The habits of rats and methods of dealing with them. Rat habits Features of the behavior of rats

Since ancient times, people have been getting their favorite four-legged pets, which later become full members of the family and faithful comrades.

If a person is constantly busy, then basically his choice falls on small funny animals that do not require special attention and care, for example, domestic decorative rats.

Decorative rat is very clever, but a cunning pet from the rodent family. Like other pets, she is very gets used quickly to your owner.

In order to keep it at home, you need to know and follow some rules:

Keep rats in a spacious and large cage, which should be equipped with ladders, a drinker, a feeder and a cozy house;

The floor of the cage should be covered with a special filler, best of all sawdust (but not small varieties);

Regular cleaning of the home and mandatory disinfection of the cage are necessary;

Make sure that there is always clean and fresh water in the drinker;

Provide the rodent with proper nutrition: grain feed, fruits and vegetables, feeding adult ornamental rats - up to 4 times a day, small ones - up to 6 times a day.

The nature of decorative rats

The nature of decorative rats is very different from the characters of other rodents. These pets are moderately smart and friendly creatures that willingly make contact with their owner and even know how to express their affection (for example, lick the fingers of their beloved owner). It is the interest in humans that distinguishes them from other rodents, for example, the same hamsters that treat people with a certain degree of coolness.

Also, their character depends on natural data, and each rat has its own temperament, which can be calm, phlegmatic and passive - these are mostly males, or can be curious and fussy - this applies mostly to females.

A very important feature is that ornamental rats cannot exist alone, they need to have a kindred friend - a rodent, so that they do not bore their time in the absence of the owner and take care of each other.

The habits of decorative rats

The main habits of decorative rats include their increased curiosity and a constant desire to nibble something. If you allow your decorative pet to move freely around the apartment, then she will sniff and “look” with her curious nose into all nooks and crannies, and will taste all the objects that deserve her attention. Therefore, it is better to hide all the wires, chargers and cables that lie along the path of the animal.

Another funny habit of a decorative rat is grinding its teeth. Most often, the owner can hear this sound, being at a close distance from the pet. And this creaking means that your pet is in an upbeat cheerful mood, and expresses its joy with such a peculiar rat "purr".

The rat genome matches the human genome by more than 90 (and some sources say that by 95!) percent. We are similar in everything. And it was not for nothing that the rat was chosen for research on higher nervous activity, brain function and testing of drugs that, after successful tests, will get into pharmacies, helping us to cope with minor and serious ailments. Antibiotics, which more than once saved humanity from terrible epidemics and significantly extended our lives, also appeared thanks to rats.

The brilliant intellect of this small, at first glance unattractive and for many even disgusting animal, allowed scientists to make significant progress in studying the mental activity of higher animals, including humans. It was experiments on rats that demonstrated to science the widest possibilities and prospects of electroencephalography, ultrasound and other studies using various devices, and even more so in modern realities, when digital technologies have come to the aid of medicine.


And since we are “brothers” in mind, then the intelligence of the rat, its flocking (social) behavior, manners of communicating with their own kind and view of the world also largely coincide with ours.

In 2014, together with felinologists and zoopsychologists, we published a series of articles on the behavior of cats, which undoubtedly helped many cat lovers and cat owners (now these articles can be read on the website:).

And for whom is information about the behavior of rats interesting?
- for rat breeders and their sympathizers,
– for those who choose a pet for themselves and have not yet decided on a choice,
- for those who sympathize with rats, but are afraid or dislike them because of the stereotypes prevailing in society,
- for inquisitive, inquisitive readers who are fond of science, including zoopsychology and ethology. For those looking for similar features of humans and animals, trying to understand the laws of nature and themselves.

