Numerous studies have proven that rats are social animals. The pet will feel best in the company of its own kind. They can sleep together, play and compete for treats, and have fun in other ways.
Thanks to their active social life, these animals have developed a special behavior pattern. For example, they may groom each other and show aggression or affection. Such actions may remind them of times with their mother. The term "group grooming" indicates the high quality of life of the animals and their overall level of happiness.
Most rat owners note their friendliness and devotion. A number of owners notice their pets have an interesting way of licking a person’s hands upon contact. Opinions differ about why the pet performs such strange actions. Some believe that in this way the rat thanks the owner for the treat and care. Others believe that the animal’s interest is the very smell of the human body. But guesswork is just guesswork, and the true reason for this behavior will be interesting to know for all owners and lovers of rodents.
Character and behavior of decorative rats
Rats are pack animals; from birth they are accustomed to living in society. Decorative rats, like their wild relatives, tolerate loneliness very poorly. Fluffies prefer to live in groups so that someone is always nearby.
One of the most striking manifestations of close relationships with relatives is grooming. That is, rats lick each other and help clean their fur from dirt and skin parasites. Rodents also prefer to sleep not alone, but huddled together in one large ball, huddled closely together.
If several rats living together show clear signs of close connection (grooming, feeding weakened individuals, playing together), we can safely say that a favorable psychological atmosphere reigns in the cage.
According to scientists, the roots of grooming go deep into rat childhood. An adult animal, on a subconscious level, remembers how the mother rat carefully and carefully licked its fur, slept next to it, taught it how to properly eat, wash itself, and communicate with its fellow animals. Therefore, the pet transfers its pleasant impressions from the past to the present, projecting its care onto its cage neighbors.
A bit of animal psychology
It has been proven that the decorative rat is a social animal. Pets feel most comfortable in the company of other animals. They tend to sleep in a single ball, compete for treats, and simply play.
Life in society has shaped certain behavior patterns in rats. They touchingly care for each other, licking their tails and ears, combing their skin. Such actions are reminiscent of childhood, when the mother takes care of the babies. Group grooming means that the rat community is healthy, happy and experiencing only positive emotions.
Reasons why a rat licks
Quite often, decorative rats lick not only each other, but also their owners. This behavior can be observed in the following situations:
- The owner's hands smell like the pet's favorite treats . The smell most often remains on the fingers for 15-20 minutes after feeding. The most consistent aroma is found in fruits, dried fruits, meat, and shrimp.
- The rat is hungry . When a pet is fed by the same person, the fluffy dog gets used to taking food from his hands. Therefore, upon seeing the owner, a hungry animal can begin to lick his hands and fingers at a reflex level.
- The pet expresses its love and affection for its owner . In a fit of tenderness, a rat behaves with a person in the same way as with its fellows. Namely, she begins to consistently lick his hands and fingers, trying to show her care. But the strongest manifestation of love and trust in the owner is considered to be licking the face and hair.
- The rat is simply happy to see its owner and wants to spend some time with him or play . This happens when the owner of the animal has to go away for several days, for example, during travel, a work trip or illness.
- The pet feels that the owner is upset about something or is simply in a bad mood . Rats have very well developed intuition, so they quickly pick up on the slightest changes in the mood of their owner. And they immediately rush to help him - after all, even a short hug and licking will help him forget about all the problems for a while.
Of course, not all decorative rats behave this way. Some individuals prefer solitude and once again do not go to hand at all. Shows of tenderness from a rodent can only be expected if the following conditions are present:
- The animal is healthy and feeling well . A sick rat has no time for tenderness. In the presence of certain diseases, for example, mycoplasmosis, oncology, heart pathologies, the pet generally tries to avoid any contact.
- The pet has an easy-going character and good-natured disposition . Decorative rats, like people, differ from each other not only in appearance, but also in character. In most cases, rodents are quite peaceful and sociable. But there are also reserved individuals who prefer to spend time alone.
- The owner treats the fluffy well and pays him attention every day . The Rat intuitively senses a person’s attitude towards itself. If the owner is constantly busy and only finds a few minutes to quickly clean the cage and pour food into the feeders, the animal is unlikely to show tender feelings towards him.
Female rats also lick a person’s hands quite often during pregnancy. The fact is that against the background of hormonal changes, girls often experience bursts of tenderness. And the maternal instinct makes itself felt. The expectant mother may suddenly begin to lick the owner's fingers - after all, they are somewhat similar to future newborn rat pups.
So owners of small rodents should not worry about the rat licking their fingers, hands and face. After all, in this way the pet shows its owner its affection and boundless love.
Behavioral features
Rats detect any changes in the owner's voice, so raising your voice or using brute force for punishment is not acceptable. A frightened animal will become downtrodden and wild.
Try turning the guilty rodent onto its back. In nature, such punishment is used by the leader of the pack, so the rat realizes guilt and is filled with respect.
The only punishment for a rodent is to turn it into a subordinate position. With a good attitude, the pet becomes imbued with love and begins to show talkativeness (coos, chirps, grunts). But even in this case, all sounds have their own interpretation and contain an obligatory subtext.
Diseases
Rat scratching is often a symptom of serious illness. Disorders of the liver and gastrointestinal tract, kidney damage, infections, viruses - can sometimes manifest themselves as itchy skin.
Typically, in this case, additional symptoms are observed - reddish discharge from the nose and eyes (porphyrin), restless behavior or lethargy, and bowel movements.
