Worried about Bailey

[September555]

Hi All.....

Ok some of you may know I have two rats, both female and a fairly large cage, three levels. I normally spot clean the bottom where the liter is, and wipe the shelves and stairs/ramps etc. I have had the set up since Nov. Around Jan I took it apart and cleaned it up and all was fine. Tonight...I took it all apart again and this time washed it all out in the tub, bottom, shelves, ramps, and them wiped the bars down with a wet towel. I didnt use any cleaners...just one drop of vinegar and hot water. So in the mean time...my girls Daisy and Bailey are out running all over the place as normal, even running up on me and inside the taken apart cage etc..playing...nothing unusual. Well I get it all back together, put all new litter in it, food etc...put everything back exactly like it was, beds and all and after the girls were done playing I put them back in...gave them a treat...as usual. Well...Bailey started freaking out...running up to the door begging me to take her out...I opened it she ran up my arm and sat on my sholder and hung on for dear life when I tried to put her back in. When I did get her back in she ran up to the door, started climbing trying to get out..and BITING at the wires frantically. She has never ever done this before. As I Walked around the cage she ran where i was and followed me hanging onto the bars and biting like she was trying to bust out. She is so sweet and gentle, and never acted like this. I take her out and she is fine. Put her back and she freaks. What could this be? I didnt change anything, I didnt use any smelly stuff to clean it with. I am at a loss. Her sister Daisy is fine. She just acts so scared and freaked. I am going to get her back out and spend some one on one time with her, I just dont udnerstand her strange behavior. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks
Paula

 

[jorats]

This is very odd indeed. I've had several rats do this but it's usually because they are suffering from a URI and they need out of the cage, needing more space so to speak. How is her breathing? when she calms down on you?
There are things that spook rats and lord knows what it could be... How's her sister? How old are they?

 

[September555]

HI and thanks Jo....

Her breathing is fine. I don't know their exact age...I got them both from a petstore, thery were around 4 months (in november) when I got them no one knows for sure...so 9-10 months oldish. Her sister is fine..running around eating everything in site haha. When I get her out she is fine, sits on my shoulder walks around, kisses me. I played with her some alone a while ago and put her back in cage and just left the room for a bit, when I came back she was laying on the top shelf semi asleep where she lays alot. I talked to her and she seemed not as edgey but still a bit freaked out. Just doesnt seem normal. I just went in now and peeked at her and she is sleeping in her cozy cup. I guess will wait and see what she does later. Very very odd. Their play time area is my bedroom wich is ratproofed and nothing she could have gotten into. Like you said there are things that spooks rats and we never know what they are. Maybe she was just spooked, I have seen them spooked a million times but never like that. Maybe she seen a ghost? ha. Ill come back tomorrow and post more if she keeps it up and call the vet for a check up just in case. I think you may be right maybe it was just a spook.

 

[jorats]

Hopefully this is a one time thing. Rats can be so silly.

 

[Moon]

You said this is the first time that her cage has been completely scrubbed? Maybe removing every trace of scent freaked her out and she didn't recognize it as her environment? I almost wonder if putting a tiny bit of dirty bedding back in will help her re-adjust?

Just an idea!

 

[September555]

Well I had taken it apart once before and cleaned it fuilly back in early January. Normally just spot clean the bottom and wipe shelves every day. That make since...maybe she just thought she wasnt in her own cage, I was careful to put back everything like they had it....except toys, I move them around alot for stimulation. I posted this immediatety after it happened it freaked me out...she has calmed down some. I will try and sprinkle some of the old litter from the clean around her bed and see if that halps her some. Good idea, thanks!

 

[September555]

Well Bailey seems more back to normal this morning. I was awaken by the sound of someone chewing on a peanut....went over there and it was Bailey finally eating her peanut I gave her last night. I took her out for a bit, not skiddish and she went back in...still kind of acted like she didnt want to be in there but was not freaking out like she was last night. The was very bizzare how she acted. :? Still going to watch her just in case I feel better now that she isnt ripping at the bars with her teeth and climbing the cage frantically. Thanks for the input

Paula

 

[Godmother]

It's awful when they get spooked for no apparent reason. since there doesn't appear to be anything wrong with her health, the only cure is time in the clean cage.... bit by bit, she'll realize that nothing bad is going to happen there.

My girls get extremely skittish for almost a day after a vet visit. They are scared to come out of the cage or to be picked up. They like familiarity above all things. After a cage clean, they sometimes slink cautiously into the cage as if something were going to leap out and kill them.

I guess it's just survival behaviour that would be helpful in the wild.

 

[mamarat]

Aww I'm glad Bailey is doing better.

 

[September555]

Yeah all is pretty much back to normal. Thanks again for everyones response. I just got them out for abou 1 1/2 hours tonight and just put them back, and Bailey acted like nothing ever happened...then again when I got them out they had peed and mucked up their cage and got it all dirty...so I did the usual wipe off the shelves and spot cleaned the poopies out of the bottom so maybe it just needed to be dirty again haha. It freaked me out never seen her act like that. She is good now...even being bad when she got out and chewed on my bed sheet...hole right through it...so back to her normal self.

 

[jorats]

That's excellent news!