The gray rat, Rattus Norvegicus is a synanthropic animal that always lives near human habitation. In rural areas, it settles in barns, food warehouses or livestock buildings (where it feeds on feed for farm animals: grain mixtures, compound feed, prisons, drinks water from drinking bowls, etc.)
In the urban environment, it lives on the following objects:
- in basements, in the attics of buildings, in garbage chutes, in landfills, in enterprises where there is something to feed on (grocery stores, vegetable stores, bakeries and warehouses, food kiosks, cafes, restaurants, etc. are especially fond of).
Both in vivo and in the laboratory, all rats exhibit a similar pattern of behavior, consisting in a number of similarities:
- always live in flocks (clans, genera, large families mainly from related individuals),
- a clear hierarchy is observed in the pack, strangers are almost never allowed there,
- all rats have a pronounced maternal instinct; the cubs of the deceased female are fed and raised by the rest of the individuals,
- females do not have such pronounced hierarchical relations as males, they live more amicably and do not actively fight for leadership,
- recognize poisons and dangers; develop immunity to poisons in subsequent generations,
- in case of a threat, they migrate with the whole flock.

As each individual grows and develops, its behavior also changes. Rats have very short life spans. Theoretically, the body of a rat is “designed” for 4-5 years, but in the wild this period is reduced to 1-1.5 years. Our beloved pets, unfortunately, also live very little. This is due to long decades of selection of laboratory animals, the descendants of which are domestic rats.

Genetic engineering, provoking colds and infectious diseases to test antibiotics, and most importantly, the selection of individuals prone to cancer, played a cruel joke with rats. In addition, by breeding new varieties of ornamental rats, breeders cultivate and reinforce a number of genetic mutations, often with side effects that negatively affect the health of animals.

As a result, all sources say that the average life expectancy of a rat is 2-2.5 years. However, now rat lovers are also working towards increasing a healthy gene pool, therefore, in modern realities, a three-year-old rat is not common, but it does occur.

And since rats live very “quickly”, their strength lies in cohesion and fertility, which determines the behavior of these animals, which we will consider based on observations of laboratory and wild rats.

The neonatal period in rat pups proceeds rapidly and is limited to 5-6 days. During this period of time, babies are blind, completely helpless, completely dependent on their mother. The main forms of contact are tactile contacts with each other, with mothers, and competition during feeding. During this period, there are rudimentary attempts to take care of themselves (twitch their paws, make gestures similar to washing) and the first attempts to navigate in the nest. They sleep restlessly.

The transitional period lasts from 6 to 14 days. The rats still do not see, but their movements become more coordinated, the coat begins to grow, the cubs not only crawl, but also try to stand on their paws and take their first steps. On the 13th day, the external auditory canals open, a day or two later - the eyes. Individual cleanings are observed: the rat pups are already washing themselves with their paws and tongue. Explore the nest with the help of smell and touch, try to crawl out and explore everything that is around. There is an interest in other cubs and surrounding objects, mutual cleanings begin. Sleep during this period is more restful.

The so-called social period lasts from 15 to 21 days. It is associated with the opening of the eyes and intense knowledge of the surrounding world. During this period, the number of contacts, including gaming ones, increases sharply. Rats try solid food and gradually begin to feed on their own, while still "attaching" to their mother's nipples. Under laboratory conditions, it was found that on the 17-18th day of life, rat pups are already learning to climb up the walls of the cage and climb on any objects. By the end of the social period, the cubs already consciously react to the observer, show benevolent curiosity, rush to the walls of the cage, noticing the approach of a person, as if “meeting” his appearance. Activity increases sharply; rat pups are characterized by a constant change of activity.

Juvenile period - age from 22 to 36 days. The main activity is the game. Babies react to the slightest sounds. It is during this period of time that the rat pups exhibit certain elements of social behavior: they begin to playfully fight with each other, defend themselves, drag food into the nest, making “reserves”, jump on each other, imitating mating.

From the end of the juvenile period until puberty, young rats actively explore the world, constantly follow their mother and other adults, repeat their movements, copy their behavior. At this time, rat pups are characterized by increased shyness, but it is contradicted by fantastic curiosity, which often leads to various situations, including dangerous ones (especially in the wild). At this point, both aggression and imitation of reproductive behavior are absent from their behavioral repertoire. They do not mark territory and do not fight for a hierarchical position in the pack.

