# Scared Rat



## urfavrotquack (Dec 18, 2012)

I accidentally scared the **** out of my rats this morning. I hit the cage when one of my cats tripped me and I yelled in the process, and now two of them won't come near me, and they're huddling in the corner. I tried picking them up and the one went really still until I put him back, and the other seemed ok at first then just completely freaked out and started trying to run away. Which he's never done before. Even when I first got him. I'm really worried I caused irreparable damage. Can anyone reassure me, or tell me how I can make it better?


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

I'm sure they will be fine, they were just very shaken. Give them a little bit of time to calm down, when you walk past the cage, etc, make sure you talk to them in a soothing and reassuring voice, try to coax them to you with treats once they seem to be acting normally in the cage, and when they've settled and are once again assured that you are loving and caring momma, they'll be fine. I used to give my girls baths all the time because they loved it, then I got a new one and didn't think about adding her to bathtime but she was totally traumatized for almost two days and I was actually worried I was going to lose her, but I fed her some baby food off a spoon and talk to her a lot and she snapped right out of it and became my loving cuddle buddy once again. So don't worry about it, just make sure to be as gentle and reassuring as possible and let them calm down a bit and all will be well.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

Just give them some quiet time and they'll be fine. You gave them a bit of a scare but they won't be harmed in the long term. I promise. =)


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## Possum Rat (Dec 30, 2012)

Those crazy a** cats tend to get underfoot sometimes !


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## urfavrotquack (Dec 18, 2012)

my poor little man is still so scared. He won't leave the top tier of their cage. I've been trying to get him to eat and drink but if he gets startled (which he does by everything) he stops and it's hard to get him to again... The other two are fine, I don't know why he's being effected by it so bad... I feel awful...


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## PeachPeach (Jun 22, 2012)

Bribery and time should help. My kids have a habit of scaring the rats, just because the rats are babies and the kids are SO loud, even when just playing nicely. But the ratties always forgive the startling times when the proper 'bait' is offered and head scritching is applied. Funny how that works


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## urfavrotquack (Dec 18, 2012)

I've been trying to bribe him, and give little doses of lovin', but he's still acting weird. He's sleeping a lot and his appetite seems off. Is this normal? Or is there something possibly wrong?


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## PeachPeach (Jun 22, 2012)

Unless something in the cage fell on him he should be fine, I'd say. I suppose it's possible the stress was SO bad for him that it weakened his immune system to the point where he might be having an opportunistic flare up of something or other, but that seems like quite the stretch for one big, but short, jolt. If he's acting sickly I'd say it's more likely coincidence, but I'd keep an eye on him and his weight just in case.


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