# Tail Wrigglin'!



## Fraido (Oct 1, 2014)

I've posted about this before, but no one replied! Anybody else got rats that wiggle around their tails? I've read something about it being excitement or tension, all but one of my boys do it when I hold them down so they can't move, lol. 
I have a video, it's dark but you can still see Mur, Nixon and Reubin's tails all going when I put my hand on them!
http://youtu.be/aPJ1cxMG_24
Lemme know if the link works!


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## JAnimal (Jul 23, 2014)

We'll mine never do that. I would wait for someone who knows more to reply.  but I hope it's just a quirk.


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## Fraido (Oct 1, 2014)

I'm quite certain it's nothing wrong with them. Just a cute, quirky behaviour!


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## JAnimal (Jul 23, 2014)

Well if it is just a quirk than it's adorable.


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## Smilebud (Jul 31, 2012)

My William used to do this! He'd only do it when he was really really happy. He'd have to be lying on his tummy with my hand on a certain place on his back. I always called it "noodling".


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## Fraido (Oct 1, 2014)

It's so cute!


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## Grotesque (Mar 19, 2014)

Gizzard did it when she was really young. She was seriously the rudest little rat ever. She would butt hump the dominant rat, then get beat up. Afterwards, she would sit in the corner wriggin' her tail just like that with the saddest look on her face. LoL


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## Fraido (Oct 1, 2014)

Lool! xD Too funny!


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## Sugapot (Mar 3, 2013)

One of mine do it!!


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## Minky (Apr 4, 2013)

It's not a quirk. It's an expression of tension and discomfort. Some rats do it to show dominance. My rat Minky used to barge into the rabbit's pen and wiggle her tail in a face-to-face stand-off with the rabbit. If you see this behavior, it means your rats are uncomfortable, or they feel threatened.


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## Kitterpuss (May 9, 2014)

My rat also wiggles his tail when he's in play mode and I pet him. I don't believe he's uncomfortable or threatened when he does it, just super stimulated and excited. Sometimes he runs over for pets and wiggles his tail. I think it might represent intense emotion be that positive or negative.


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## Amph (Apr 14, 2015)

I would agree its something to do with stimulation as I have only seen it when someone is slowly stroking the back of a sleepy rat. Its almost like a spasm from the touch itself. It would be interesting to use a bat detector at the same time to hear if they are being vocal. You might be able to learn what it means then.


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## dguizzy (Jun 9, 2014)

My squishy rat Pearl does this when I scratch a certain part along her neck, it's not always but i'm pretty sure she definitely enjoys it because I do hear the bruxing sometimes while I do it!


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## Fraido (Oct 1, 2014)

Yeah, I'm pretty sure they're not feeling threatened or are scared! In my video, they were hopeful for a piece of hotdog, lol.


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## Kitterpuss (May 9, 2014)

Ahaha so cute!


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