And in wild, and in laboratory, and in domestic rats, puberty occurs in the interval from 1.5 to 2 months. The body and psyche are not yet fully formed, however, very young individuals can mate and give birth to offspring, which they do in the wild in order to increase the population. However, when keeping ornamental rats, experienced breeders advise to plant young animals not only from the mother, but also from each other, dividing the litter into different cells (small males and females). Closely related matings, as well as early and frequent births, destroy the health of rats, so it is not recommended to use even the most valuable and beautiful individuals in breeding until they are at least 5 months old.

The entire period of transformation of a rat into an adult takes quite a long time: from 45-60 to 90-120 days. At the moment of maturity, males show interest in females, they make the first cages, and females begin estrous cycles. Aggressiveness towards alien individuals appears, however, active play contacts between young individuals and their mothers remain. As they approach adulthood, young rats often show unmotivated antagonism towards the young. In the natural environment, some males leave the pack to found their own clan.

The period of behavioral maturation of a young, but already matured and breeding rat, starts from the 85th day and older. It is characterized by significant changes in the individual activity of young individuals and in the nature of social interactions between all members of the pack. In young males, the frequency of any contacts with females of the same age sharply increases, in which the first broods have already appeared, and therefore aggressiveness (protection of offspring) has also increased. Playing behavior gradually fades away and under natural conditions disappears almost forever by the age of 4 months. Young males are gradually involved in intra-group relations, trying to prove their superiority by force in order to take not the last place on the hierarchical ladder of the pack. Their testicles are already fully descended into the scrotum, the hormonal background is stable, and their behavior is identical to that of older males.

By about six months of age (5-6 months), the rat becomes "fully adult."
*Note:
The figures limiting this or that period are not exact “to the day”, they may vary in different climatic zones and conditions. However, the gradation of the age and behavioral periods of the Rattus Norvegicus rat is very well expressed at exhibitions held by rat breeders' clubs.

All over the world it is customary to distinguish between exhibition classes by age:
- from a month to 2 - a class of kids (baby)
– from 2 to 5 months – junior class (jun)
– 5 months to 1.5 years – adult class (AD)
- from 1.5 years and older - veteran class (vet).

So, our rats have matured completely, and together with them and the readers we have come to the most interesting part of this article:

Social behavior of rats

Gray rats Rattus Norvegicus are highly social species that are characterized by a group lifestyle from birth to old age, regardless of the season, climate zone and other habitat conditions.
In the 20th century, the social organization of rats was very poorly understood. Field observations of the rat "clan" are extremely difficult in natural conditions, so in the 40s of the last century, a certain foreign scientist named Calhoun decided on an unusually bold experiment.

In the vicinity of Baltimore, Calhoun fenced off a 1,000 sq. m., where he placed 10 heterosexual, sexually mature rats, who had not known each other before. Experimental observations of the pack were carried out for several decades, so the scientist and his associates managed not only to analyze the life and social structure of the original animals, but also their descendants, as well as those changes that occurred in the rat colony with an increase in the number of its inhabitants.

Soon, specialists from other countries (including the USSR) managed to establish observation of a naturally formed population of clans located in one or another limited territory, and compare the behavior of a natural flock with a flock artificially created by Calhoun. The results were rather contradictory: at some point in the behavior of the rats there was an absolute similarity, but sometimes there were differences.

We will not go into details, we will only talk about the social structure of the rat pack as a whole.
A flock (clan, clan, rat settlement and other synonyms) of rats is always divided into smaller groups consisting of several individuals (the optimal number of rats in one group is 10, with more or less the group usually breaks up). Roughly speaking, imagine a school class divided into several small “companies” that are “friends” (not necessarily only girls or boys, and not just one pioneer unit, detachment or other structure from the Soviet past): such mini-collectives arise spontaneously and last quite a long time.

The disunity into factions in Calhoun's pack happened very quickly - as soon as the rat population began to increase in numbers. The most distinct and vivid territorial structure of the rat pack, as well as the clearest division into groups, appeared at the very end of the experiment, that is, after several generations of rats.