Various fungal diseases
the skin also causes severe itching.
If you notice your rat scratching its eye, conjunctivitis
.
Sometimes a rat may itch due to infestation with helminths
. Medicines for helminth infections are toxic, so it is not recommended to treat the animal without preliminary analysis. If infection is confirmed, it is necessary to calculate the dosage by weight with great accuracy.
If you want to know why your rat is constantly itching, it is better to contact a veterinarian for a professional examination and testing. Then you will be sure that you will not miss a serious illness, and the doctor will prescribe the correct treatment, taking into account the condition and age of the animal.
Previous Rat healthAntibiotics and drugs for domestic rats: use and dosage Next Rat healthFrequently asked questions on diseases of ornamental rats
Relationship with the owner
Attachment to representatives
of its species - a distinctive feature that distinguishes the domestic rat. This means that they can transfer this behavior pattern to the owner who feeds and provides comfort.
When a rat licks the hands and hair of its owner, this indicates the rodent’s desire to care for a person. Most often, such an action is a response to scratching the cheeks and neck. Some individuals practice “biting”: they gently move their teeth and gently bite their fingers. This is an indicator of the animal’s true love and affection for its owner. A number of individuals move on, licking their cheeks, ears and trying to polish the glasses of their glasses until they shine.
Not every domestic rat licks itself. “Lovingness” depends on a number of factors:
- character of the animal;
- degree of love for the owner;
- the specifics of the owner’s interaction with the pet and the frequency of communication.
When a person has the desire and opportunity to devote significant time to the pet, ruffling the fur, stroking it, the rodent will begin to reciprocate and demonstrate complete trust and great love for the owner, enrolling him as a member of his own pack.
Source
Pet-owner relationship
Very often, rats show attention to human hands when there are pieces of treats left on them or there might be a piece of food left on them. A rat may lick a person’s hands when trying in every possible way to get the desired treat. However, a number of owners notice this behavior of their pet even after they have thoroughly washed their hands before interacting with the animal. With these nuances, the behavior model is a feature of rats as a social species of animals.
The answer to the question about the reasons for this manifestation of attention to the owner can be found by taking a closer look at the relationships of these animals in the pack.
Speaking about the rat society, the following features can be noted:
- rat hierarchy;
- providing mutual assistance;
- communication with each other;
- the presence of constant discipline.
The process of animals grooming each other plays a special role in the behavior pattern of a swarm of rodents. It is considered normal for them to comb the fur of their closest friend. Such a gesture is a manifestation of sincere care and love in the animal world.
Based on the above, we can say that if a rat licks a person’s hands, it means that she accepts him as “one of her own”, she liked him and thus maintains contact . Due to the lack of fur in humans, the rat licks hands or the skin of the body, thus demonstrating affection and sincere feelings. The funny thing is that when licking a person, a rat remembers again the period of childhood and sometimes even treats people like a mother treats her cubs.
If you follow this logic, the owner will have to pay enough attention to the animal in order to find real contact with it. If the owner is too busy, it is recommended that the pet get a pair, otherwise it may die of loneliness. In addition to saving the animal, you can personally observe the social behavior of rodents.
A distinctive feature of the rat is its sincere ability to become attached to representatives of its tribe. They can also transfer affection to their owner, especially with careful care.
Licking human hands indicates the rat's desire to reciprocate previously shown care from a person. Often, such a response can be caused by a person scratching the scruff of the neck and cheeks. A number of representatives of the rat world can lightly bite a person, this is a kind of replacement for licking. However, such a gesture carries the same emotional message. The funny thing is that a number of rats can go further and start licking your face and even your glasses.
Symptoms that require you to contact your veterinarian
The help of a veterinarian is necessary when pathological causes are confirmed. They can be recognized by the following symptoms:
- increased salivation;
- weak cough, wheezing, blue mucous membranes and other signs of suffocation;
- prolonged refusal to eat, including the cat’s favorite treats;
- unpleasant odor from the mouth;
- abnormal stool (change in consistency and color, as well as the appearance of foreign matter);
- prolonged apathetic state and sleep disturbance;
- frequent or intense vomiting.
An accurate diagnosis can only be made based on tests, so do not rush to treat your pet with advertised drugs. Incorrect treatment can aggravate the situation, even leading to death.
They are indestructible
This quality unites many movie monsters, especially serial ones: you kill them, you kill them, and by the time the next part comes out they are as good as new again.
Well, what do rats have to do with it, you ask. Common rodents. No hint of immortality. They can be anything they want, but considering them invincible is too much.
However... What is the surest way to kill a rat? I? So here it is. When rats find food they aren't sure is safe, they taste (.pdf) it first—just a little. And if they feel somehow wrong, they don’t touch this food again. They are well aware of our insidious plans and know how to destroy them.
In addition, we are increasingly faced with a completely new variety of these creatures, which scientists have already nicknamed “super mutant rats”, which are no longer affected by practically any poison.
Live rat
The traditional post is about pets.
We kept decorative rats in the past and really liked them for their intelligence and behavior. And so my wife and daughter again got a rat pet.
Meet the name - Meatball, my daughter tried hard to choose a name)
Very, very nimble, runs like lightning, but loves to sit on arms, on a shoulder or neck.
Unlike the rats that we used to have, he sits on our hands and licks them, we don’t know what kind of habit this is)
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