# Rat question? Vibrating tail?



## LyzzaRyzz (Dec 18, 2011)

My male rattie, Sandor, sometimes vibrates his tail, and sometimes thumps his feet.
I'm guessing the reasons are aggression, he's reaching his sexual maturity, or for attention. He is an attention hog!
He sometimes does it when we pet him.

I'm just wondering why he does it! He can do it really loud!


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## bettafishfinnatic (Mar 18, 2012)

maybe he is just happy


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## SweetNightmare (Mar 15, 2012)

I've heard tail vibrating and feet stamping can be a form of showing dominance. Unless there are any serious scuffles it shouldn't be anything to worry about. Puffing is a sign of aggression and dominance in especially male rats, so if you've noticed him puffing out his fur(kind of like how birds fluff their feathers or cats bristle) it's definitely dominance, though as I've said before, as long as there are no fights, it's fine. Unfortunately, that's all I can say; I've only ever owned females, though my good friend has large mischiefs of both males and females, separately.

Do you house him alone, or with your females? If with females, he is neutered, correct?


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## LyzzaRyzz (Dec 18, 2011)

Hes alone, and unneutered. To get him fixed would've been $500!!
I wouldn't know if he puffs his fur, cause he's a Rex..his furs always on end and messed up! Lol
We do tickle fight a lot, it's one of his favorite thins to do, besides belly rubs and back rubs.
He's rather submissive towards us, constantly licking, and having no trouble being flipped.
The last time he did it was on the pillow next to me, looking at me. I wonder if it's his way of wanting to play fight? 
Normally he just climbs all over what ever your doing, being a nuisance, til you flip him ticket fight and throw him..lol [and by throw, I mean toss, on a bed]
He's twenty weeks old...he should be reaching sexual maturity right?


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## SweetNightmare (Mar 15, 2012)

It could very much be trying to get your attention in that case. Rats NEED companions, no matter their gender. I would HIGHLY suggest you get him a friend to live with him. But take intros slowly; you wouldn't like a new roommate to just walk in and start sleeping on your bed either. Bottom line though is that he needs a cage mate, unless he is so unbelievable hostile to every rat you try to put with him that it is impossible. The odds of this, however, are slim. In the nearly eleven years I've been owning rats, I've seen only one rat that preferred to live alone, and he wasn't even mine. Rats are social creatures, there's a reason when you see one rat in your house, you assume there's more. It's not just because they breed faster than rabbits. They need the kind of attention only another one of their species can give them. If you are not prepared to keep to separate cages of two pairs or groups, maybe you should rehome him to someone with more male rats or spayed females. I say this not in hostility, but with the interests of the rat's happiness in mind. It's the same as guppies; guppies are always happier in groups. And it's the exact opposite of our beloved bettas.

It's also possible he smells your females and wants to do...stuff. 

And he reached full sexual maturity sixteen weeks ago. Male rats are sexually mature as early as four weeks old.


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## LyzzaRyzz (Dec 18, 2011)

We have a friend with a male rat, and he comes over every day for about ten hours. [guys playing Xbox...I couldn't sit for that long and play video games!]
The majority of the rest of the day he is out f his cage, and on the bed, with us. I know rats need companion ship, which is why he's out so much. I'd love to get another male [oh the joy of a new rattie!] but my mother would kill me. I already have so many animals! 
His cage is open all day, except when we're sleeping. Only about five hours. 
Sometimes he prefers to lounge about and sleep all day, other times, hes playful all day! 
Hea the first one to greet us in the morning, and the last one to say good night. 
We take him outside in the yard with us, we have a special cage for outside, and a bag to carry him in. He's out constant companion.
Some people don't understand our live for our rattie boy, [like my parents] but he is the best rat I've ever had. Hes content with just sleeping in our laps or peeking out of the bag. 
He frequents my trips to the LPS, where they give him treats, and belly rubs. 
Hea usually the one to call it quits with play time! He's the perfect excuse for school work breaks..he just climbs on the computer and sits on the keyboard, typing "ghffffffffff" til you pick him up and snuggle him..
=]
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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