Bruxxing and boggling from fear?

[amruiz]

So I've been working with The Cheat to help her get over her anxiety about being handled. Things are going pretty well. She's always been a really sweet but scared girl. Never bitten, not even a squeak from her in protest. You can just tell by how stiff she makes herself.

Well these last couple of days she's settled with laying on my tummy while I pet her. She sits still, bruxxes and boggles like mad, but she's shivering pretty hard as though she's scared. It makes me feel as though I'm stressing her out too much so I'll give her a treat and put her back in with the girls.

I know they brux when they're in pain and when they're happy, but do they brux while scared as well? It's perplexing to say the least.

 

[jorats]

Yep... That's her way of finding a happy place when scared. But I'd continue to do it, in the long run it will be better for the both of you. Make your bonding sessions over 30 minutes at a time. They say that rats tend to forget what they are afraid of after 20 minutes.

 

[ametropia]

One of my girls is super-outgoing, one is somewhat comfortable, and the other two are down right scared when we bring them out. Complete with stiffness, bruxing and boggling, and shivering.

I always worry about taking those two out because of how they act but I keep doing it hoping they will warm up to the whole thing. They are different rats entirely in their own cage, but once out, they are very nervous little ratties. Most of the time, if they see the opportunity, they'll head straight down my shirt and curl up in my bra :lol: Coaxing them out is quite the task. In my shirt, no nervousness, once outside, all the nervous signs return.

I think we'll have to elongate the bonding sessions as jo suggested, right now I keep putting them back after only 10 or 15 minutes because I'm terrified I'm traumatizing them.

Mine are similar to yours as well.. super sweet, non-biters, but very nervous ratties.

 

[jorats]

I've noticed it helps the rats become less scared if during their out time, their cage is available to them to run back in when they want too.
But for socializing, inside your shirt is where they need to be anyways.

 

[ametropia]

I'll try that tonight with my most skiddish girl, just give her a good long bout of in-shirt time.

 

[smmmiley]

How is she (the Cheat) doing?

How are you doing?

How did the neuter go with your new boy?

 

[maria-mar]

I've noticed some of my rats bruxxing during vet visits, out of fear as well.

How is this girl doing?

 

[Godmother]

They brux when they are in pain, also. Seems like bruxxing is similar to purring in that way. I had always thought that purring was a happy sign in a cat, until I found out that they can do it when in distress.