Pet Forum / Mammals / Rats / June 2006

Hello everyone!

We got our rats (2 not 3) and we're very excited. One of them is a
champagne and is the most social of the three. The black and white
hooded one has gotten a lot more comfortable and went down my
daughter's shirt today. The third one has been hiding in a saltine
cracker box for 3 days. She does stick her head out from time to time
to pick up the food I leave for her and take it back into her little
lair. I also gave her some paper shreds and I hear her nesting with it.
She hasn't been interacting with the other rats hardly at all and I
haven't seen her drink any water (maybe she drinks at night?) She did
sniff my finger three times today and all three times she bit me. They
seemed like experimental bites or warning bites because they didn't
hurt me at all. I think she might just be really scared, but I'm new to
rats. Does anyone have any thoughts on this and what I can do to make
her feel more comfortable besides just leaving her alone for a few more
days? The other rats seem to be having a great time exploring their
cage.

The champagne one is supposedly being "shared" by my daughter and me.
My daughter said that I could give her a first name and she would give
a middle name. The result...Agatha Scrat.

Thanks in advance,

Kim