poop

[bookrat]

Any idea as to why and how to stop a rat who in all the time I've had her has never pooped in her cage outside of the litterbox and has now taken to pooping mostly in her box but also in a random spot on the floor?

On a different issue, I gave her a bunch of peas and corn last night and she usually shells the peas and makes a gigantic mess with them but today the bowl was empty and there was ZERO sign of anything I had given her. It's spooky in a way. I'm worried that perhaps she got a nighttime visit from furry wild friends without me noticing?

 

[Godmother]

Hmmm, that would explain why she suddenly poops on the floor.

Mine usually make a mess with pea skins but, if they get hungry during the night, they eat the pea shells in preference to lab blocks.

How big are the bars on her cage?

 

[jorats]

That happens with my guys too where they all of a sudden change habits and behaviours. These can change with stress or boredom or with changes in their lives. Or for whatever reasons really...
But if you fear you have an intruder, best to be on the lookout and make sure your little one is safe.

 

[Fidget]

I'm worried that perhaps she got a nighttime visit from furry wild friends without me noticing?

Wow, there's something I wouldn't have thought of... How about putting some mini marshmallows on the floor around the base of her cage to be sure she doesn't have a wild paramour? That could be unhealthy for her, not to mention 'fattening' in a maternal way...

If it's just her changeing habits I'd just keep picking up the poops and putting them where they belong..

Edit: P.S. Great post title, how could I not look at that??

 

[bookrat]

The more I think of it the less likely I think that there are wild visitors since there's plenty of her food in bags around the cage that have not been disturbed. I'm just super worried that my house will have the same mouse problem as it did last year. I *ahem* did some things I'm not proud of because my roommates were freaking out. One of them has since put in one of those electric rodent repellents...but I'm doubting it's effectiveness since Bathory has comfortably been around it.

 

[Fidget]

Well I don't guess a ratty can be 'comfortably' around one of those things since they are tested on ratties and their selling point is that they are unbearable to rats. So if it makes a wild rat retreat from the premises what's it going to do a helpless kid locked in a cage that can't escape it?
So that seems like a logical cause & effect for your girl acting abnormal, eh? Like she's sufferering stress, anxiety and even neurosis? Maybe psychosis if it continues?
I think you need to come to terms with your roommates and get that thing out of there. It must be like Chinese water torture for her (I apologize if that's a politically uncorrect term now) - like a tap dripping incessantly beside your ear for you? Poor Bathory if that's what's going on with her!
Can we do anything or suggest anything to help with the situation that would make your roomies have some compassion for Bathory - while you humans with power sort out what is going on with you and not make her the scapegoat?
It's so good of you write and look after her! I'm really worried about her tho....

 

[bookrat]

By comfortable I mean that, she has willingly sat on the counter directly in front of it, ran up and sniffed it, and did not run away. She could easily have freaked out being near it, run as far away from it as possible or a number of other things.

<Warning:Some aspects of the following paragraph may be disturbing to rodent lovers>
She's not a scapegoat for anything, my roommates all love her. The situation I was referring to last year was a sever mouse infestation in which they freaked out about needing something to be done about the mice but claiming to be incapable of doing anything themselves and they essentially forced me to lay traps...and deal with the consequences. (both snap traps and the catch and release ones, not a single mouse went into the c&r ones but 12 went in the other). Believe me, the sheer about a poison placed within this house makes me terrified of Bathory ever escaping my room. So if you have suggestions as to how to make them feel secure during a mouse infestation that doesn't involve killing or an electronic repellent feel free.