# Rat Panic Attack?



## glehman (Sep 27, 2012)

So here's a serious concern: My two newest rats Luna and Winter are brand new, approximately 7 weeks old. Winter is all over us and is super interested in EVERYTHING. Luna, however, appeared really laid back. I just figured out she's scared out of her freaking mind. 

Here's the problem: She's exhibited no breathing issues at all that indicate an infection or any of that, but if I have to open the new arrival tank and put in food or touch Winter, Luna runs off and immediately starts breathing like she was drowning. It's a whooping, struggling breathing. It sounds and looks a lot like my own panic attacks I've had frequently in the past. I've separated them in lieu of knowing if Luna is sick or not. I really don't want to scare her this bad. She seemed fine last night and this morning. Now she seems terrified out of her mind. : (

Here's the question: Can rats have panic attacks? I know I've had a rat with what looked like OCD but I don't know what's wrong. Ideas?


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

How long have you had the rats?


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## glehman (Sep 27, 2012)

I just got them. I've had four other rats though, one of whom was terrified of everyone and everything her entire life and she never did anything like this.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

1) Put them back together, these rats have been together already (exposed to whatever possible pathogen)...Winter would already be sick by now if it was contagious. Separating a scared baby from her friend will only make her worse. 

2) Luna needs a vet, panic attacks do not look like struggling to breathe. A too-quiet baby shoving symptoms of struggling to breathe when stressed could have pneumonia.


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## glehman (Sep 27, 2012)

Hm, that's not what I want to hear, but I certainly will have her checked out. She's seemed to have had a significant change since last night. She's a ton more active and she's been playing with Winter all day. They haven't stopped moving since I let them out about two hours ago. I'll keep my eyes on her until their vet appt tuesday. I always have new ones evaluated so we have a starting point with them as they grow up. I'll take her in sooner if it recurs. It was the strangest thing I've ever seen.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

There isn't much you can really know about brandie new rats, sometimes they are sick and sometimes they can have stress reactions to their new diggs... It's just that rat panic attacks usually take the form of grooming behavior rather than whooping.

I'm glad to hear she's doing better. We just got a new rat and the first evening she started growling or grunting. Overall black rat, flashing red eyes, sitting on my sleeping daughter's head growling at me... Straight out of a horror movie. But she was playing nice otherwise and I haven't a clue where the growling came from and she hasn't growled since. As a matter of fact the first night she bruxed, clicked, squeaked, squealed growled and grunted, she hasn't made a single sound after that night. Some things just work themselves out, but the vet visit sounds like a good idea anyway.


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