Can somebody shed any light for me? I'm completely freaked out and panicking!! I got home? Muffin was "normal"...crawling up my legs, eating, playing.... Then I noticed her acting very skidish and "sniffing" the air a lot. It's almost like she can't see!!!! My vet is closed and I don't know what to do. She won't come to me and I'm so sad for her...!!! Any ideas as to what's going on?
Wtf?
- Thread starter Muffin1
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Do you leave her loose while you're gone? There's a chance she could've gotten into something that might be affecting her. Or maybe something spooked her really badly while you were gone? I would get to your vet as soon as they open. Right now she might be skittish, but at least she doesn't seem ill or injured.
Yes. She is loose all day. I DID accidentally step on her little front foot while I was feeding her. She cried so loud it freaked ME out. I picked her up and stroked her awhile and she seemed normal after that. Then about 15 minutes later she started acting weird..... When I got home, she was normal so I don't think she got in to anything. Yes!! Vet first thing in the AM. Another poster mentioned she could be in heat?
AAT
Studio Animal Trainer; Licensed Wildlife Rehabilit
Typically just prior to a doe's "freezing" when in heat, she will hop forward. If touched on her flanks, she will arch her back downward while elevating her rear, and vibrate her ears (the ear vibration is audible). Is she doing any of this? How is she at the moment?
AAT
Studio Animal Trainer; Licensed Wildlife Rehabilit
Here is a video of a female rat in heat (not my rats). You can see what I am describing as the "freezing" and hopping for you to compare. Warning... there is some humping in the video.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reeZW6iKi6Q[/ame]
Also, to clarify the sequence of events, was she exhibiting this skittish behaviour shortly after she was stepped on? If so, I may be more inclined to think she was severely spooked by the incident, hence her behaviour.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reeZW6iKi6Q[/ame]
Also, to clarify the sequence of events, was she exhibiting this skittish behaviour shortly after she was stepped on? If so, I may be more inclined to think she was severely spooked by the incident, hence her behaviour.
Thanks for your responses. She is still acting skittish this AM. At night she usually jumps on our bed and runs around for awhile for before curling up under the sheets or climbing down to sleep somewhere else. She is still "sniffing" a lot too. She came up to me for a couple seconds then retreated quickly. After I stepped on her paw/foot, she squealed so loud (😭
, I picked her up, kissed her several times, stroked her head/body then out her down. She seemed fine but she did start acting crazy after this incident. I picked her up, put her on the couch w me and she ran under a set of pillows where I then started scratching her. She settled down and I continued to rub on her for 20 minutes. But she tried her best to get away from me after that. I guess rats are NOT like dogs, huh? What do you recommend I do?? Thank you.
AAT
Studio Animal Trainer; Licensed Wildlife Rehabilit
Thanks for your responses. She is still acting skittish this AM. At night she usually jumps on our bed and runs around for awhile for before curling up under the sheets or climbing down to sleep somewhere else. She is still "sniffing" a lot too. She came up to me for a couple seconds then retreated quickly. After I stepped on her paw/foot, she squealed so loud (��
Have you inspected her forepaw to ensure it was not possibly injured when it was stepped on? E.g., bruising/discolouring, frequent elevation off the ground, distortion, etc. It sounds like she has had a bad scare.
Two things I recommend:
1. Give her time and space to recover from the trauma. Depending on the severity of the incident and the general temperament/disposition of the rat, the time it will take to recover can vary greatly. But first, please ensure that she does not need any medical attention.
2. Find a rat friend of the same sex for her constant companion. Rats go to one another for comfort, and after experiencing a traumatic incident they re-learn trust by observing and emulating their rat companions. It will take considerably longer for a single rat to recover from an incident such as this and re-learn trust. There are far more reasons why rats need to be kept with conspecifics, but this is just one of the many.
As well, it is an unfortunate reality that the risks are considerably higher when keeping free-range rats. Rat-proofing is constant, and there are always daily risks including getting stepped on, dropping things on them, and I have heard of an incident where someone's rats fell asleep in a laundry hamper during the day and, well... I'm sure you can guess the rest. It was extremely tragic and completely avoidable. If nothing else, I would at least recommend caging her when you are not home to supervise. Putting together a rat paradise is a fun, always-ongoing project (there are threads on here from which you can draw some inspiration for spoiling your girl, such as this one: http://www.ratshackforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10041&highlight=show&page=11), and you can still bring her out in your home when you can supervise. A fun and spacious rattie mansion should keep any potentially hazardous incidents to a minimum.
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Thank you!!!! I am HAPPY to report that Muffin jumped on the bed this morning and started giving me kisses!! She curled up beside me and fell asleep as I scratched her head! Thank GOD she seems to be over the trauma. You all were correct in saying it may have been the trauma of me stepping on her foot that scared her away. She is back to her normal, playful and cuddly self. Whew!!
Thank you for all your help. I will look at getting a contained rat mansion for her while I'm away from the house. I'll post pictures and keep you updated!
AAT
Studio Animal Trainer; Licensed Wildlife Rehabilit
Good to hear.
Please do consider finding her a female rat friend (or two... or three... ) as well. Is there a reason why she is your only rat? (e.g., personal preference, circumstances, can't find others, etc.?)
