# Traumatized rat



## never-sleep (Mar 3, 2012)

My rat's cage is a modified bird cage. The spacing is 1/2 inch. There used to be a panel over the plastic pan at the bottom since it was used for a large cockateil. I romved the panel over the pan when I got it. Being a stout little gut Gambit could not fit out of the almost 1 inch spacing. Too bad I never thought about what could get in. Since I live in the middle of a very rural area surrounded by woods the wildlife if pretty close.
A few days ago I got home from school and my mom told me to check on Gambit, because she had heard him squeal a few minutes before. I went and checked on him. I saw his front left paw was bleeding. I took him out of the cage and looked at him. He didn't seem too bothered by it so I cleaned it up and I put him back in his cage and went to do my home work. After that I ate dinner and went to do yard work. A few hours later I go back inside. I go to check Gambit's paw again and see blood all over the cage. His white hammocks were soaked red. I got him out and looked at him. His left ear was torn up, all his paws were bleeding, and his tail was cut. I started checking the shelves and the wires for sharp places that he could have cut himself on but, I couldn't find any.
There is a fake hollow log in the back of his cage. I was checking the edges for what could have hurt him when a huge Rat Snake slither out beside my hand! There had been a snake in the cage with Gambit for well over 3 hours, maybe even all day.
My brother got the snake out of the cage and killed it (there was no other way to get it, it was freaking out and trying to bite my brother). It was over 3 and a half feet long. His face covered in bite marks and scratches fromm Gambit defending himself. Somehow the snake had managed to slip in while a door was open without being noticed. He got in Gambit's cage.
After Gambit was cleaned up and I was done hypervintilating I put him in the ten gallon aquarium he used to stay in when he was a baby.
I've cleaned the cage out and it is completely empty now, but he is still wary of it. Also if you touch him without hime being able to see you he freaks out. plexiglass panel will be placed around the entire perimeter of the wide spacing, until then Gambit it in his aquarium. Sadly he doesn't seem upset by it, instead he seems kind of skittish and freaked. He has been extra cuddly and not wanting to stray too far from my shoulder when he is out.
I've dabbed the edges of the pan in shelves with bannana extract (bananna is his favorite) but what else can I do to make it smell... not like snake?
Also, what can I do to make him realize he is safe now?

P.S. He has seen a vet but, it is the trauma of the whole situation that worries me most...


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

I'm glad to hear the rat won one for a change.


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## 1a1a (May 6, 2011)

Trust train him again, lucky little guy.


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## Munchie (Mar 13, 2012)

Oh bless him :/ what a little trooper to fend off the snake for so long. Perhaps try trust training again? A long with lots of treats, snuggles and not leaving him alone for long in his cage at first? Good luck anyway, and thank god it didn't turn out worse.


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