# Rat Chat...



## Jinxies (Nov 21, 2006)

What does each sound a rat makes mean?

So far I have notices a chomping sound. And then the monkey hoot! <3 I love the monkey hoot. I call them my lil monkeys.


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## Lexarius (Oct 23, 2006)

The chomping sound is grinding the teeth. It can mean a variety of things. I think it ranges from agitated to happy, so probably not very informative by itself.

And I have no idea what this monkey hoot is that you speak of. As far as I am aware of, rats normally only make vocalizations that humans can't hear. Though they will squeak if they're in pain.


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## fallinstar (Nov 26, 2006)

my rats squick when they are excited and in pain lol


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## JennieLove (Jan 2, 2007)

LoL Yeah I like that Chattering sound they make! My rats usually only do it when I'm playing with them or in the middle of getting their little ears rubbed haha. Anyways, most of the time you can tell between the good squeaks (wrestling around) and the bad squeaks (beating each other up). The Bad Squeaks are more of a shriek then anything elseâ€¦it actually sounds like it hurts! I have two boys and most of the time I hear Just-Playing squeaks or soft little short ones caused by grooming a bit too hard, but once or twice Iâ€™ve heard a bad one.


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## fallinstar (Nov 26, 2006)

my rats have stared to kinda chatter it weird lol


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## Holly (Dec 31, 2006)

I hear three sounds:

The teeth grinding. I think it's called, "bruxing." I have been told that it's kind of similar to when cats purr.

Chirp. This is a high, clear sound, that is generally used conversationally, or else muttered under the breath. It sounds nothing like squeaking, and can indicate anything from "surprise" to "thinking." Gregor has said to me, "CHIRP!" like, "How do you like that?!?" When he gets busy grooming me, and gets around my ears, I hear him muttering, "chirpity chirpity chirp chirp chirp."

Squeak. The squeak is almost always "bad," at least from Gregor. I hear squeaks when the time comes for a bath. The translation is, "Don't put me in that water!" The squeak can also be conversational, however. Gregor was headed for my seashell collection (again,) and I gave him a command that he knows: "Gregor, come here!" He turned around, looked me right in the eye, and squeaked once. ("No!") After I stopped laughing, I picked him up, and told him that ~I~ tell ~him~ "no," and not the other way around.

Just my 2Â¢.


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## King420 (Jan 6, 2007)

is that chirping sound normal cause the blue rat i just got does that alot and he sneezes when he does it.


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## Holly (Dec 31, 2006)

I wondered the same thing, so I had Gregor's vet listen to his upper respitory functions through the stethescope, and she said his breathing was "clear" and he was just "making ratly noises." If you are concerned, though, I'd have the vet check them.


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