Zombie Spaced Out Cage Bar Chewing All Day

[OldsGal]

Ok so I know a bit of cage bar chewing is very normal and probably all of my rats do it at some point thoughout the day. However, for the past two days Marguerite has taken it to a whole new level. I am not sure what to think about it.

Background: Marguerite is a very very old lady PEW who I adore! She is going blind and I am almost positive she is deaf. You have to drum your fingers near her to let her know you are present other wise if you touch her she jumps and will spin as if to bite. She never has but I hate making her feel threatened like that. She is very thin and I just know her time with me is limited. Her hind end is pretty well gone. But girl has spunk still. She hops up on top of her hidey home and builds nests that could compete with the best of them. I have her living in a one level super pet along with another geriatric foster rat.

Well for the past two days Marguerite sits in a corner and bar chews with this spaced out zombie look on her face and she just does this for long sessions before tireing and taking a nap. Then back at it again. At first I firgured she wanted out to see me and play on the couches while I checked e mails and watched TV. So we did that for a few hours today. Then back in the cage she went. Back to chewing on the bars. So I thought she wanted some new toys in the cage and possibly a few wood chews to keep her busy. Nope she wants nothing to do with those. New nesting material. No. Fresh water. No. Food. No. I can not figure out what this rat wants. Is she going senile? Do I just let her go and figure it is no big deal? Anyone else have a rat do this before?

I know it isn't her cage mate. She curls up and snoozes with her most of the time. They get a long great.

Staci

 

[jorats]

Is this a new cage for her? Has she been through a change? Is the buddy new? Or did a buddy move out?

 

[OldsGal]

Well she has been living in this cage for about 2 weeks now. She has been living with this cage mate for about 4 weeks now. There was a third elder cage mate who passed away about 2 weeks ago. I did clean the cage a few days ago and put it in a new location in the room.

Staci

 

[user 78]

Both of my girls sometimes zone out while they're chewing on something. With Grey it's the cage, she's actually managed to strip some of the powdercoat off in her favorite corner. Lil will do the same with a chew toy or even on her litter pan. They'll jsut sit there and gnaw away.

I think of it as some people chewing on a pen or pencil when daydreaming. Doesn't hurt anything.. Well, except my cage, but, oh well.

 

[jorats]

I've noticed with some of mine, changes will cause them to start chewing, almost like they are trying to break out because something is just not right with what they are used too. I'd wait a bit and see if she gets used to it.

 

[allykatt]

The same thing happened to my old rat Pearl when she was old and getting close to the end. It was like suddenly she HAD to chew. She would mostly want to chew cardboard or paper though. Even though her back end barely worked, if there was paper int eh middle of my floor, or half way across the bed,s he woudl brag her self over there just to chew. I let ehr had a few peices of paper and cardboard that were Just for Her so she would stop eating my text books and important things.

It was just strange because she had never really been that much of a chewer before, and then it was like all she wanted to do was either cuddle with me or chew.

My other rat Opie started chewing fabric like crazy a few months before she died too. I have many many thignsw to "remember" Pearl and Opie by with all teh things they chewed!

 

[mamarat]

I noticed some of my ratties will chew if they are in pain too.

 

[OldsGal]

I noticed some of my ratties will chew if they are in pain too.

I didn't think about pain....

Poor girl is very old and her hind end doesn't work. There is a huge chance she could have some arthritis or some other old lady pangs. Maybe I will give her a bit of Motrin or Tylenol tonight to see if that helps a bit.

Thank you for the reminder! :thumbup:

 

[mamarat]

I hope it helps your old girl. I just so love oldies. :heart:

 

[Godmother]

I hope that the pain meds help her. If not, I wonder if she's chewing to get more sensory stimulation? If she is deaf and almost blind, she'd almost feel like she was living in a sensory deprivation tank.