# Gadget giving us bedding?



## Aeyna (Jun 16, 2014)

So in the morning when my boyfriend goes over to say hello to the rats, Gadget has started this weird thing where she will take a handful of bedding (it's the off brand of carefresh) and push it out of the cage. She did it a few times in a row on Saturday, and then she did it again this morning. Does anyone know what she's trying to tell us? It seems very deliberate, not accidental, especially considering that she's lifting it 3-4 inches to get it out of the cage, and always when we are right there talking to her.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Rats have amazingly creative minds when they want to communicate with us. People get so fascinated with trying to learn rat language that they don't even realize that many rats are trying to learn ours or rather their interpretation of ours.

I always gave Fuzzy Rat a kiss or a skritch when she did something good, and suddenly I realized that when I did what she liked she would give me kisses too. She was rewarding my good behavior just like I was rewarding hers! Now this might sound simple enough, but imagine how much better we were able to communicate after that. She would come to be picked up, then she would point with her nose and tap her front paws on my hands, I would stand up and start walking, and she would point and tap, once I was moving in the right direction she would start licking my finger. Sometimes she wanted to go to her cage, sometimes she wanted to go downstairs and sometimes she wanted to go outside..... But where ever she wanted to go she would point, tap and kiss... When she was two years old she was almost completely disabled by tumors, she was 6 oz of rat and 21 oz of tumors and she couldn't walk, she could barely crawl, but by pointing, tapping and kissing we carried her around where she wanted to go, and she would even point down when she wanted to be put in the grass. We became her wheel chair and elevator, because she learned enough "human" sign language to maintain some freedom even when she couldn't walk.

So maybe you always give her a treat when you want attention???? And maybe she's giving you something because she wants yours? Who knows, it might mean here's some bedding, I'll trade your for treats... Or this stuff is dirty, please clean my cage.... 

So start trying to figure out what she is saying. If you don't, she will try something else, and if you still don't get it she will eventually give up... Since Fuzzy Rat, all my rats have learned to point where they want to go. Fuzzy Rat was the only rat that learned tap and reward by kissing. Each rat will come up with it's own communication strategies and some rats really don't try very hard... But Fuzzy Rat was a very determined rat, and it took her a long time before I realized she was trying to communicate with me. After our first breakthrough, I found that she had a lot to say, once I realized that she would kiss me when I got something right, everything got easy. I'd just try different things until I got a kiss.

When we went looking for a roommate for Fuzzy Rat we introduced her to Amelia, Amelia was already 7 months old and not what we were looking for. Fuzzy Rat sniffed Amelia, then walked up my arm and kissed me twice on the cheek. Two kisses was her absolute "YES" "PLEASE" and "THANK YOU"... communication. She actually chose her own new roommate. 

Now I can't specifically tell you what Gadget's message is, but try different things until she seems happy with your choice, remember she's probably copying something you do. But if you are lucky enough to have a rat that's reaching out to you, don't miss this opportunity. Communication takes having a rat to a whole other level.

Last example, look at this pic:









Is there any doubt in your mind that Fuzzy Rat is saying hi and asking this little girl to be friends? In the reverse case people always would walk up to us and stand a few feet away and wait for us to introduce them to Fuzzy Rat, Here she is doing the same thing to meet a human she's interested in... She always liked little girls.

Best luck


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## Aeyna (Jun 16, 2014)

So today I woke up and went to say hello to the girls. The way I do this is I sit in front of the cage and prop the door open onto my knee so it gives them a ledge to come say hi to me, and then they get access to my shoulders. After my customary hand bath by Penny and a nose licking from Olivia, Gadget started to make a pile of bedding right in front of me. I started to wonder if it's because when I cleaned their cage this week I threw away the big pile of fluff that she had because it smelled bad, and I haven't had a chance to run by the pet store and buy any more because I started a new job this week. It seemed like she was trying to show me how ineffective her bedding is at making a good pile. Today before work I will go get her some fluff and see what she does. The rats don't get treats inside their cage, only during their playtime with us, so I don't think that's what she wants. 

