# new rat owner have a question



## jfrazier71 (Apr 3, 2013)

So when I am out bonding with my rat when I scratche above his tail or his shoulder he either a) licks the couch until I stop or b) makes a noise with his teeth then makes another weird noise and his eyes go crazy... what is this?


----------



## bbrats (Jan 21, 2013)

Awww it sounds like he is bruxing! Does it sound like hes teeth are kind of chattering or like a grinding sand in your teeth kind of sound? (thats what i always though it sounded like) And are his eyes bulging in and out? If yes then he is bruxing! It means he's really happy!


----------



## jfrazier71 (Apr 3, 2013)

Yeah its like chattering and his eyes are bulging in and out! Yyay glad to know jes happy I always thought he was scared of me. Granted I only had him for 2 weeks


----------



## jfrazier71 (Apr 3, 2013)

What does the licking the couch mean?


----------



## bbrats (Jan 21, 2013)

Ya no rats do that when they are happy! He likes you! Sounds like you are doing a great job with him if you've only had him for two weeks and he is already bruxing for you. As far as the licking the couch...i have no idea hahah.


----------



## bbrats (Jan 21, 2013)

Have you tried putting your hand between him and the couch to see what he does? (if he licks your hand instead or if he just stops)


----------



## socal_sarah (Mar 5, 2013)

Aww, great job for sure! I just barely got my Garnet to brux & boggle (the eye popping thing) for me today for the first time & I got her at the end of Feb!

On a side note, does your ratty have a buddy or is he by himself?


----------



## jfrazier71 (Apr 3, 2013)

He is by himself I tried to get him a friend but he bullied him to where he wouldn't come out of his house nothing and the other one brought lice which i just got rid of. And when I put my hand under his mouth when he's licking the couch he stops then when I move my hand he starts again until I stop petting him


----------



## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

How old is he? Its not good for ratties to be alone--it's very hard on them. Depending on how old he is there are some good tricks to introducing him to a cuddle buddy.


----------



## jfrazier71 (Apr 3, 2013)

He's 8 months... the vet told me to leave by himself. He doesn't seem lonely he comes out for 2-3 hours a day.


----------



## JudeWriley (Aug 1, 2007)

jfrazier71 said:


> He's 8 months... the vet told me to leave by himself. He doesn't seem lonely he comes out for 2-3 hours a day.


Nah the vet is wrong there. Rats *need* other rats. Unless you can be with him 24/7 for the rest of his life, he's going to be lonely. (How could you know what a lonely rat looks like anyway?) If you get him a buddy, and do the proper introductions, everyone will be happier for longer.


----------



## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

He sounds like he's very happy with you as his human companion, kicking out his legs and licking is a great sign that they're loving the affection you're giving them. Sometimes rats just lick what's close I noticed, I think it's mistaken for you haha, my girl Ellie does this sometimes. As for getting him a friend, it's a tricky one because of his age, but introducing a young boy would be the best choice here as adult males don't see them as a threat. You're looking to introduce a boy that's around 3 months old, not much older than 4 months ideally. Your vet was very wrong, rats are social animals and need companions in their packs to groom and act out natural instinctual behaviours such as dominance play, grooming and to establish a hierarchy.


----------



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Rats can't ever be kept alone, but they can live with a human constant companion... If you can be there all of the time it works, we started out with our shoulder rat that way... We took Fuzzy Rat to the store, to the park, to the lake and we never left the house without our rat so she was never alone if we were awake... Fuzzy Rat has a friend now and it's actually easier because we can go out without the rats and in winter this is a real blessing. We still take them along when we can, but it's nice to know that if we can't or it's too cold outside our rat isn't sulking by herself wondering if she has been abandoned.


