Rat: Animal behaviour and problems.

      General information

      The large group of the rodents comprises the relatives of       mice, the relatives of squirrels, the relatives of the guinea pigs       and the relatives of porcupines. In principle, the rat represents       only an especially big type of mice in the group of the relatives       of the mice. His long tail that gives him better support when       climbing, and the agile body with wedge-shaped head are       external features.

      Until today, the rat has always had many adversaries,       because in the Middle Ages he contributed to spread the pest                                                                                        and is generally categorized as "disgusting sewerage system animal". Rats are equally able to swim, to climb, to dig and to run. Thanks to their tactile hair they get their bearings also in the dark. Their almost endless adaptability to steadily changing environmental conditions, which reveals a high dgree of "intelligence", has also to be emphasized.

Social behaviour

Rats live gregariously in herds which often originate from extended families. So the herd animals are in most cases closely related and can be traced back to a single couple. That is why one should never keep a single rat. They need a steady social contact. There is a severe social ranking within the herd. The "buck-in-chief" puts the younger males in their place. A herd lives in a determinate territory which they also defend. The same is true if the rats live in a cage. Woe betide a foreign rat who just enters the territory or the cage or is put into it by a pet owner! The members of a herd know each other individually and help each other mutually within the established social ranking. The reproduction takes place throughout the whole year.

Behavioural disturbances

As a rule, behaviour disorder occurs in thoses cases when animals are kept in cages or enclosures that do not fulfil the needs characteristic of the species. So an endless gnawing at gratings or wire meshes can be observed if the enclosure does not offer enough incentive for the rats to live a life appropriate to their species or if there are no good-natured fellow species around that are indispensible for a varied and fulfilled existence. The breeding that concentrates above all on creating beautiful, attractive animals or even animals with unusual fur shades may, as a side effect, also lead to an increased aggressiveness which is evident in a steady willlingness to bite. The increased susceptibility to neoplasia is theoretically not to be attributed to a behaviour disorder, but is more likely a result of a one-sided breeding practice.

Man-Animal communication

The shoulder of the human companion is sort of a classical place for tame rats. If they climb up there it means that they feel close and are ready for communication. The more you observe the life of the rats and learn to detect their mood out of their body posture and their vocalization, the better you are able to acquaint yourself with them. In accordance with nature, the simpliest method to establish contact is to let the rats eat out of your hand and to tickle them. Signals like whistling and knocking with the fingers can be the begin of a training which always ends with a feed reward.

Animals "talk" to their fellow species by body posture, position of the tail, facial expression, vocalizationd and many more. If the human being has the position of companion and substitute for fellow species, then he must try to make up a little bit for the big deficit. The easiest way to do this is to talk calmly to his pets. Animals are extremely capable of learning and understand very quickly what words, the tone of voice and gestures want to say.

Undesirable behaviour

Rats are impressive rodents. In a free, unattended run they can destroy almost everything that they get between their sharp teeth. Apart from wallpaper, furniture and carpets also aluminium, copper and iron hardly represent a problem for them. Vicious animals are, of course, unwelcome for keeping as domestic animals. We also must treat carefully in the case of particularly smart animals who are able to open the door of the cage in no time.

Mood barometer

Since the human being does not understand at all the rats' odour or vocalization language, it is very difficult to interpret the mood of these animals. It's true that the body posture or some behaviour patterns may in one way or other indicate the state of mood, but it is hardly possible to discern something out of the facial expression as this is distinctively the case with dogs or horses.

Psychology of animals

The intelligent and adaptable rat has successfully defended himself for thousands of years against all extermination campaigns of men. Wouldn't there be any rats, all the waste pipes of the big cities would continuously be blocked up. The rat populations in Paris devour every day 800 tons of waste and are, therefore, not only a pest but also important environmental helpers. The banned and sacred phenomenom "rat" is a psychological "Jack of all trades" animal and subject to be seen in museums and exhibitions. If the animals are kept in a way appropriate to their species, the domestic rat can become a friendly and lovable partner. A little bit of animal psychology is, of course, necessary to find out and satisfy the rats' natural needs.