I have a pet rat and i was wondering if it is sick.......its a male albino rat and it seems to sleep alot?

Question

my rat is about 7 weeks old and it seems to sleep alot and as well as he is really lazy i dont know if this is normal...usually alot of people grab it and hold it is that bad,,,,,as well as he always seems tired wat should i do

Answer 1

Obviously he is going to sleep alot - he has nothing to be awake for!

At 7 weeks old, he's probably still quite scared of humans and doesn't understand yet that you're soon going to be his best friend. Because of this, he is yet to adapt to your timetable, and is currently following the nocturnal habit of sleeping during the day - you'll probably find he's more active during the night.

Another reason he's sleeping lots is because he doesn't have a cage mate! Rats are highly sociable animals and should always be kept in pairs of small groups or they have nobody to play with, cuddle and groom when you are not handling them. All young rats tend to be nervous of human interaction in their first few weeks, but you'll find he'll come around a lot quicker when he has a cage mate for confidence. Baby rats mix very well so please, buy him another MALE cage mate of the same age immediately and you'll make his life a lot more enjoyable.

Once he has a friend, he'll be a lot more active and sleep less - but you have to remember that males rats are lazier than girls and babies sleep a lot anyway, it's something he'll grow out of a lot quicker with a friend. Once he trusts you as well and you've bonded you'll find he adapts to your timetable, sleeping when you're busy and ready to play when you're not. However, I have noticed from experience that Albino rats tend to be much lazier than other rats - he'll still make a great pet though.

I would not encourage lots of grabbing and holding though as that will make him fear humans - talk to him softly and hold a little treat to reward him when he approaches you. When he is happily eating out of your hands, he is ready to be handled properly - a rat should not have to be grabbed, if he is confident with you he will allow you to pick him up (with both hands) without struggle. Only then should you let other people handle him, and be gentle, too many people grabbing him will over whelm him!

So...

1) Buy a cage mate, that is male and of a similar age immediately

2) Use gentle actions and treats to get him to trust you

3) Pick up gently with both hands so that he doesn't struggle

4) Make sure he is not scared of handling

Answer 2

Male rats are known for being lazy, so him sleeping and being lazy is not a big deal.  Also being very young probably is a factor.  Rats are nocturnal as well, so he probably isn't used to your day schedule.  My rats are usually awake in the morning (for food) and sleep most of the day, and then perk up again around dinner time when I was back from class or now, work.

Rats are very sociable creatures and you should really own them in pairs.  You might want to think about getting your guy a friend (another male around the same age), so he doesn't get bored.  If that's an option, first look at your local animal shelter for rats before heading out to the pet store.  Sometimes shelters have them, and when they do, the rats usually spend many months there before getting adopted.  You'd also  be helping out the shelter save more animals, vs just paying to a large corporate pet store.

Check out this site about how to introduce rats that weren't in the same litter.  http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/information/...

Does he have toys to play with and maybe a wheel?  Rats are very smart and need to be stimulated with things to do and play with.

Hope that helps!

Answer 3

He's young, and young animals sleep a lot. Also, he's alone. What's his motivation for being awake? He doesn't have a rat companion to wrestle, groom and just 'talk' with.

Consider getting a friend for him. You'll probably see a great change in him.

Also, males are a little lazier than females, but that doesn't kick in until later.

If you're truly concerned, have a vet evaluate him.

Rats are social and like people, but since he's so young, perhaps it's best that he's not being handled by EVERYONE, unless they use some Purell or something to disinfect their hands before handling him. You never know what people carry on their hands.