Scritches

[LA]

OK, I really don't know how to scritch a rat. I thought it was just like scratching like rubbing behind the ear, but I was reading something and it said it was more like a grooming movement. How do you do it properly.

 

[jorats]

I'm not sure either, but what I like to do is kind of massage with my fingers. Like doing a grabbing motion with my fingers on their heads, shoulders, sometimes on their back depending if they aren't tense. Rubbing on the back can mean a dominant move so it can stress a male.

 

[chicky82]

Scritching my black berk Coal gets him all excited and hyper :lol: he licks my hand and popcorns, my my PEW acts like I tried to kill him if I scritch him :roll: I think it just a general term for all sorts of petting a rat, I found this article

http://www.dapper.com.au/articles.htm#scritch

I think you can do whatever gets your rat happy

 

[jorats]

lol ...some rats just don't appreciate unarmed fingers.

Dapper's got a great description of scritching. So we are all doing it right. :lol:

 

[LA]

Wow, thanks for the article. I have come to realize my girls like slow petting like you would a dog, not really into scratches as you would call it. They definately don't appreciate being on their back by mommy so I don't do it unless it's a dominance thing.

 

[ratamataz]

Isey likes it when I get in his shoulder blades with my fingers and kind if muss the fur and scratch it backwards. He'll lay there and close his eyes. He's such a doll. :heart: He likes it when I give slow strokes on his head, too. He's the only one who really likes scritches. Charlie gets excited and runs off, and sometimes Irwin will enjoy a short scritch. The babies just run off, and the nekkids don't like pets very much.