Exactly the same groups arose in natural flocks of the gray rat, and in some cases they consisted of individuals related to each other (mothers and grown cubs, brothers and sisters of littermates, etc.), while there was also no numerical advantage of males or females revealed (in each group studied, the formation of relations on the basis of gender occurred in its own way).

The grouping of rats is not a closed community: its members leave the territory of both their small company and the entire pack, and often in order to leave forever and establish their own colony with their own hierarchical structure. Such groups are most often formed from low-ranking individuals who cannot count on a high position and a change in their status in the near future. In addition (as we wrote above), some of the young, reaching puberty, leave the flock on their own in order to develop unoccupied territories and establish their own settlements.

Each rat flock goes through certain stages of its development, which are repeated cyclically and are associated with environmental conditions, as well as with the renewal of generations. At the stage of formation of the hierarchy, constant violent clashes between males are characteristic, while at the stable stages, the entire pack adheres to conflict-free behavior. The periods between aggression and stabilization can take from several hours to several days.

The alpha male (or a group of leaders) regularly bypasses his possessions, moving freely and unhindered, marking them with urine, and without fail - gives indicative, "ritual" beatings to other males so that they are clearly aware of their hierarchical position (individuals standing below all ranks commonly referred to as omega males). There is no competition between females, however, during the feeding of young animals, any female can show aggression towards any other individuals, protecting the safety of her nest.

In a word, the rat pack and its social structure is not like an anthill, a beehive or a pride of lions. Rather, it can be compared with a primitive human community, where there is a leader, a council of elders and priests, young healthy warriors, their wives and children, as well as outcasts who live on the outskirts of the settlement and are not respected by more successful and wealthy fellow tribesmen.

Summary

In the wild, the development of the rat organism, intelligence and behavioral responses is similar to the behavior of a rat in the laboratory, but is slightly shifted in time and differs significantly in detail. Wild rat pups leave their mother's nest faster, become sexually mature a couple of days earlier, but in general develop much more slowly than laboratory ones, placed in favorable conditions and devoid of the struggle for survival. In addition, they take longer to develop and consolidate behavioral responses to a number of standard situations.

Wild cubs do not squeak so loudly so as not to attract the attention of predators, and scream only when they are disturbed. The mother, going in search of food, often sprinkles the nest with straw, twigs, leaves, paper or garbage so that the rat pups do not freeze in her absence.

In a wild rat pack, young individuals do not always take care of the elderly and sick and are ready to leave them to their fate, saving themselves and their cubs.

It is difficult, but still possible, to place an alien rat in a common cage, while outsiders are almost never accepted into a wild flock and expelled, sometimes with serious injuries.

Attention! Even if you have a “veteran” rat, its age of aging is very conditional and is associated rather with hereditary diseases dormant in the body for the time being, but is in no way associated with sexual activity. Therefore, in no case do not allow contacts of “aged” rats of different sexes: perhaps they will be able to get pregnant contrary to your logic.

Laboratory and ornamental rats, unlike wild ones, retain their playful behavior until old age: they like to mess around, fight, jump up stairs and cage floors, run away, have fun and misbehave. In a wild flock, adult rats almost never play or amuse themselves, except perhaps with their cubs.

You can list a lot of similar examples, make extensive material about the similarities and differences between wild and human-bred rats for a whole article ... However, one thing is clear:
The longer (in time) a person is engaged in vivisection of laboratory and domestication of ornamental rats, the brighter, more expressive and more numerous are their differences from wild relatives.

A tiny crack in the stumbling block of the rat clan-tribe has been transformed into a crevice, which, with centuries of rat selection, will turn into a large abyss. What to do, once the dog was a direct descendant of the wolf ...

Anna Kurtz

Bibliography:
Gray rat: Systematics, ecology, population regulation. – M.: Nauka, 1990.
R. Hendrickson. Trickier than a man. An exhaustive history of the rat and human civilization. - Per. from English. - M .: "Sofion", 2004
Materials of sites and forums of clubs of rat breeders of different cities.

