If a rat pees on you in small drops, it is to mark its territory and designate what belongs to it as you guessed it. It's a natural behavior for rats, in a group they also pee on each other ... and for him you are part of the social group. It's like a mark of friendship.
Rats pee a lot when they are nervous and dribble when they are marking new areas or items. So if you want to get peed on less, you need to play with your rat a lot and let him run around outside his cage a lot. But get used to getting dribbled on, and just wash your hands afterwards.
Even better, observe your rat's PRE-marking behavior closely so you can place him or her on a paper towel or in a litter box before he dribbles any urine on you. By doing so, your rat will learn that urine belongs in a litter box or on paper towels and not on you.
Fiction: Mice and rats don't have bladders and are urinating constantly. Fact: They have bladders. The misconception lies in the fact they use their urine as a form of communication, which causes them to mark their territory constantly.
If they urinate or defecate when they're in a new place, it means they're frightened or distressed - if this happens, return them to their familiar home-cage. Different rats behave differently in similar situations, as they each have different personalities and may have been reared differently.
Gentle chirps or clucks, grinding, squeaks, and hissing are a few of the vocalizations you will hear. The context usually gives you a hint about whether your rat is happy, content, upset, scared, or in pain. Often, higher-pitched, faster-tempo noises indicate a rat is disturbed.
Both males and females urine-mark, but marking is sexually dimorphic: males mark more than females. In addition, adults mark more than juveniles, and intact rats mark more than neutered rats. Female marking tends to follow the female's 4-5 day reproductive cyclical: females mark most the night before they ovulate.
Males are more likely to mark than females. Castrating males may decrease the behaviour; but both sexes (entire and neutered) and all age groups will mark to some degree. If you have fertile rats, this marking behaviour may vary with intensity in line with the female's heat.
In female rodents, sexual receptivity is coordinated with cyclic changes in the release of gonadal hormones. Increases in estradiol (E) and progesterone (P) during proestrus and estrus not only induce ovulation but also modulate behaviors that increase the likelihood that the female will find a mate and reproduce.
Rats can be extremely social and even like to cuddle!
Life in a rat colony is full of friendly social interactions. Rats might show affection by greeting one another with a friendly sniff or nose-touch, or by grooming one another - and it's thought that they'll even help each other target those hard-to-reach spots!
The Weil's disease form of leptospirosis is contracted from the urine of infected rats. The bacteria get into your body through cuts and scratches or through the lining of the mouth, throat and eyes after contact with infected urine or contaminated water.
Scent Marking
Rats, both male and female, have flank glands along the sides of their abdomen. These glands contain natural oils used to scent mark areas of their environment. Rats will rub the side of their body, in addition to their face, to mark their territory.
Tip: Get a pee rock or pee stone! This can be a large (clean) stone or rock from your yard or garden. Maybe it's because of their marking instincts, but rats (males in particular) love peeing on a rock and placing one in the litter box helps lure them there.
Anyone who comes into contact with infected rodent droppings, urine, saliva, nesting materials, or particles from these, can get hantavirus disease. Exposure to poorly ventilated areas with active rodent infestations in households, is the strongest risk factor for infection.
Rodent urine has a strong, musky, and unmistakable smell. Like common household pets, rat urine is made of urea and water. When the urea degrades, the nitrogen within is released and ammonia develops — creating the stench. As the urine dries up, the calcium in it also leaves behind a crystallized, chalk-like residue.
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.
One of the signs that your rat is in heat is when they wiggle their ears, such as displayed in this video. This usually happens when you touch their rump. Some rats hop, run and squeek during this time. Some may act skittish or playful.
A comparison of aggression of male and female colony alphas tested with opponents of each sex revealed that aggression was mainly directed at like-sex opponents, and that female attack was more defensive in character than male attack regardless of opponent sex.
4.1. Generally, male laboratory rats will reach sexual maturity at approximately 10-12 weeks of age, although females may have their first estrus as early as 8-9 weeks of age. 4.2. The reproductive lifespan of rats is on average between 12 and 15 months.
Male rats tend to be quite cuddly and affectionate pets with a mellow temperament. They are likely to enjoy snuggling up with you for some head scratches. If you want a more independent and adventurous companion, a female rat may be the pet for you. Female rats are quite active and like to get busy exploring.
If you do make contact, wash the affected body part thoroughly with soap and water. To clean areas where rats may have been, use one part household bleach and 10 parts water, which kills the leptospirosis bacteria. Wear gloves and goggles.
Breeding. Very frequent: Female rats are in heat every 4 - 5 days and can be in heat again within 48 hours of giving birth. The gestation period is between 21 and 23 days. Litter size: Female rats produce litters between 5 and 12 pups depending on the species.
Cleanliness: Rats are very clean animals. Females, with proper care, do not smell. Males on the other hand tend to have an odor. Rats can be litter trained to do their “business” only in their cage.
Spaying at an early age completely negates the risk of ovarian or uterine cancer and significantly minimizes the risk of breast and pituitary gland cancers in rats. Breast cancer is extremely common in pet rats.
Rat urine is typically brown or black in colour, and has a strong odour that resembles ammonia. It is often referred to as “rat pee” or “rat urine.” Rat urine can be found in many places, including on floors and walls.