Fat Rat Central

Male rats can sometimes have a problem with oily skin.  Not all male rats have this problem, but it can be pretty gross.  The oily skin is a result of their testosterone level, which creates a thick orange residue on their backs. Wiping with a washcloth will sometimes work for this problem, but a bath may be needed about once a month for more severe cases.  Another solution to this problem is neutering.  Neutering a male can decrease urine-marking behavior, decrease the amount of oil and scent produced by the skin, and decreases the chance of kidney degeneration and prostate disease. It also completely eliminates the chance of cancer or other diseases of the testes.

It is very rare for pet rats to aggressively bite, but they can and will bite for several reasons. Figuring out what that problem is may be difficult, but it might put an end to the biting (hopefully it will).

The primary cause of any bite is fear.  If you haven’t had your rat for very long, he may be anxious about his new environment; he may also have been handled badly or not socialized as a baby. If your rat has started biting out of the blue, try to think about what has changed in the environment to make him feel anxious.

If you think your rat may be fearful, you must be patient and understanding, giving him time to settle into his new environment and introducing yourself to him slowly and carefully. Start off by just resting your hand in the cage or putting an old t-shirt that you’ve recently worn in their cage; this will help him get used to your smell.  You can also try slowly feeding him treats, and letting him lick something tasty from your fingers.  When holdling your rat, don’t take him too far from his cage; being able to smell it may decrease his anxiety. Also, try to interact with your rat about 20-30 minutes a day. These are trust-building exercises that may help him adjust better.  Is he a nervous rat?

A nervous rat will run away from you, and if you try to pick it up, it may be so fearful that it feels the only option is to bite.  Thus, it is important to consider how you are handling the rat.  When picking rats up, you must always support their feet, because they get very anxious if they don’t have their back feet on something solid.  Some people think picking a rat up by the base of its tail is a good way to handle them, but it’s terrifying and painful for the rat.  Make sure you’re handling your rat in the least stressful way possible.

Older rats that bite are more of a problem, because the reasons behind their biting can be more complex and may require more patience.  It’s rare for a rat to be aggressive by nature; generally the rat was mistreated or not socialized as a baby.  Many people believe that a biting rat needs to be put down immediately.  In certain cases, this may be true–if a rat is severely aggressive or it is exposed to children.  However, it is my opinion that rats are naturally sociable animals, and it is very rare for a rat to be aggressive and unhandleable for no reason.  I think there is hope, it’s just a matter of figuring out what the reason is and handling it properly.

Good luck!

Rats grind their teeth for two reasons:

First, a rat’s teeth never stop growing; they keep the length under control by constantly grinding their teeth and gnawing on hard objects (this is why your rat may keep you awake at night chewing on the bars of his cage).  Second, rats often grind their teeth when they’re happy!  It’s called “bruxing.”  You may also notice their eyes bugging out while they do this…it’s called “eye boggling,” and if you’d like to see a video of this phenomenon, click here!

I have a bit of a morbid question for you, but it’s regarding an issue I never see mentioned on rat info websites, so I do hope you can help me. I was wondering what you should do when a pet rat dies: whether you should allow the cage mates some time alone with the body, or whether it should be removed straight away. When my first pet died, she was in my arms and out of the cage. I didn’t know what to do for best so packed her away immediately. However, I got the impression that her cage mate just didn’t know what had gone on and was a bit frantic when her sister disappeared. I feel as though I should have allowed her to see the body, but I’m not sure if this would cause distress. What do YOU do in this situation?

This is actually a REALLY good question. Thank you so much for bringing it up!! I think it is important. In my experience, rats cope a lot better when they can see the body. I’ve had several sets of siblings. With two sets (Pitter & Patter and Lukass & Rizzo), I had to put one of the rats to sleep and I didn’t put the body back in the cage. It seemed as if the remaining sibling was looking around the cage for its mate. Eventually, he or she would come to terms with the fact that the mate wasn’t going to come back, but it was kind of a long process. On the other hand, I had another rat die in the cage unexpectedly. It seemed to me that when Piglet died, Roxy (her cagemate) understood what had happened.
Based on these experiences, I think it’s better if cagemates can see the deceased rat’s body, so they understand that their friend has passed away. If I were to take a rat to get euthanized again, I would put the body back in the cage so the other cagemates could examine it. It might be difficult for me, but I think it would really help the surviving rat(s). Thanks for asking this. It is a little morbid, but it’s a fact of life.

Hi Sara- here’s my dilemma:
I have an adult female rat, Amelie (a loveable friendly girl!) and i just got her a partner- a young female named Lilly. At the moment, they still live in separate cages (they’re not quite the best of friends, but I’m still in the midst of introducing them). Well, all seems well except that Amelie, my older rat, has had some recent behavioral changes within the past 3 days. She no longer wants to stay in her cage (for any length of time) and will jump at the cage door over and over again, smashing her face into the door until I let her out on my bed. At first, I thought that she was upset that she wasn’t with her new companion, but she did the same thing when i put them together. I don’t want to reward her bad behavoir by letting her out of the cage all the time but i don’t want her to hurt herself! What should I do?!
Thanks for helping me!

How odd! I haven’t heard of anything quite like this before–but I’ll ask around, and I’ll post it on the FAQ to see if anyone else has had a similar experience. Usually when rats are frantic, they have a good reason. For example, my pet rat Whiskers had a litter of rats when I was very young. Right before she gave birth, she started acting a little nuts, and was licking me like crazy. I put her back in the cage, and five minutes later she started giving birth–she was acting so frantic because she was about to have a litter of babies and needed to get back in her cage! I’m not suggesting that your rat is pregnant, of course. She might just be feeling insecure and want some attention because her living situation has changed.

I have heard of mice making good companions for rats, but I would be careful. Rats have a tendency to be territorial, and I would worry that the size difference would make it difficult for a mouse to defend itself. Your rat might seriously injure or kill the mouse. Just something to think about. It’s one of those things: I’ve heard of rats and cats getting along, but I would be wary to try it.

Although it looks like blood, don’t worry–it’s just tears.  It’s called porphyrin. Rats have a large glad behind their eyes that produce it, and because the eyes are connected to the nose, you’ll often find it caked around their eyes and nose.  Many first-time rat owners see this are concerned that their rat has a bloody nose.

Why does it happen?  Porphyrin may show up when a rat is stressed, but it’s also a sign of a respiratory infection.  You might want to get your rat checked out by a vet, especially if she’s sneezing or showing any other signs of a respiratory infection.

For more scientific information about porphyrin, check out the links page under “health problems.”

No. Sorry. Chances are, I’m not familiar with your area. The only rat breeder I know of is in Columbus, Ohio…so if you live in Ohio and you want to ask me this question, feel free. Otherwise, sorry, you’re out of luck. Try googling “rat breeder” and your city or state.

Rats love human food. But stay away from things that are too fatty or salty, and junk food is worse for rats than it is for you. Table scraps should only be given to your rat as a treat, not as a regular diet.

You definitely can!! I’ve had mixed results with mine…some rats love to run in it, some love to sleep in it, and others look at it like a wall hanging. If you do decide to put a wheel in your cage, make sure that it isn’t a hamster wheel–they’re too small for rats. Also, it’s important that it’s not made out of mesh because a rat’s feet and tail can get caught. The best wheel for a rat is called the Wodent Wheel, and they come in several sizes. Hit up google and see what you can find.