Why do rats grow teeth throughout their lives? Rat teeth. Rats are a pet

Nobody knows when people first became acquainted with rats; this animal always lives next to us.

The rat belongs to mammals, to the order - rodents, suborder - mouse-like. The most common animal on the planet is the rat.

Appearance of the rat, description and characteristics

The body of the rat is oval-shaped and stocky. The body of the animal is from 8 cm to 30 cm, weighing up to 500 g, there are small ones weighing 37 grams.

The eyes and ears are small, the muzzle is sharp and elongated. Is the tail longer than the size of the rat's body, hairless or covered with fine hair? not noticeable to the human eye(a type of black rat has a tail with a thick coat of fur). There is a species of short-tailed rodents in the world.

A rat's teeth are arranged tightly together in rows and are designed for chewing food. These animals are omnivores; they differ from other predators in the absence of fangs and diastema - this is an area on the gums where there are no teeth.

There are no dental roots, so growth occurs continuously throughout the rat's life. For convenience, they need to constantly grind down their teeth, otherwise she will not be able to close her mouth.

Teeth are strong and hard yellow enamel, which makes it possible to easily chew through concrete, cement and various hard metals.

The rodent's body is covered with a thick, dense coat of guard hairs. The color range is varied, gray with different shades of dark or light, red, orange and even yellow.

These amazing animals have movable toes on their paws, so they easily climb trees and prepare nests in hollows for habitat.

Rats are very active and agile animals, running 17 km a day and jumping up to 1 meter in height. They swim well, are not afraid of water and can catch fish.

Rats often turn their heads in different directions because they have a small visual angle, the world see in shades of grey.

Hearing functions perfectly, rats distinguish sounds with a frequency of up to 40 kHz (humans up to 20 kHz).

Life expectancy is from 1 year to 3 years. In laboratory conditions, rats can live 2 times longer.

Difference between rats and mice

Rats and mice are representatives of the same suborder, but they differ significantly in appearance and behavior.

The body of a mouse is small, up to 20 cm, weighing up to 50 grams, rats are twice as large, they are dense and muscular, weighing up to 900 grams.

Pronounced distinctive shapes of the head and eyes; in mice it is triangular and slightly flattened with big eyes, rats have an elongated muzzle with small eyes.

A strong body and powerful toes allow rats to jump high up to 1 meter; mice cannot do such tricks.

Mice are cowardly animals and are afraid to appear in front of people, but this does not bother rats; they can defend themselves. There are many cases where they attacked a person.

Rats are omnivores, consuming meat and plant foods. On the contrary, mice have a greater preference for cereals and seeds.

Habitat of rats and lifestyle

Large rats live all over the world except Antarctica and the polar regions. They live in groups, very rarely living alone.

Most often, groups consist of hundreds of individuals with one male at the head and two to three females. The territory of residence for each group is its own, extending up to 2 thousand square meters.

The diet depends on the habitat. Omnivorous rats eat approximately 25 grams of food per day, but without water it is difficult for them to maintain a daily moisture requirement of up to 35 ml.

Gray rats mainly feed on protein foods of animal origin, small rodents, toads, and chicks.

Black rats prefer food plant origin: green plants, nuts, fruits, cereals.

Rats are wary of pigs, hedgehogs, ferrets, dogs and cats - these are the main land enemies. Among the birds, the most feared and avoided rodents are the hawk, owl, eagle and kite.

Reproduction and lifespan of rats

Rats do not have a mating season; they can breed year-round. But the peak of sexual activity comes in spring and summer. The female mates with different males, pregnancy in rats lasts up to 24 days, and a lactating female carries the cubs for up to 34 days.

Rats prepare nests in advance and cover the bottom with soft grass, cloth, and paper for the birth of offspring. The cubs emerge naked and blind. When dead rat pups are born, the mother devours them; the number at birth can be up to 20.

The male can eat all the offspring if there are non-viable rat pups; he does not take part in caring for them. The female, on the contrary, provides meticulous care, feeds milk, licks the babies and removes debris from the nest.

