. So relieved! And i’m gonna still get the cage, as i have a feeling Coco is an expert escape artist. And she’s lost a fair amount of weight. I don’t understand why she would torment herself for days w/o food lol Just glad she’s back.
 
She was probably sleeping, and your persistent calling finally woke her up...sooo happy to hear you got her!

Now you owe us a pic of the little houdini...once she's rested up of course!! ;)
 
Omg I’ve been so distracted, completely forgot to check in sorry. Its never easy getting a pic of
D348115D-29A7-4A51-A292-BFEAA23FE1D3.jpeg
B88EB593-E749-442B-AFA4-47D56CE4DD45.jpeg82973B21-BD33-42E9-A15D-262C283C418B.jpegCoco Puffs as she can never stay still. Most of my pics of her of are of her sleeping😂😂😂But i finally succeeded in a good one!
D348115D-29A7-4A51-A292-BFEAA23FE1D3.jpeg
 
Hahaha. I had a rat that absailed up the corner of the kitchen counter and crawled down in behind the fridge. She loved to sleep there. I tried everything to stop her but eventually just gave in. She then would climb to the top of the fridge and jump 3 feet down to my bed as soon as I turned off the light to sleep. All my rats are free roaming in my very small place. When I bring groceries home I put them on my bed and let them go through the crinkly bags.
 
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