Chatty Ratty

[Furryfuzzbucket]

3 days ago I felt in love with this little girl at the pet store. I brought her home with the assurance that aside from her not really having been socialized with people, that the sound she has been making (which made me fall in love with her) she has making ever since they got her in a month ago. So I got her home, places her in her new cage and decided to call her Shadow. The sound she is making, is not a squeak or bruxing. I am almost thinking it is a nervous sound, but only having had one rat before her (I only had Halo for 8 months as she was initially my ex's and was already 3 years old when I got her) I am fairly new to loving these sweet little critters and am concerned that it may be something else.

Long story long, I guess my question is, is it normal for a Rat to make nervous sounds when you are first trying to socialize them?

 

[lilspaz68]

Hmmmm. Do you only hear the sound when you are trying to handle her? Is it a whper or long drawn out whine? Or do you hear it more often and it kinda sounds lovely Ike popping or an outboard motor on a small boat?

 

[Furryfuzzbucket]

Hmmmm. Do you only hear the sound when you are trying to handle her? Is it a whper or long drawn out whine? Or do you hear it more often and it kinda sounds lovely Ike popping or an outboard motor on a small boat?

Mainly when she realizes there is someone in the room with her. I have not tried to handle her much. I will reach in the cage to pet her, give her treats. She has started taking treats from my hand. Let me know if you can watch the video as the sound is hard to explain. The whimper in the one video is not really the right sound. But the rest of it.

 

[Furryfuzzbucket]

Hmmmm. Do you only hear the sound when you are trying to handle her? Is it a whper or long drawn out whine? Or do you hear it more often and it kinda sounds lovely Ike popping or an outboard motor on a small boat?

Sometimes it sounds like a baby blowing bubbles, sometimes like a coffee pot percolating and still other times like she has a stuffy nose. I haven't noticed any of that red stuff around her nose or eyes and there is no discharge that I have noticed either, though it's hard to tell on the brown fur when I am used to a mostly white rat.

 

[lilspaz68]

That's definitely respiratory sounds. She looks very very spooky. Is she alone?

 

[Furryfuzzbucket]

That's definitely respiratory sounds. She looks very very spooky. Is she alone?

Yes she is alone. But even at the pet store she was like this. She is getting better with that part since I started poking my hand in and scratching her chin and her bum.

 

[lilspaz68]

Try offering her long treats so she can take them from you without your fingers being too close to her mouth. Have her associate you with good things. She may need antibiotics eventually but you're going to need to socialize her first.