----------



## PurpleGirl (Oct 12, 2012)

ratclaws said:


> it's a tricky one because of his age, but introducing a young boy would be the best choice here as adult males don't see them as a threat


Agreed, if you get a much younger male, ideally a couple of months old, your rat shouldn't view him as a threat as the newbie won't be fully matured. Introducing older males to other older males can be risky as the territorial part of their nature can kick in super hard. I'm surprised to hear a vet recommending you leave him on his own; I'm sure you provide lovely company for him - yay for boggling and bruxing! - but if you have him out for 2-3 hours a day (which is good), that's still over 20 hours a day that he's sitting with nobody to play with. If it seems like he bullies a new cagemate, remember he may just be asserting his alpha status and if he doesn't actually physically harm the other rat, i.e. draw blood, it's Ok for them to be together.


----------



## jfrazier71 (Apr 3, 2013)

Okay so how do I introduce them?


----------



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

This covers introductions...

http://www.ratforum.com/showthread.php?67442-Immersion-Training-The-Guide


----------



## pwoink (Feb 19, 2013)

Here are a couple sites that outline suggested introduction processes: from the Rat Guide and from Ratty Rat. Different guides and people suggest different details, but the general steps are usually the same. The details might make it seem complicated, but it isn't once you start -- it just takes some patience! 

I hope you decide to get a companion for your rattie. Let us know how it goes!


----------



## jfrazier71 (Apr 3, 2013)

Just bought another rat. I'm going to make sure he's healthy for a week before I put him near my guy


----------



## Jackie (Jan 31, 2013)

Great!  hopefully they will get along well.
I am soooo jealous! I only hear my girls bruxing but I haven't seen their eyes boggle yet.


----------



## RosesRufflesandRats (Apr 25, 2013)

My chiweenie (chihuahua/dachshund mix) licks the couch when she's happy because she's getting attention. A dog is not the same thing as a rat but I'm guessing it would mean a similar thing.


----------



## RosesRufflesandRats (Apr 25, 2013)

My chiweenie (chihuahua/dachshund mix) licks the couch when I pet her. It means she's happy. A dog isn't the same thing as a rat, but I'm guessing it would mean a similar thing. Especially if he is also bruxing, which means he's definitely happy and likes you very, very much.


----------



## jfrazier71 (Apr 3, 2013)

Okay so I have a problem that I need help with. My new guy has like sneezing fota. I just got him.yesterday at 4pm in pet smart he sneezed a little and the two girls who have owned rats for 9+ years came over and listened to him and said they don't hear clicking. But I brought him home and the sneezing got worse he sneezes and squeaks. Could this be from the bedding he was on?? And now I took him to a new home so it got worse? He is on care fresh now. Should I be worried? My first rat is on the other side of the room is he safe? And pet smart said if it doesn't stop bring him back within the 14 days and they will take him to the vet. How long should I wait to do that. Also his eyes are clear no wet nose extremely active and eating and drinking normally.


----------



## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

jfrazier71 said:


> Okay so I have a problem that I need help with. My new guy has like sneezing fota. I just got him.yesterday at 4pm in pet smart he sneezed a little and the two girls who have owned rats for 9+ years came over and listened to him and said they don't hear clicking. But I brought him home and the sneezing got worse he sneezes and squeaks. Could this be from the bedding he was on?? And now I took him to a new home so it got worse? He is on care fresh now. Should I be worried? My first rat is on the other side of the room is he safe? And pet smart said if it doesn't stop bring him back within the 14 days and they will take him to the vet. How long should I wait to do that. Also his eyes are clear no wet nose extremely active and eating and drinking normally.


Wait for replies to your thread instead of hijacking other threads - if you look I've replied to it.


----------



## jfrazier71 (Apr 3, 2013)

This is my thread too....


----------



## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

Oh my bad, just saw you posted a duplicate from your other thread haha, sorry.


----------



## pwoink (Feb 19, 2013)

The first thing I'd do is switch him to a different bedding, maybe just cloth or fleece for now, to see if that's the only thing that was irritating him.


----------



## trematode (Sep 8, 2012)

I just wanted to point out the quarantine is usually a 2 week minimum in a separate room.


----------

