Sunday, April 12, 2009

RATS FEEL

Comments of most rats owner said that the reason why rats make such good pets is because they are very affectionate towards their owner. Yes, rats have emotions and can have feelings towards things around them. Happy, sad, stress, worry and scared. Rats which have high intelligence and they are one of the few animals that have complex formation of emotions. If you would have spend enough time knowing your rats, you can actually tell what they are feeling or thinking. Most of the time, you can tell their emotions by looking at their ears. When their ears are up high, means they are alert. Probably they are scared, or they are curious about something near by. A frighten rat is very easy to identify. They will be sensitive to any suddenly sound or movement, even to their owner. A rat which are badly frighten, will not leave it's cage or it's hiding spot, not even for food or water. Rats are afraid of their natural predators instinctively. They can scene their presence from a distant without a direct contact. 


A frighten rat


A happy rat however is always eager to play with you. When a rat is happy, they will respond to food or treats and commands immediately. Basically a rat is very easy to feel contented. Usually they will be very happy during feeding time, playtime, or times which are spent with their owners. Teeth grinding is another way to show that they are contented. If they are in their cage with their playmates, they would groom each other to show their affection to another. Some rats will even lick the owners' hand or groom their owners' hair when they stand on the owners' shoulder. That is just their way of saying 'I like you'. If look closely, you can actually see a rat smile when they are happy. 

Rats don't usually feel sad unless something bad happens. Rats which have strong bond with their owners will be sad if they find that their owner is not happy. My rats will actually lick my tears off my face when I'm crying and they will sit beside me until I feel better. You can also know if your rats are feeling down. They will not move as much as usual, or probably just stare at one spot. Their ears will be down and will not be as responsive as normal days. Some rats will get very depress if a long-time cage mate leave them or pass away. They will also be sad if they are left alone for too long or they miss their owner too much.