Rat behaviour facts 101...

Some rats, especially pink-eyed rats, will sway their head back and forth to try and better focus their eye sight on a particular object.

A rat's tail can be a sign of their emotional state.

Rats do not drag their tails limply behind them. Instead they keep them raised an inch or so off the ground for quick turns and balance as they move along.

Rats who love to run on wheels will often hold their tail in a constant curl.

Rats LOVE to eat.

Rats LOVE to steal.

Rats LOVE to chew.

Rats are most active at the twilight hours.

Rats are incredibly inquisitive.

Rats like to take the shortest route to accomplish their task.

Although rats are very social and usually sleep in a big pile, don't be surprised if you see them sleeping off in separate areas of the cage as well. Rats will sometimes need their "alone" time, just like people do.

Rats are extreme individuals with personalities as varied as human beings.

Rats love to stash things.

Rats love to play tag with each other.

Rats love to go exploring inside your clothing.

If a new rat poops/pees on you it means they are scared.

If a new rat will groom themselves on you, or will eat food on you, it means that they were very well socialized and are very comfortable with humans.

Rats love to almost always give a big yawn after waking up.

Rats instinctively love to build nests.

Rats love to dig.

Rats see their cage as their burrow.

Rats do not like sudden, unpredictable movements from people.

Rats will often prefer to sleep in the highest possible spots of their enclosure.

Rats react sensitively to anything bitter tasting.

If a rat gets a bad taste in it's mouth, it will drag it's mouth across the floor trying to get rid of the taste.

Rats have excellent memories.

Rats are excellent problem solvers.

Rats love to please.

Because of the above three, they make great students to be taught tricks.

Rats can easily learn your schedule. If you let them out at the same time every day, for the same amount of time, they will pick up on it and follow right along your schedule with you.

Rats form close bonds with their human care givers.

Rats do not respond to punishment, and cannot be taught to stop their natural behaviors.


Rats like to take the shortest route to accomplish their task...doesn't everyone?

Rat physical facts 101...

rattyrat.com
Rat Physical Facts...

A rat's sense of smell is excellent, even exceeding that of a dogs.

Rats have extreme hearing capabilities, even in the ultrasonic ranges.

Rats communicate much of their language on a sound frequency that the human ear cannot hear.

Rats are poorly nearsighted.

Rats do not see three dimensionally, thus having no depth perception.

Rats are color blind.

A rat's vision is geared for spotting movement.

Pink eyed rats have much poorer vision than black eyed rats.

Their four front incisors (teeth) grow at about four to five inches per year.

A rat's tail helps them keep their balance.

Rats molt throughout their lives, loosing old hair, and gaining new hair. While they are molting they will have patches of lighter, softer hair throughout their bodies. This is more noticeable in babies. If they have a hairless gene in their background, or if they are a rex, they may even develop bald patches while molting.

More Rats 101...Rats communicate much of their language on a sound frequency that the human ear cannot hear...is that Rat morse code then?

Sumptuous Summer Salad dish perfect for your Rattie...

AFRMA - Pet Projects: Sumptuous Summer Salad: "Summer is here, and with it comes hot weather. All of us, rats and mice included, enjoy a cold treat this time of year. My critters have always enjoyed their summer salad, and I hope yours will too.

Sumptuous Summer Salad
1 Apple
1 Banana
20 Grapes
1 Pear
½ Small melon (any kind)
1 Papaya
1 Apricot
5 Strawberries
2 Cups cooked, cooled pasta
(use small size like macaroni, or cut in small pieces)

Slice fruit into bite size pieces (fairly small) and mix together. Serve over pasta. You can also combine fruit with pasta and freeze entire mixture in ice cube trays (add water or fruit juice as needed). Once salad is frozen it can be defrosted, or served frozen as salad-pops to cool everyone down on those hot summer days. Try this one yourself—my critters and I agree, it tastes great.

Note: You can use any in-season fruits you like. You may want to vary the type and amount you use until you (and your critters) are satisfied. "

One summer salad dish coming right up!

Its a Rex Rat....rrrr

Rex rats are distinguishable by one simple feature — their hair is curly. They can come in any color, and the density and extent of their curl can vary from barely noticeable to tightly curled.

Since AFRMA obtained some Rex animals from N.F.R.S. members in England, we adopted their standard to use. It says: “The coat to be evenly dense and not excessively harsh, with as few guard hairs as possible. Coat to be evenly curled and also to a lesser extent on the belly. Curly vibrissae (whiskers) are normal for Rex. Color to conform to a recognized color or color pattern (N.F.R.S.).”

There are Rex rats and then there are REX rats. Not all Rex rats are created equal. In fact, most people who own and even breed Rex rats have never seen a truly good example.

Most Rex babies start out with wonderful curly sheep-like coats. When they moult into their first adult coat at 6–7 weeks, however, their curl almost disappears. Instead of curl, they have kind of wavy hair.

For females and most males, this is about it. Though the coat may thicken/ tighten and then thin again, most Rex rats never regain their original “permed” appearance. For the rare male, however, this is not true. Once in a while you will get one that does regain that lush curly coat. Few and far between, these big males are really something to see.

Male or female, wavy or permed, all Rex coats have the unfortunate tendency to thin as they age. Often by the time they are 18 months old, their coat is very thin and patches are bald.


Hey there rexy...rrrrr

Rat Fact #230....

"A rat can last longer without water than a camel can."

is that one hump or two?

Its Normay 'Ian Thorpie' Rat...

Stowaway Rats Colonized the Earth: "Norway rats – also known as cellar rats, sewer rats or wharf rats – are the invasive rat seen most often in Alaska. Norway rats are not from Norway; they originated in temperate and northern regions of Asia and were spread world-wide on sailing ships.

Those common names are insightful, Norway rats thrive around water and are excellent swimmers. Tests have shown that Norway rats can swim for 50 to 72 hours in 35 degree water before exhaustion; they can dive and swim underwater for 30 seconds, and thus they can readily swim through the water seal of a toilet to enter a house. "

wow hes a gold medal winner alright....

Ratropolis

ABC TV Documentaries: RAT: "MAN and RAT - the two most successful mammals on earth- compete for the same turf: New York City - ‘Ratropolis’.

Uptown, downtown, across town and finally under the town thousands of rats are living the ‘good life’. The rats are taking over.

Out of the sewer and straight into the lives of New Yorkers, the journey of the RAT reveals a different side of natural history taking place in walls, ceilings and underground. While the rat is one of the most feared and attacked animals alive, we also find out it’s one of the most remarkable and intelligent of God’s creatures.

Burrowing into the rat’s world we see where and how it lives and meet the people it competes with. People like Sabrina Boachie of East New York whose studio apartment was over-run by rats.

“I couldn’t never leave nothin’ on top of the stove. I was scared to even bake somethin’, to put my food in there knowing that mices was in there and they have a ball in there and...I never really did bake.”

In Brooklyn, Tom Brice fought his own, very personal war with them and to this day remains deeply affected.

“When you look inside of his eyes you could see he’s got a soul, he’s got somethin’ inside of ‘im, and he’s lookin’ right back at you. He wants you just as bad as you want him. It’s like looking into the face of the abyss, or your worse nightmare.”

George DèChabert is a member of the Bureau of Pest Control Exterminating team.

“At one time you can shine a flashlight on and they’ll run away. But, now they’ll just stand on they hind legs and look at you and eat, like you ain’t nuttin’. It’s like a squirrel you talkin’ to, or a dog, or somethin’, and it gets to me, That’s what scares me is they attitudes.”"

Its Ratropolis 2005