# What does it mean when a rat licks or grooms you?



## TheFuzzySphere

I have 2 male rats, Frank and Henry. They are feeder rescues and will be 7 weeks old tomorrow. Henry is more reserved in personality but still very sweet and Frank is a bundle of energy and love. Frank licks my hand and grooms me all the time, Henry does it now and then. Frank has also started to urine mark my hand when we are playing Chase Me! in the blankets. I know that licking / grooming is a good thing, and maybe even the urine marking (marking territory I assume), but does anyone know in detail what it means when a rat grooms you? Thanks.


----------



## Finnebon

"Hey, giant naked alpha rat, come here. You are dirty and I like you, so I will help you stay clean since you obviously can't do it yourself and are bad at being a rat." It can also be a good bonding experience and he's trying to be social and reassuring you that he loves you.


----------



## TheFuzzySphere

XD giant naked alpha rat. Your response just made my night.


----------



## Gannyaan

Finnebon said:


> "Hey, giant naked alpha rat, come here. You are dirty and I like you, so I will help you stay clean since you obviously can't do it yourself and are bad at being a rat." It can also be a good bonding experience and he's trying to be social and reassuring you that he loves you.


LOL! 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## anawelch

my boys love to lick my arms when their hanging out in my sleeve its so funny! it just means they like you


----------



## bazmonkey

Sorry if this is gross, but if I come home sweaty, the girls LOVE to lick my forehead and nose. It's becoming our just-got-home routine.


----------



## Finnebon

Hahah cute but gross. But they lick up each other's pee dribbles when they find them too, so not as bad as that! xD Often when one walks over my arm and dribbles on me, before I can get up and get a napkin, another rat has already come by to lick it off me.


----------



## Charlottesmom

Finnebon said:


> "Hey, giant naked alpha rat, come here. You are dirty and I like you, so I will help you stay clean since you obviously can't do it yourself and are bad at being a rat." It can also be a good bonding experience and he's trying to be social and reassuring you that he loves you.


 LOL!! OMG!! I almost had coffee spurt out my nose!


----------



## Pacmunchkin

Mine love to lick lip balm and lipstick off lips. They tried to lick paint off my fingers but that wouldn't be very clever.


----------



## bazmonkey

Pacmunchkin said:


> Mine love to lick lip balm and lipstick off lips. They tried to lick paint off my fingers but that wouldn't be very clever.


We had these wooden chew toys that came on a bird thing that we use to hang veggie kebabs in their cage. They didn't care for chew toys at first, so when they recently got old enough that they started to want to chew more, I dabbed some vanilla extract on the eggplant-colored chew toy and they took to it right away......Except I didn't notice that the alcohol in the extract was thinning the (non-toxic, I checked) dye on the wood chew! Ever seen two rats with purple hands and noses??? Hehe.They washed it off themselves by morning, BTW.


----------

