Do not kiss, nuzzle, or hold rats close to your face. This can startle your rats and also increase your chances of being bitten. Bites can spread germs and can make you sick. You don't have to touch pet rats to get sick from their germs.
Nibbling On You
If your rat nibbles or licks you, he or she might be showing you affection by grooming you. Rats also have an excellent sense of smell, so your rat might nibble or lick your hand or smell you after you eat or prepare food.
3. Rats make lifelong bonds with their owners Ask any rat owner, and he or she will tell you: Rats recognize their owners and respond to their sight and voice. They are very social and love to hang out with human family members on the couch or on peoples' shoulders or in their laps.
Excited rats may also jump, hop, or “popcorn” when they are happy. They may run excitedly at full speed around the house or enclosure—just like how dogs get the “zoomies.”
Rat Are Social Animals
Pet rats enjoy being stroked by their owners and sometimes even enjoy a gentle massage, a scratch behind the ears, or a simple tickle. Rats have also been known to return the affection by "grooming" their owners.
Fruit and berries — Out of all the foods rodents consume, their top two loves are generally fruits and berries. In the wild, rats and mice consume these foods at every opportunity. Therefore, raspberry and blackberry bushes — as well as apple and pear trees — can serve as magnets for the animals.
Rats may "wag" or writhe their tails on the ground. This action has many names, such as tail wagging, tail swishing, and tail writhing. Tail wagging may involve the whole tail or as little as the tail tip. The function of tail wagging is unknown in rats, but it appears to be associated with excitement and tension.
Quivering/Vibrating
This behaviour is literally the rats feeling something too intensely for them to express. It can be a sign of nerves, but can also be a sign of intense excitement or apprehension. To try and judge what exactly your rat is feeling so intensely you have to look at it's overall body language.
Detailed studies have shown that mice and chickens display empathy—and now we know rats do, too. A study published recently has provided the first evidence of empathy-driven behavior in rodents.
Sometimes rats like to feel things with their teeth. A good example of this would be if you stick your hand in their cage and then they start to lightly nibble on your fingers. This behavior is just them exploring the new thing, they aren't trying to hurt you at all.
Rat Fact - The average IQ of a rat is 105.
Your rat understands contact and affection; they constantly cooperatively groom each other and enjoy lying in a heap together. But now for the kiss! If it is a quiet kiss—no smacking—your rat will enjoy it, but the noisy smacker sounds just like a rat in distress.
Mice and rats are so smart that they can recognize their names and respond when called.
Rats can be lifted by their tails but great caution must be exercised in doing so. The skin of a rat's tail can easily tear, so it is best to grasp only the base of the tail. Furthermore, suspending the entire weight a rat by its tail is, no doubt, painful for the rat. Therefore, this practice should be only momentary.
The best way to tell if a rat's happy, according to a new study, is to look at its ears. A happy rat's ears hang relaxed to the sides (right), instead of perked up (left).
Sniffing seems to be a form of communication for rats—but only sniffing in the face, not other body parts. Wesson says this may be because face sniffing is an especially vulnerable position for a rat or other animal to be in.
The optimal temperatures for rats and mice are anywhere between 65- and 80-degrees Fahrenheit, meaning at the first hints of cold weather these rodents will start searching for warm shelter to wait out the winter months.
Many people own and enjoy pet rats. However, pet rats, even when they look clean and healthy, can carry germs that can make people sick. A clean environment will help reduce the chance of the rat becoming sick and spreading germs to humans. Taking proper care of your animal is important to your own safety.
(And to complete the zombie image, rats also have a real and powerful craving for human blood, which they obtain by biting primarily the face and hands of sleeping people.)
Some people believe male rats move slower, cuddle more, and are more easygoing. Females are known for being playful, energetic, and less likely to cuddle.
Rats are very social with people and other rats. To keep them mentally stimulated and physically fit they should be allowed out of the cage daily for at least 1-‐2 hours of play-‐time. Rats are highly social animals and do best when housed in pairs or groups.
Be careful with your rat's belly.
A rat's belly is extremely sensitive. Unless your rat trusts you, avoid touching his belly.