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Basic Rat behaviour

This is an article I wrote for Pro.rat.a the National Fancy Rat Societies magazine and first appeared in the November/December 2005 issue.

I have decided to aim this article at those who are newer to keeping rats although I am sure there is something here that might interest everyone. I remember when I first started keeping rats there were quite a few behaviours I noticed, some of which I found quite unnerving and really didn’t know if they were “normal” or not.

I would argue that knowing the normal/healthy behaviour of your rats is one of the most important parts of their care. After all it is often the slight behaviour changes that can indicate the early signs of a health problem.

We are all aware of our rat’s behaviour whether we are consciously looking for it or not. Knowing what is normal is something that comes with experience. In this article I hope to highlight some of the more common behaviours, explain what they look like and interpret them, based on my own experiences.

Mounting – This is where one rat will climb onto the lower back of another rat. The top rat’s feet will remain on the ground and the front of its body will rest over the back of the lower rat, this may then be followed by quick backward and forward pelvic motions (thrusting). This behaviour will obviously occur between a mating male and female rat, however it can also occur between same sex rats. This can be quite worrying, when you first keep rats, with thoughts of “oh dear, are they really both girls!?”

This behaviour may be linked to the hierarchy or rank between your rats. The rat on top is likely to be the dominant (higher ranking) rat who can be thought of as saying “I’m boss; I can get away with doing this to you”. Similar behaviour can be observed in other species including dogs. I have also noticed that the mounting in rats seems to increase when the submissive (lower ranking) individual is in season, so it may also have a strong hormonal link.

Scent marking – As with most mammals, rats gain vital information about other individuals from their urine and from directly sniffing their rear. You may notice especially in bucks that they will deposit a small drop or drag a line of urine as they move. This behaviour is often more common while out the cage. This is scent marking. It is the rats way of saying “I’ve been here, this is currently my place”.

Sniffing the rear of another rat helps to identify them.

You may also notice that some rats will scent on other rats or even on you! This can be a sign of dominance but I believe it is also a way for the rat to create an overall group scent.

Does in season – Probably one of the most alarming behaviours for a new owner.

A doe in season will usually (although they do vary) dart or jump forward and quickly vibrate her ears. She will take up what is known as the “Lordosis” position which involves a concave/dished spine and a raised rear. This is her way of telling a buck she is ready to mate. Although she will also perform this behaviour for a same sex individual.

You may find that some does will even do this if you tickle or touch their sides and/or lower back. Some more sensitive individuals may perform the behaviour when you try and pick them up. It can even be followed by bucking or kicking at you! (Probably telling you to get off!).

Teeth grinding – This is also known as “Bruxing” and is when the rat grinds its teeth together, with its mouth closed. Sometimes their eyes will bulge in and out with the movement of the jaw bone.

Teeth grinding appears to be a behaviour that depends a lot on the situation it is shown in. I have heard this behaviour described as having many meanings including frustration, anxiety, being friendly or to sharpen their teeth. From my experience I would agree with these conclusions. Although thankfully I have little evidence of their teeth being any sharper!

Head swaying or weaving - This normally involves the gentle movement of the head from side to side. It is a perfectly normal behaviour and is the rat’s way of focusing better on an object. It is most commonly seen in red eyed rats due to their poorer eye sight.

Grooming – Can involve self grooming or grooming others also known as “Allogrooming”. Rats being very clean little animals normally spend a lot of time grooming themselves and others.

A rat being groomed will often squeak, this can be alarming and maybe confused with your rats fighting. However this squeak is normally just a mild protest as if the rat is saying “Ouch! Can you nibble a bit softer round my eyes!”. Rats that are actually fighting will let out a much louder squeal.

Sometimes when rats groom each other, one rat will roll the other over, pin them down and intently groom them. This is another behaviour related to hierarchy. The rat doing the grooming is most likely a dominant animal that is using a non-aggressive way to assert itself. They are basically saying “because I’m boss I have the right to do this to you…and you had better like it!”

Toska rolls over a reluctant Kea, to be groomed.

Some rats may even groom you! This could be mistaken at first for the rat biting you but it feels more like several little nibbles then an actual bite. It is important to remember that rats use their mouth to investigate, so not every mouth and hand collision is a bite. You will notice that any new object they discover will be nibbled and mouthed; this is especially true of young kittens.

Baby Summer investigates my hand with her mouth.

On the subject of biting, a quick tip to prevent being bitten through the bars. Avoid feeding titbits through them. An over excited rat may mistake your fingers for a nice treat.

I hope you have found this article useful and it has shed some light on your rat’s behaviours. I really enjoy just watching my rats and seeing how they behave and interact. I would encourage all owners to do the same (if you don’t already do so) because you really can learn so much about them this way.

Last updated 26th August 2008

All photo's and some art work are produced by me, unless stated otherwise. Please do not take any of my art work or photos as allot of work has gone into them. If you do wish to use some of my art/gifs/photos then please email me for permission first.

Disclaimer = I do not claim to be an authority on rodents or rats and any information on this page is just opinions and advice and is by no means a substitute for good books or veterinary advice. All the toys on the toys page are just ideas and may not have been tried out so it is up to you to implement them and judge there safety.