# My new rat wont stop drinking! Is this normal? And more questions...



## Mike&Sully'sMummy (Sep 1, 2012)

I got my two new rats, Mike and Sully, yesterday, from Pets at Home. Mike is a black fancy rat with a white patch on his belly, and Sully is an albino Dumbo Rat. The woman who sold them to me said they're about 10 weeks old although they are very big already. They've been exploring their cage all night, and now I've woken up, I can see that Mike is once again, drinking from the water bottle. He kept going to it last night, and this morning, he's been at it for 10 minutes straight. If he walks off, he'll return to the bottle within a minute or two. Sully also drinks, but not as much as Mike. Is this normal, or is something wrong?

Also, they're both very nervous of me still. They both will come up to the bars to sniff my hand, and will sit still if i put my hand in to pet them, but they scurry off to hide at sudden movements, or when they first see me. Mike even yawns at me, opening his mouth wide and showing his teeth. Is this a sign of aggression, or just a normal yawn?

Last question. Sully is an albino. Will this affect his health or life at all? 

Thank you. First time rat owner here so want the best for them.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

This is going to sound silly, but test the water bottle with your finger. The vacuum seals on some water bottles can get stuck with movement or even room temperature changes and can prevent a rat from getting water out of the nozzle easily. This is an issue with lots of water bottles.

Rub the little ball at the end of the nozzle with the tip of your finger as if you were licking at it. If water doesn't come out freely, give the bottle a little shake and try again. If all else fails, refill the bottle all the way to reset the seal.


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## RedFraggle (Jun 4, 2012)

cagedbirdsinging said:


> This is going to sound silly, but test the water bottle with your finger. The vacuum seals on some water bottles can get stuck with movement or even room temperature changes and can prevent a rat from getting water out of the nozzle easily. This is an issue with lots of water bottles.
> 
> Rub the little ball at the end of the nozzle with the tip of your finger as if you were licking at it. If water doesn't come out freely, give the bottle a little shake and try again. If all else fails, refill the bottle all the way to reset the seal.


Was going to post the exact same thing. Twice I have had bottles fail.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

They may not have had much access to water at the store, so they are making up for it. I have seen this behaviour many times...he may have not drunk anything in awhile, kinda like us chugging a drink when we are thirsty, I wouldn't worry...I think seeing a bunch of babies (or adults) at the water bottle with The Thirst is funny...everyone wants to drink at the same time LOL


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## binkyhoo (Sep 28, 2008)

That is just normal yawning. Rats do it alot. And It will take a bit of patience till they start feeling at home. Maybe think how you would feel if you were put into a new home with strangers. You might feel a bit skittish too? 

Welcome to the forum and spend sometime reading the posts. you will learn alot.


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