Strange Behaviour

[LA]

I forgot to put this in the intros post, but I figured I would let it have it's own.

Pearl (my siamese) does something really strange. I first noticed it when we took them out, she would run along the sides of the cardboard enclosure and it looks like she's trying to push the walls. She also did this in the cage last night. As well she seemed to be doing something funny with her feet like she was stomping or digging on the floor (levels) of the cage. Because we still have wire bars I thought it might be because she wasn't used to the bars on the floor. But I am just wondering if anyone else knows why she would do things like this.

 

[Moon]

The digging/pushing sounds to me like when Emma re-arranges bedding by pushing it around... and maybe Pearl was doing it, but was a bit misguided about it?

As for the running along the walls, perhaps her eyesight is particularly bad and was familiarising herself? Or, was nervous and trying to stay out of "the open".. I know wild rats especially run along walls for these two reasons.

 

[mamarat2]

Sounds like she is marking. Morgan does this A LOT. The rubbing and the fluffing with their front paws. Morgan does it when she comes out for playtimes. And sometimes after she has new clean stuff in her cage.

 

[lilspaz68]

I only recently learned that rats have a gland on their hips/flanks and they will rub it against things to mark their territory, esp. when they smell a new rat in their area

 

[Godmother]

Edith used to do this a lot! She was very alpha. If you put her in a place where she could smell "enemy" rats she would do this and look very fierce and determined while doing it.

 

[jorats]

Oh wow, you've got one too! I rarely see girls do this mostly boys. Yes, she's marking... she's the boss!

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

My Rose does this to. She usually gets all puffed out and huffs while she hunkers down and rubs on everything.

 

[LA]

Well Pearl doesn't seem to puff out or anything like that. Wayne said he notices she has really poor vision she seems farsighted. Last night Wayne took some food and showed her away from her and then brought it to her, when it got to her she had to search for it. She has pink eyes like Ruby but Ruby is good up close but sways for far away. Pearl doesn't sway. That might be it. She can see the bars walking up to them but when she gets to them she's a little confused. Not sure. I will watch her maybe it is just marking. Thanks guys.

 

[Moon]

Hmm, I didn't know they marked that way! Very neat.

 

[Fidget]

Some of my kids have to check out everything new to find it's boundaries.