Recently, rats have become popular pets. It's easy to explain. They are, by nature, calm, unpretentious and sociable animals. In addition, domestic rats do not require a lot of space in the apartment and frequent contact with people.

If you decide to get a rat, you need to know their features. Physiologically, rats are very similar to humans. Therefore, infectious diseases of rats can be transmitted to humans. Keep this in mind when you buy an animal. It is better to make a purchase from amateurs, and not in bird markets. So you can be sure that the rat is not sick and has passed the veterinary control. Pay attention to her appearance. The animal must appear healthy and active. After buying a rat, first take it to the veterinary clinic. There they will take all the necessary tests. This will make it possible to make sure that the animal is completely healthy.

Rats are very friendly and intelligent animals. They quickly find contact with people. Rats, as experiments have shown, even have the ability to think. Each of them is a formed and independent personality. They have certain qualities and character traits.

Animals are easy to train. Rats are capable of performing various tricks. She can be taught to jump over all sorts of objects, respond to the name, take out small things from the box.

With the help of experiments on rats, you can study their behavior in various situations and conditions. Experiments made it possible to better understand the habits of rats. They are very friendly and good-natured creatures, they love to play with each other. They never bite their owners and their fellows. Domestic rats are sociable. They show great interest in people and trust their owners. By the behavior of rats, you can always understand how they feel at the moment. You will notice if the rat is upset about something, or vice versa, happy. You just need to watch your pet a little.

Remember that the behavior of domestic rats will directly depend on you. Do not forget that they need to be tamed from an early age. Communicate with animals and give them a lot of attention. Rats have a highly developed sense of smell, so be aware of this fact. In order not to frighten the animal, let it sniff your hands first, and only then take it. Never do it abruptly and rudely. You should also not strongly squeeze the rat, even if it breaks out. Over time, the animal will get used to your hands and will behave calmly. Take the bottom of the rat with one hand, and hold the top with the other. This will make her feel comfortable.

Rats are very intelligent animals. Therefore, learning various tricks for rats is quick and easy. The main thing is that the animal is not hungry, and the lesson does not last more than half an hour. Let the animal first explore all the elements necessary for learning. Never force a rat to do something by force. And do not punish the animal if it fails to do what you require of it. Remember to always encourage pets. This will be the key to the success of the experiment with rats.

Features of the behavior of rats, which you may not have known

If you already have a pet - a rat, then you probably already know what active, intelligent and inquisitive animals they are. Our article is recommended for reading primarily for beginners - those who have just acquired a rat or are thinking about getting one.

Peeps and squeals. If your rat makes an audible and audible noise, it is highly likely that your pet is unhappy. Perhaps in this way the rat expresses its protest or dissatisfaction with the fact that you have invaded its space. The long, strong squeak of a rat may indicate pain experienced by the animal. The rat squeaks while in the cage - take a close look at its habitat, make sure everything is in order.

Night noise. Don't expect a rat to follow the same schedule and rhythm as you. On the contrary, get ready for the fact that the rat is active at night and sleeps during the day. The time after dinner is a great time to socialize and play with your pet. The attempt can be resumed early in the morning - as it will be more convenient for you. You can also enjoy the funny positions that rats like to sleep in - lounging on their backs, curled up in a tight ball, etc.

Scavenger hunters. There is such a feature for rats - to pick up and drag to a secluded place something that can fit for playing or chewing. Rats steal and drag objects made of wood, plastic and rubber to their lair. They are happy to drag objects made of paper or fabric. Rats are also great masters of organizing all sorts of stash and food supplies.

Brawlers-boxers. Not only kangaroos have shown themselves to be boxing fans! Rats also love boxing - they stand on their hind legs and heartily begin to beat each other with their front ones. But this is not for fun: two rats find out which of them is the alpha male, the dominant male. Rats have a highly developed social hierarchy. Sometimes you can watch how, instead of a desperate fight, the rats get up like frozen nose to nose. They may not get up - rodents have many different variations on this topic.

