Rats are awesome pets, but there's no denying that they can be a bit mysterious sometimes
It can be hard to decipher what their behavior, body language, and sounds really mean
In this video, we're taking a look at some of the more common rat behaviors
and explain the meaning behind them. Let's get into it. One of the strangest rat behaviors that you'll see is the bozzling of your eyes
Eye bozzling is when the eyeballs vibrate rapidly, both in seemingly in and out of your eye pocket
It's honestly quite alarming when you see it for the first time, but it's really nothing to worry
about. In fact, it means that your rat is relaxed and content and often happens when they're being
stoked or fed their favorite food. It's a behavior that every rat owner will see at some point and
is actually quite cute once you know the meaning behind it. Related to eye bozzling is fruction
Fruction is the grinding of the teeth against each other and is something that rats do when
they're happy and relaxed. It is intense friction that results in the eye bozzling mentioned earlier
While the sound that friction makes might be a bit alarming, it's nothing to worry about
Rats have teeth that never stop growing, so this is one of the ways to grind them down
and help keep their lungs intact. Rats are sociable and do best living in same-sex pairs or groups
but this doesn't rule out fight fighting. Rats seem to enjoy the occasional hustle with a
caveman. Chasing, pinning, and some vocalizations are normal. If you notice various fur or hissing
occurs, pay attention. This could get serious. If it seems like one rat is constantly being bullied
you might need to intervene. If blood is ever drawn, separate the rats. You'll likely need
to keep the rats in separate habitats and then on it will happen. Rats are generally quiet pets
at least to human ears. They usually vocalize in a range above normal human hearing
but even though we missed out on most of the rats' talk, we did hear some of their vocalizations
Gentle chirps or puffs, grinding, squeaks, and hissing are a few of the vocalizations you will
hear. The context usually gives you a hint about whether your rat is happy, content, upset, scared
or in pain. Often, higher ticks, faster tempo majors indicate a rat is disturbed. Rats are
members of the rodent family, and rodents are known for chewing. And they'll chew anything
not just food. The frequent chewing helps lay down rats constantly growing in sizes
If you need they must satisfy, so be prepared by offering rats a few toys in the habitat
rat food in any room you let them access, and supervising them whenever they're enjoying free
alone time outside the cage. Furniture, clothing, drapes, power cords, and more to seal the knot of
your rat's teeth if you don't keep these items out of reach. Another trait of rodents is burrowing
into bedding. Let rats enjoy digging. It's another instinctive need they must satisfy
Help your rat buddy out by providing rat-safe bedding for burrowing and a rat-safe big box
filled with clean dirt, placed in it, biodegradable packing peanuts, or other rat-safe material
Another common behavior of pet rats is licking. The reason your rat licks you or other rats varies
It could be a sign of affection. It could be your rat is in breeding mode. It could be that your rat
hates something delicious. It could be just another way to explore the world. Whatever the reason
it's perfectly normal unless it becomes obsessive. Rats do not bite commonly, but they are capable
of doing so and their teeth can do quite a bit of damage. When startled or in pain, a rat might bite
Pet rats are among the most easy-going of rodents, though. So your chance of being bitten is minimal
as long as you don't struggle them or pick them up when you suspect they're in pain. Like many other animals, rats engage in scent marking. For some animals, scent marking just
means rubbing the ground against what they wish to mark. For pet rats, scent marking can vary
from rubbing their face against something to pee on it. Males seem especially prone to scent marking
So there you have it, the most common rat behaviors and the reasons behind why your rat
might engage in this behavior. If there's a certain type of behavior that you feel I've missed and
that you would like to have explained, feel free to leave a comment. I hope you enjoyed the video
and that it was informative. If you want more content about rats and other pets, subscribing
to the channel would be highly appreciated. A like on the video would also go a long way
in helping the channel grow. Thanks for watching and have a great day