# Rat shivering, but not cold at all.



## Finnebon (Jul 15, 2013)

What is the reason for the behavior of shivering? My first thought is that they might be cold, but I don't think that's the case. I took Bijou outside with me for a few minutes to water a couple plants. I live in California and it is nowhere near cold here yet. It's cooler in our house than it is outside. It's about 6:00pm and is 70F (21C). Bijou is not "spooky" at all, and is always calm, even when there's loud noises and the other rats might be a bit freaked out or running off suddenly. When I was holding her in my arms or when she was on my shoulder I would occasionally feel her shiver a bit. The other times I've felt rats do this is usually holding a baby or a strange rat at a petstore.

I assume it could mean she's either nervous? Excited? I really don't think in this case it has anything to do with temperature.

Rat Daddy, if you see this post, did Fuzzy Rat ever do this when you would take her outside? What are your thoughts on it if she did?


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## Mitsy (Apr 8, 2013)

She could be in heat one of my females vibrates when she's in heat.


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## JBird (May 23, 2013)

Interested to see the answers to this. My hairless boy shivers whenever I hold him, even when I know he is not cold. He's young and new, but I handle him multiple times daily and have had him for over a week. Its distinctly different from my girls' "dance" when they are in heat and stimulated. 

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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

My boys do that when they are scared or in a new area

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## Finnebon (Jul 15, 2013)

Hmm I'm thinking Bijou was just a little excited/nervous to be outside since I don't take her out too often. I thought she would enjoy it because she's so curious and bold. She climbed down my shoulder, down my arm, onto the hose, and onto the showerhead part and stuck her face over to sniff at the water coming out for a few seconds before she turned around and climbed back up into my hair haha. I think it was maybe just the apprehensiveness of being in a new area, but I don't think she was scared.

Othertimes, I've only really felt babies do it when I meet them at a petshop. Nervousness maybe? It seems like it's completely voluntary and not like how a dog shivers in fear during a thunderstorm.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

My rats recently did this as they got treated for fleas. I take it to be excited/nervous, as my high-strung dog does it too when she is ready for a walk, when we are taking a car ride, when she's about to get a treat, when I'm eating in front of her, lol.


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