# Wishing my rats would brux for me :c



## Hitmanthe3rd (Jul 16, 2013)

Hey! you've probably seen my around. But I'm about 2 months into rat owning. I know the rats love me, they come to me for scratches all the time, and by name. I can call them from anywhere in the room and as long as they aren't doing something "Important" they'll come right over! But after the 2 months I've owned them, I cannot for the life of me get them to brux on regular occasion. I have gotten them to brux MAYBE twice each, usually while petting them. But I can't seem to get them to do it for petting regularily. Does it mean they don't enjoy being pet? They seem to sit there in content, and I don't hold them. I dunno, just wondering your guys opinion on the matter. K thanks!


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

My rats don't "brux on demand" either. They clearly enjoy me, life, pets, etc. but hardly a brux. OR SO I THOUGHT. I laid down one day and "mobile rat phoned" so to speak, and found that they were little bruxes I couldn't quite catch.

It's hard not to get sad or feel inadequate with people bragging about bruxing rats and us just celebrating a few incidents. Keep in mind that we can't hear over half their vocalizations though.


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## AJ Black-Savage (Aug 6, 2013)

I have actually noticed something.... I am hard of hearing and wear hearing aids (you properly wouldn't notice of you met me as I lip read) so I can't hear them bruxing much anyway, I know when they are bruxing as I can feel them shaking.... But my main girl, Aslan, I have noticed she will feel behind my ear, for my hearing aids then bruxing as loud as she can. 

I know they are smart animals but do you think it's possible she kind of knows I am deaf? 

Xxxxxxxx


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## Timberlee Fields (Aug 2, 2013)

I'm hard of hearing too! Reading lips was hard to learn!!


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## AJ Black-Savage (Aug 6, 2013)

I became deaf age 3 and a half after having my tonsils out but didn't get my hearing aids til I was 9, so in the space of that time I somehow learnt to lip read... Drives people mad now as I can read lips across the room,lol. 

When it comes to communicating with our rats, we think they all know mine and my partners hearing is different, as when they are bruxing to him they do it quietly, however when it's to me they do it loudly. I use my sense of body language to communicate with ours, as if they are squeaking, I can't hear it, so I watch them to see what they are trying to tell me. Some people think I am stupid as they say they are 'just animals' but anyone who has rats and has met our rats (our friends and family) have seen the difference in the way they communicate with me to my partner. Xxxxxx


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## lalalauren (Jul 3, 2013)

I've started making noises at my boys when they're either lying in their cage looking at me, or lying on my desk when I'm on the computer...as long as they're not in the middle of doing anything and are literally just lying down and chilling out, if I make clicky ratty noises at them, they'll brux and boggle back at me! They're not really cuddlers, but seem to love lying down and watching the world go by


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## AJ Black-Savage (Aug 6, 2013)

That's interesting to read  obliviously by 'clicking' at them, you are using their language and they are doing back  is it tongue clicking you do? We have thought about doing clicker training with them but my partner is still unsure. I can't click my tongue properly (hence why I want to get a clicker) what do you think of this? 

Btw, hope they aren't still mad at you  

Xxxxxxx


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## lalalauren (Jul 3, 2013)

They weren't mad, they were good as gold last night!  

I sort of make a tutting sound as fast as I can. I try to mimic rat chattering. I don't know how good I am at it, but I managed to get all 3 boys boggle on one night by doing it! Doesn't happen ALL the time, but happens enough for me to keep doing it! I've never clicker trained any animal, but I bet it'd have the same sort of effect because the noise/pitch of the clicker would be the same every time, whereas I just make whichever noises I can


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## AJ Black-Savage (Aug 6, 2013)

Might try it in a bit, the boys are up now  they are not happy with us today as they got their first bath last night. Been introducing them to water this week ready but they were really stinky.... I am now bearing some lovely love scratches on my hands from them. They didn't like the water bit but McClane loved having the shampoo lathered up  (we use that johnsons baby shampoo in foam form) xxxxxxxx


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## Madel (Sep 4, 2013)

My ladies are still skittish around me for the most part. Morag will stay on the cage wall when I come by and even sniff at me, but will run once I open the door. I did manage to coax some bruxing from them by giving them wee pets and scratchies while they were napping on my desk. My exboyfriend's girls were bruxing and boggling as soon as we held them!


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## Siringo (May 7, 2012)

I have a much easier time getting my rats to brux and boggle when I dim the lights, or let them nest in my hair.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

@ AJ: probably much like owning a disabled rat, your heart-rat is able to sense you are hard of hearing, maybe by your body language be it minute or subconscious. Otherwise, maybe your hearing aid makes him really happy? My girl rat is not happy sitting on my shoulder unless she has found my ear through my mess of hair. Once she finds it (and gives it a quick nibble) she will start cuddling.


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## AJ Black-Savage (Aug 6, 2013)

It wouldn't surprise me if she (my heart rattie Aslan) knows... I remember though, when we first got them she would feel my ears... Once she accidentally pressed the button which puts my hearing aids into cinema mode (basically makes watching movies without subtitles easier, but it's really echoey and loud unless someone speaks etc) and started bruxing immediately in my ear. It was the first time I heard her brux and I was gobsmacked  in a good way  xxxxxxx


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## Piff (Aug 29, 2013)

Is bruxing always a good sign? I had read somewhere that it could also mean the rat's frightened. I ask because my boy bruxes A LOT and considering his lack of social skills and displays of affection I was surprised he'd be content so often. Or you think that's the only way he's choosing to communicate that he's pleased? He does it a lot when he's exploring or just sitting thinking his ratty thoughts. He's a rescued rat, btw, which is why he's a bit cold.


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## Piff (Aug 29, 2013)

Forgot, it's really really cool that your rats can tell you're hard of hearing. Animals are so intelligent <3


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

The sound of a tense/frightened rat is similar, but once you here bruxing and that you can tell the difference. My rescue rat chatters when tense, and it is higher-pitched and seems to occur more often in back to back. Bruxing to me sounds lower pitched and a bit more like idle gnawing.

Here: http://www.ratbehavior.org/norway_rat_vocalizations.htm


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## FidoPuppy (Aug 14, 2013)

I have read lips all my life. Now that I am deaf it makes it a lot easier for me to communicate. I love eaves dropping in the car behind me... LOL Or across the room. I would like to feel Fido bruxing


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