I once saw a television show about why dogs sniff everywhere when they go outside. The host likened it to “getting mail.” When other dogs peed on the ground, they left information about themselves for other dogs to “read.” Your dog catches a whiff of these markings and goes to investigate. It’s much the same in rats. When a rat leaves drops of pee everywhere, s/he is leaving a little piece of information about him or herself for other rats to find later. Mostly this has to do with reproduction. For more information, check out this much more scientific explanation.
Some rats do this much more than others. Two of my female rats, Betty and Whiskers, and all of my males used to make a huge mess every time I’d take them out. Most of my other females marked rarely, if at all. Male rats tend to do this more than females…if it really bothers you, you can have your male rat neutered; this tends to stop the marking.
I dont know it that is important, but urine markings are not just territory marking. Rats urine mark each other all the time. They urine mark food that is eatable, and so on. So it is a signature, but not realy a territorial thing. You must know that unlike some other rodents rats know their owners and they know people. They tont think they are just on some big thing, they know their owners as living things. They probably mark us as they mark the orher rats. I dont know exactly why they do that, bot certainly has to do with bonding, socializing and organising their groups.
It is important to note that all rats urine mark others. The alfa marks the other rats and the other rats mark the alfa. Females mark males and even child rats mark adults and vice versa.
I’m sorry if this is stuff you know, i just think this territory thing tends to give a wrong impression of urine markings from rats. Unlike some other animals like dogs, their urine markings are very complex and do not say sijply get away from here, this placve is taken. It can have tons of menaings, like: this food is safe, i want to remember this alfa for when i am in heat, this guy here is from my colony, etc…
Congratulations for the site. I love the articles, and the design is Realy clean and beaultifull.
Thanks for this, Leonardo. I am a little confused by what you’re saying, but I did a more in-depth search about urine marking, and I will edit the question.
I’m glad you like the site!