odinson
Active Member
Hi there, I'm a first-time rat owner and have two half-wild boys, Thor and Loki (born May 14), who arrived late Friday night. I've been told their temperament is a bit more high strung than typical pet rats but they did start socializing with their foster family. Their mum said it may still might take some time and they are still developing, so we don't know what personalities to expect. They seem very shy and nervous in their new space, which in turn makes me nervous! I'm worried they don't want to come out of their cage for me even though it's only been a couple days, and I'm not sure if there is something wrong. I want to take it at their pace and not force them out and I've been placing my hand outside the cage for them to get used to my scent. Thor was even scaling bars yesterday looking for a way out so I know they're antsy, but seem so scared of me! I consulted some threads here and watched some videos by the Rat Guru on youtube so some of the behaviour has been explained, like one lying on his side (dead sleep), yawning a lot, and how to tell a nip from a bite. Yesterday Loki sort of lunged at my hand by the bars, mouth first, then later when I placed my hand close to him, he did briefly latch on to my knuckle and almost broke the skin. I'm the type to yank my hand back in a knee-jerk reaction from pain, but I can see that even that scares them.
I also wanted to know if short squeaks or peeps are normal, there seems to be conflicting information on this. Yesterday Thor was on his hind legs with his nose pointed in the air and made these barely audible high-pitched squeaks (similar to a mouse, I'd say). That wouldn't have worried me because it didn't sound like it was his breathing, but this morning I think one of them sneezed as soon as I came up to the cage -- so of course, my mind is racing. I wanted to make a vet visit just in case, but now I'm actually worried. Thor just turned away and huddled on top of his brother in their PVC tube and started twitching??? Please help, I just want to make sure they're okay and I'm not overreacting, but I'm totally prepared to make a vet visit just in case.
I also wanted to know if short squeaks or peeps are normal, there seems to be conflicting information on this. Yesterday Thor was on his hind legs with his nose pointed in the air and made these barely audible high-pitched squeaks (similar to a mouse, I'd say). That wouldn't have worried me because it didn't sound like it was his breathing, but this morning I think one of them sneezed as soon as I came up to the cage -- so of course, my mind is racing. I wanted to make a vet visit just in case, but now I'm actually worried. Thor just turned away and huddled on top of his brother in their PVC tube and started twitching??? Please help, I just want to make sure they're okay and I'm not overreacting, but I'm totally prepared to make a vet visit just in case.