RatPalace.com - Pet Rat Care and Discussion

Wed Feb 08, 2006 5:11 am

Slippers is easily freakoutable. As you know (check the Memories and More forum for the 'Slippers Screaming' thread with video)
He's a big fat mansquish and is beautiful and cute, and if you're on his terms he loves to be patted and smooshed and babytalked to. We've all decided he's just REALLY vocal - and thats okay!

However I noticed the weirdest b+ehaviour. He does something with his tail none of my other rats do - when he's excited I *think*

If he sees something he wants to pounce, he wiggles his butt, which my other rats do, but Slippers actually twitches his tail as well. The end of it flicks back and forth like an excited cats' tail would. I didn't know they had the ability to move/control their tails like that..but I might be wrong. If they aren't able to, do you tyinki he has some kind of twitch maybe?

Slippers also takes ginormous flying leaps and when he lands and is exhilerated from the leap his tail end flicks back and forth like a cats' then as well. He's so twitchy and spazzy.

Is this normal? O_o

Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:10 am

I've heard of rats "wagging" their tails but I've never actually seen it before... I can't even imagine it, but I guess it's normal? Certainly sounds interesting...

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Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:12 am

The rattlesnake tail shake! Yes, both of my boys do it when they're excited. And when I was trying to intro Poe to Bike, Poe would stand up and do it when he was being defensive.

Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:28 am

My Lucy does the exact same thing when she sees my cat. I call it her "bring it on" tail wag.

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Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:48 am

LOL!!! All my boys do that, it is such a cute but hysterical thing to see, makes me laugh every time.

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Rest In Peace, My Lil Naked Man- Dobie, 2004 -Nov 11, 2005. My perfect acting English Gentleman, my heart still cries.
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Wed Feb 08, 2006 8:17 am

Well I'm glad its normal at least!
He's the only one that 'wags' his tail, and he does it (it seems) when he is very very excited, or does something that shouldn't be physically possible (jumping across a 3 foot gap)

It's really crazy to watch. He gets twitchy and then SPROINK off he goes on another adventure.

Wed Feb 08, 2006 10:13 am

lols aw.
My Bear does that when she taunts my kitty.
Basil has done it and spoinked a few times.

Babies do it sometimes when wrestleing

Wed Feb 08, 2006 3:13 pm

My phrase, the rattlesnake shake, is spreading. Mr. Green

Yes, rats do wag their tails during extremes of emotion - be it stress or happiness. More often it's reported scientifically as being a stress thing, but Finny used to do it all the time when I was scritching him and he was happily bruxing and boggling at me. wink

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:35 pm

I've seen miss harley do it before pouncing on one of her cage mates. it is rather a goofy little dance.

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Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:09 pm

And this is why RatPalace is great >_> I'd probably have wasted 23049740234 hours of research on Google just to be presented with 60+ pages on ways to trap and kill them. Go figure >_>;

The rattlesnake shake, (hehe), doesn't seem to be catching on with any of my other ones. Then again I'd hope they were never in any emotional extreme (of the negative side) enough to be 'Rattled' like that. I like to think I take care of my wuzzies <3

Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:39 pm

Mine twitch when recieving pettin's, so I am sure in my case it is happy excitement. Mr. Green

_________________
Rest In Peace, My Lil Naked Man- Dobie, 2004 -Nov 11, 2005. My perfect acting English Gentleman, my heart still cries.
King George I- 2001-August 2004 My heart is always with you, my sweet departed friend

Wed Feb 08, 2006 10:49 pm

Yup indeed - it's definitely (at least in spoiled pet ratties) just an indication of extreme emotions, positive or negative. In scientific literature, it's actually reported by some scientists that bruxing is primarily a stress reaction - yet we all know that our ratties are definitely not upset when they brux during a scritching session, boggle wildly, fall asleep on their backs on our laps and go all smooshy in our hands. The thing is, science generally doesn't look at spoiled and pampered and loved rats - they look at lab rats who - while not necessarily treated cruelly these days, aren't usually given the same kind of loving, healthy, large environment we give them. wink

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~