# Do rats purr?



## rattielvr

Usually when my rats get petted and relaxed for awhile their bodies sort of tremor like when a cats purring. Is that what it is? I mean it has to be some sort of happy thing because they always seem so relaxed while doing it.


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## SweetLittleDelilah

Is the "vibration" concentrated in their head? xD
They brux, which is when they grind their teeth and it's the equivalent of purring.


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## rattielvr

no its like their whole bodies  I know what you're talking about though. Its sort of like a shiver but they arent cold XD


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## SweetLittleDelilah

Ohhh ok. Hmm.
My girls do that sometimes too, I don't really know why. =/


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## Stace87

Yeah I know what you mean about the whole body vibrating, but not when they're bruxing. My boys do it sometimes  Max more so than Spike. It must be a happy thing too.


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## rattielvr

lol I guess its a mystery.


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## Hallie-Mae

Mine do that too 8O
Would it just be their muscles tensing and relaxing very quickly, making them "shiver" ? 
I hear rats do that when they're relaxed


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## geebus

rattielvr said:


> lol I guess its a mystery.


I love the mysteries -


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## SteakBreakfast

Rats are so specific to their the way they show their "emotions" that there is no way to know. Just something some pick up I guess. Mine have never done that. They just brux and sometimes boggle.


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## rattielvr

lol mine do it a lot but only when theyre relaxed. Weird lol.


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## Shadowboxer

Does your rats eyes look like they're bubbling up and down quickly as they shiver? I looked that up a long time ago because my rat was doing it and it was freaking me out. It said something about unhinjing *sp* the jaw and blah blah blah...main point is that it is done during a time of extreme _contentment._


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## SweetLittleDelilah

No, that's boggling, and it's done only during intense bruxing. =]


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## rattielvr

yeah my justin used to do that but this is way different.


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## cinderella

Mine shiver, but it seems to be the young frightened ones, I thought it was that. Ive been working more with a 4 month old, Id love to know that it meant he was relaxed with me.

My older more socialized rats dont shiver they just brux and boggle


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## rattielvr

My older ones do it too. Cinnamon especially if you sit there and pet him he'll brux and then he'll shiver. Its cute.


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