[erikablanchettexo]

I got my baby rat about 1 week and 2 days ago. Since day 1 she's been chattering (grinding her teeth). She sometimes will sneeze right before or right after, but not always.

Yesterday she was introduced and housed with my other rat who is a month and a few weeks old. They get along good, but squeak at each other occasionally.

My main concern is the chattering sound along with the sneezing (although it's not every time. She does sneeze without doing the sound as well). Is she still getting used to the new environment? Especially where she's been housed with my other rat as of last night? I'm not really seeing any other signs of illness. She eats, plays, sleeps and drinks water fine. She had a little bit of porphorin on her nose a few days after I first got her but I haven't noticed any since. There could have been a tiny bit last night but I'm not 100% sure because they had raspberries in their cage and it honestly looked like she got some of the juice from the berry on her face from eating it (it was on her fur above nose also but almost like on 3 separate strands)

I'm a first time rat mommy so I'm super paranoid haha. Please help

 

[erikablanchettexo]

I also forgot to mention the biting cage part. It's almost like she's trying to grind her teeth down by doing so but I could be wrong? What's a good way to stop this bad behaviour? When I notice her doing it I say her name somewhat loud and say no! If she doesn't listen I move her to a different area in the cage.

 

[Alice]

I'm by no means an expert, but I figured I would post my experiences.

I have five rats (six as of half an hour ago, but that's a different story). I have a girl who bit at the bars constantly and I never understood why, but I believe it has to do with her temperament. She's incredibly skittish no matter what I do and really doesn't enjoy contact from rat or human. She is sweet and will come up when called, but doesn't like contact. She's also the only rat I've met that bit me for blood before I got her to calm down and realized her personality. I think the bar chewing was a way for her to get her skittish energy out, kind of like an ADHD child grinding their teeth constantly (my daughter does this). She has tons and tons of toys, but will chew the bars before touching the toys.

Could be frustration, or youthful excess energy. Does she get a lot of time out of the cage to roam? What kind of cage do you have?

My rats chatter, grind their teeth, and occasionally sneeze and have no issues. They'll fight among themselves for food or treats and make all sorts of squeaks. As long as there is no blood, no foul (as the saying goes). They generally won't hurt each other, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to check on them when you hear it (I'm paranoid too!).

 

[erikablanchettexo]

I'm by no means an expert, but I figured I would post my experiences.

I have five rats (six as of half an hour ago, but that's a different story). I have a girl who bit at the bars constantly and I never understood why, but I believe it has to do with her temperament. She's incredibly skittish no matter what I do and really doesn't enjoy contact from rat or human. She is sweet and will come up when called, but doesn't like contact. She's also the only rat I've met that bit me for blood before I got her to calm down and realized her personality. I think the bar chewing was a way for her to get her skittish energy out, kind of like an ADHD child grinding their teeth constantly (my daughter does this). She has tons and tons of toys, but will chew the bars before touching the toys.

Could be frustration, or youthful excess energy. Does she get a lot of time out of the cage to roam? What kind of cage do you have?

My rats chatter, grind their teeth, and occasionally sneeze and have no issues. They'll fight among themselves for food or treats and make all sorts of squeaks. As long as there is no blood, no foul (as the saying goes). They generally won't hurt each other, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to check on them when you hear it (I'm paranoid too!).

Thanks for replying! I just put her in the cage last night and it's pretty big. I can attach a picture as well. It's pretty roomy for the both of them.

I think I'm just super paranoid because I recently had a baby rat that was super ill and it started out with weird noises. But my current baby rats lungs are good when I rat phone her so I won't be concerned until I hear weird noises.

I also forgot to mention that I give her a few drops of oregano oil everyday via siringe to keep her immune system up. She hates it but it's helping her in the long run.

 

[erikablanchettexo]

The setup is different now but that's the cage. There's 2 little hiding huts on the top and on the second one closer you e ground it's all their food and on the very bottom there's a wheel, a flying saucer as well as a little cylinder toy as well as a few chewing toys and pasta noodles to chew on etc.

 

[erikablanchettexo]

This is the current set up

 

[Alice]

Yup, I would chock it up to youthful energy for now. If you can, let them run around your dry bathtub or a rat proof room as often as you can. I put toy cat balls and other fun stuff into either the bathtub or my room (depends how cleaned up my room is!) to help with all the energy.

Some of that oil could have gotten either in or near her nose if you have to fight her to take it. That would make her sneeze! I don't think it'll do any harm, but that could be why.

 

[erikablanchettexo]

Yup, I would chock it up to youthful energy for now. If you can, let them run around your dry bathtub or a rat proof room as often as you can. I put toy cat balls and other fun stuff into either the bathtub or my room (depends how cleaned up my room is!) to help with all the energy.

Some of that oil could have gotten either in or near her nose if you have to fight her to take it. That would make her sneeze! I don't think it'll do any harm, but that could be why.

Thanks! I'll take them into the bathroom tonight when I get home for some play time . I don't think any got into her nose. She was sneezing before I started giving it to her but in all honesty I'm trying not to worry about it because when I rat phone her, all I can hear is her heartbeat and her sniffing my hair haha. So that's good, right?

 

[Alice]

As far as I know, it's good. Mine sneeze when excited. If I come in and say "hi, girls!", they all come running out to say hello, bounce around, start grooming, and sneeze the entire time! They're all healthy too.

 

[erikablanchettexo]

As far as I know, it's good. Mine sneeze when excited. If I come in and say "hi, girls!", they all come running out to say hello, bounce around, start grooming, and sneeze the entire time! They're all healthy too.

That's good to hear!
I always thought sneezing was bad. I read somewhere that they shouldn't be sneezing like at all. Maybe I'm misinformed?

 

[ratbasket]

Well they often sneeze in a new environment, or my vet said that some rats just sneeze more. I would say that as you get to know your new rat you will be able to tell if she isn't feeling well.