I was about to finish my hellos and start my day when an amazing thing happened... Gadget climbed out onto the ledge! She's never done this before. Usually she's too skittish to come out of her igloo, and I get just her neck and head to say hello to. But today, Olivia and Penny figured out how to use my head to get on top of their cage, and with them out of her way, Gadget came over and got under my chin so I could give her kisses on her back. She then sniffed my face for a bit which made me a little nervous since she bit my nose last week, but there was no biting, just her saying hello. She even put two paws onto my shoulders and considered hopping on. 

It's very exciting because we're trying so hard to make her comfortable around us, and this has been a huge step for her. I didn't use hands while she was on the ledge because I think with her poor eyesight, hands make her more nervous. It seems to have worked. She spent about 5 minutes letting me love on her before Gadget and Penny were poking my head to let me know they wanted down.


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## MssofCeremony (Jun 28, 2014)

One of my rats does this as well, he will pick up one piece of cardboard from his toilet (the rest of the cage has fleece liners) and bring it to you. With me he usually drops it in my cleavage. Sometimes he does the same thing with a piece of food.

I take it as a reward, as he usually does it after I do something he likes. For instance if he's napping and I open the cage door so they can roam, he won't bring cardboard when he comes out eventually. But if he's standing up by the door when I walk in the room, signalling he wants to go out and I then open the door, he will usually take a bit of cardboard and drop it on me when he comes out. And if I put a large amount of food in the free roaming area he will usually bring me some as well. 

It sounds to me like Gadget is trying to connect with you, so whatever the message, that is wonderful!


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## Aeyna (Jun 16, 2014)

So I had to drive pretty far today to find a store with fluff for gadget. I got it, and just got home and gave her a chunk. She is now trying to take this softball sized ball of cotton fluff and push it out of the bars. Oh wait, she's given up and is now happily blocking the entrance to her igloo. Kinda like locking the door before going out, lol. And now she's abandoned the igloo to go cuddle with Penny in the castle. I think that this is what she wanted, only time will tell. We'll see what she does with it. 

And we're back in the igloo, ignoring the fluff that got squished on the way in. This is kinda fun to watch.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Keep trying different things and experiments to see how Gadget responds. One thing I like to do is to put a rat on my shoulder or hands and walk in the direction she points her nose, some rats will quickly figure out they are guiding you and will start pointing to where they want to go... It's a rather fun communication building exercise.


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## Aeyna (Jun 16, 2014)

Well this morning I learned that the only rat who thinks I'm more interesting than a handful of Oxbow is Olivia, lol. Gadget had abandoned the fluff outside the igloo and dragged a tube inside instead. Then she came out of the igloo via tube, grabbed one piece of Oxbow, ran back through the tube (there is room to avoid the tube, she just always used it), and placed the food in the igloo. Then she repeated this over and over again, always one piece at a time, and burying it as she went. Meanwhile Penny was doing the same in the castle, and Olivia was playing with me. 

I shut the cage because I was clearly not getting everyone's attention and even Olivia was starting to realize all the food was going away, and Gadget came right up to the bars and was looking at me and tried to get to me, so I opened the cage again. Then she started making a pile of bedding, one handful at a time from inside the igloo, and pushing the fluff up to me too. I tried to see if she was blocking herself in, so I pushed the fluff into the entrance to block it, but she pushed it out and tried to give it to me again. So I tried to take a little, petting her head in the process, and got lightly nipped on the finger for my efforts. So I have no idea what to try next.


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## Aeyna (Jun 16, 2014)

Here's some pics of her trying to get the fluff to me. You can see her stash of Oxbow and her tube in the background, lol.


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## Aeyna (Jun 16, 2014)

And in the time it took me to post that, this happened:









And as soon as she realized I'm there, she's pushing it out the bars again. It's an action shot, lol


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## mimsy (Jun 8, 2014)

Maybe she is helping you clean. She sees you take out clumps of it and she is trying to help you out.


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## Aeyna (Jun 16, 2014)

I gave Penny a toilet paper roll because she was playing with it. Now Gadget and Olivia are in the igloo, and Penny is on the hammock. And this is what Gadget managed to pull off:









It's kinda impressive work. No clue how or why she does stuff like this, lol.


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