Rat Behavior Guide

Rat behavior has been studied for years now in scientific labs and at-home breeders because understanding your rat means understanding how to interact and proceed to fix what is bothering them. Knowing their body language can help you determine if they are sick, in pain, defensive, aggressive, happy, scared, and various other emotions. Included below are helpful charts I have pulled from google that show rat behavior and what they represent. What is not discussed in the diagram is “bruxing and boggling” behavior. Bruxing is when rats chatter their teeth to the point it makes sound, and boggling is when rats wiggle their eyes. It can look like a rat is unhappy or stressed when they do this, but it can be quite the opposite depending on the situation. It is important to recognize if the rat is in a situation where they may feel fear or discontent, but usually this behavior is seen when rats are extremely happy. 

Signs of stress, happiness, and fear.