The rat bites. If a rat bites or licks you, perhaps in this way she demonstrates her love. Rats also have a wonderful sense of smell, and may well bite you if you inadvertently took something edible before entering the cage. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before (and after) handling a rat.

The rat digs in and digs out. In the wild, rats tend to live in underground burrows, so the talent for digging in them, as they say, is laid down. In our case, it all depends on the type of bedding or filler you use. For example, by burrowing into sawdust, a rat may be looking for a more comfortable and safer place to sleep.

Mustache wiggling. In order to find the shortest path from point A to point B, we humans use a GPS navigator. A rat's whiskers perform the same function. In addition, thanks to the whiskers, the rat receives information whether the object of interest to it is moving or static. Whiskers also help the animal to keep balance when moving!

Tail movements. If you suddenly scoop up your rat in an armful, you will immediately notice how it starts to beat with its tail. So she tries to understand what is happening - the tail also helps the rat to navigate in space. The tail allows its owner to maintain balance when she climbs somewhere high, or helps to maintain balance when the rat stands on its hind legs.

Bulging eyes. It happens when the eyes of a rat seem to bulge unnaturally, just a little more, and they just jump out of their sockets! Don't worry, your pet hasn't gone crazy. On the contrary, he is happy and so relaxed.

Grinding of teeth. This phenomenon, as a rule, accompanies the above-described bulging eyes. There is no need to be scared, the rat belongs to the rodent family, and her teeth are constantly growing. When a rat gnashes its teeth, it tries, so to speak, to try on their height, to make sure that they do not grow too fast. What's more, rats' teeth grinding is akin to cats' purring, which is what they do when they're relaxed and at rest. This creates vibrations that help the eyeball bulge - therefore, these two phenomena are interconnected. At the same time, a rat may start grinding its teeth when scared or in pain, so pay attention to the circumstances in which this happens (for example, when you stroke it or vacuum near the cage).

Original post: 10 Common Rat Behaviors. Author: Laura Doering. Source and photo:

Rats are quite unique representatives of the animal world. They are able to quickly adapt to the environment. Rodents have a fairly developed intellect. According to some scientists, rats may compete, on some level, with human civilization. At the same time, rats have their own:

1. Hierarchies.
2. Way of communication.
3. Relations.

According to some Western researchers, these rodents can even laugh, as they have some developed sense of humor.

Habits and habitats

In urban conditions, the habits of animals depend directly on people. Most often they can be found in basements, as well as on the lower floor of the building. If the colony of rodents has reached the maximum number of heads, then they can safely enter even the attic, in such cases deratization services may be required. If the weather is warm outside, the animals prefer to dig holes where they hide from the heat. As soon as the cold sets in, the rats will definitely return to the premises. Since the pasyuk is very inventive and fastidious, it can not be found everywhere. They choose only those places where there is an abundance of water and provisions for them.

If rats prefer the wilderness, then they will definitely choose a place closer to the source of drinking water. The shores of such a reservoir should be distinguished by soft soil. The approximate size of the hole can be 5 m. During floods, animals often move to hollows, if there are none nearby, they can build a small nest on a tree. These rodents are distinguished by the fact that they are not at all afraid of water. They are skilled swimmers and are also capable of diving. In such places, they often feed on mollusks, beetles, frogs and even fish.

Fighting methods

It is worth remembering forever - it will not work to completely destroy the rats on the site. The maximum that can be done is to reduce the number of individuals. The most popular fighting methods are listed below.

With the help of biological means, it is possible to significantly reduce the livestock in the flock. Usually, for these purposes, people acquire pets - cats and dogs. According to some experts, it is stray dogs that protect people from a large raid of these unpleasant rodents on cities.

Considerable popularity is enjoyed by ultrasound, chemical warfare, as well as physical. To prevent their occurrence, you can use some folk remedies. The first step should always be to maintain cleanliness and shut off the source of drinking water.