# Hair all fluffed out?



## Maddie (Jan 13, 2014)

I know cats sometimes their hair stands up of course when they have been fighting ect. Does this happen with rats? Ty was fine and now his hair is poofy and standing out. He looks double his size and kinda creepy. I'm not sure what is going on since he hasn't been fighting with Rikki or anything. Can bad weather make them panic like some animals? We are inside but under a heavy storm/tornado watch tonight. I'm just a bit confused he is acting like his regular self and his fur was not all "poofy" when I got him out.


----------



## DustyRat (Jul 9, 2012)

Examine him from top to bottom. Erect hair is a sign of distress. Is he acting aggressive? As erect hair can also indicate aggression. It may be nothing but only time will tell.


----------



## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Being scared, tense, angry, or sick can cause it. Usually, you'll hear chattering or see tail wagging, or cage mates will nose off or freeze. 

I had a Rex that would also go poofy when comfy and cold and sleepy. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Maddie (Jan 13, 2014)

Well I checked him over when I had them out for free range still. He didn't respond weirdly to being handled, and he still roamed around just fine, took a treat when I gave him one and just kinda went about his usual getting into trouble. They have been in the cage for about an hour now, so I went to check on him again. He was cuddled up in one of the little plastic cups I have on the sides of the cage in a nest of fleece scraps I leave in there for them. I took him out. His hair is not as fluffy as earlier, but it's still poofy. I prodded all over him and even pushed a bit hard around his body just to see if he was trying to cover any pain.

They both seem decently calm and Rikki is asleep in one of the hanging cubes, but it's not unusual for them to sleep apart or spend time apart they do that decently often. I really just have no idea he doesn't act like anything is hurt, he is eating and drinking like normal and took treats. I know what you mean about the tense chattering or tail wagging since I've seen both of them do it, but he hasn't done either of those things since his hair was all poofy. I don't think it has disturbed his brother since Rikki was still running around Ty trying to get him to play and wrestle before they were done with free range. 

Sometimes Ty is kinda hard to read because he's pretty calm. Even if the two get into a fight I have to split up I can just scoop Ty up, and he has like no reaction to it. I even rolled him on his back a little while ago and felt around his tummy, and he kinda just lays there and lets me do it which is pretty typical for him. 

Should this maybe be a medical concern where I need to call a vet or just see how he is in the morning? I just dunno he isn't really acting weird besides havin his hair frizzed up and crazy looking.


----------



## DustyRat (Jul 9, 2012)

I do not think it is a medical concern from what you are describing.


----------



## Maddie (Jan 13, 2014)

We'll yesterday and this morning he is normal again. Whatever my rats are weirdos lol


----------



## KreoCrisis (Jan 9, 2014)

He could have been cold. My Weeta will poof up if she's chilly. Is he skinnier than the others? Weeta is a skinny rat, for all my efforts of trying to fatten her up, and she doesn't have the layer of fat most rats have so she gets cold easier than my other three. Whenever she looks like she just got zapped, I crank up my heater and that solves the problem.


----------