After 17 days, the little rats open their eyes, and a month later they lead a full life on their own. After 3-4 months it comes puberty, can reproduce 6 months after birth. Life expectancy is up to two years.

Gray rats breed up to 8 times a year, but black rats only breed warm time of the year. Today, experts estimate that there are 2 rats per person in the world.

Why are rats dangerous?

Rats are a disaster for all humanity. They gnaw through walls in the basements of houses, sewer pipes, damage electrical mains, and damage crops.

Rats are carriers of more than 20 infectious diseases, such as leptospirosis, plague, salmonellosis, pseudotuberculosis and others. Many are dangerously fatal to human life.

It is difficult to exterminate rats using chemicals because the animal’s body quickly adapts to the poison and produces protective immunity to toxins.

Rats are a pet

Rats are ideal pets. They quickly become tamed to humans and recognize their owner by the face.

Neat and clean animals do not require special care. They will give their owner many funny moments; they are very interesting to watch.

But don't forget the owner pet rat that this is a social animal and it is difficult for it to live alone. The rat definitely needs a mate, otherwise a mental disorder may develop.

Type of rat, name and photo

There are about 70 species of rats in the world, most of which are little studied; below are common species of rodents with brief description and a photo of a rat.

The gray rat (pasyuk) is one of the large varieties up to 25 cm long, the tail is not taken into account. Weight from 140 grams to 390 grams, with a wide, elongated muzzle. The gray coat of young animals becomes orange with age. It lives near water, in dense vegetation and digs holes up to 5 meters.

The black rat is smaller in size than the gray rat, with a much smaller muzzle and rounded ears. Body length up to 22 cm, weight about 300 grams. A significant difference between this species of rodent is the tail, which is densely covered with hair and 4-5 times longer than the size of the body.

Lives in Asia, Africa and Europe. For a long time can live without water, so it lives in dry places. The wool is black with a green tint.

The small rat differs from its fellows in size. Body length up to 15 cm maximum with body weight up to 80 grams. It has a brown coat color, a sharp muzzle and inconspicuous small ears. The tail is as long as the body without any signs of fur. Lives in Southeast Asia.

The long-haired rat is characterized by long hair and high activity. Males grow up to 18 cm, and females up to 16 cm in length. The tail is 4-5 cm smaller in size from the body. Habitat in arid deserts.

The Turkestan rat lives in China, Nepal, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan. The fur is red, the belly is pale yellow, the body length is up to 23 cm. This variety is similar to the gray one, but has a denser body and a wide head in size.

Black-tailed rat or rabbit. It has average dimensions up to 22 cm, weight about 190 grams.

An interesting feature of this type of tail is a tuft of hair at the tip.

The back is painted gray and Brown color with noticeable black hairs.

They live in Australia and New Guinea mainly in eucalyptus forests, thick grass and bushes. Lead active image They live at night and hide in holes during the day.

Interesting and educational facts about the life of rats

In India there is a Karni Mata temple where rats are revered, cared for and protected. If the rules for caring for a sacred animal and killing it are violated, this person is obliged to bring a golden figurine in the form of a rat to the temple.

In some American states, it is illegal to hit a rat with a baseball bat and can result in a $1,000 fine.

In Asian and African countries, rats are considered a worthy delicacy for a festive dinner. Rat meat is considered a delicacy.

A gray rat eats up to 12 kg of various cereal products per year. Experts have calculated that every year about 6 kg of one farmer’s harvest is spent on feeding one rat.

The most common animals on the planet are wild rats. Their remains are found by archaeologists during excavations, which indicates that rodent mammals inhabited the Earth millions of years ago. Pasyuki, as these not very pleasant “neighbors” of humans are also called, settled on all continents of the world, thanks to their high vitality and ability to adapt to any conditions. Rats failed to colonize only the polar and subpolar regions, as well as Antarctica.

Description and general characteristics

The habitat of this numerous species of rodents is closely related to human life, which is explained by the availability of food (dumpsters, garbage chutes, grocery stores, storage facilities and enterprises), as well as the abundance of shelters that provide a safe life for the colony and promote rapid growth rat populations.

Interesting!

In case of danger or lack of sufficient food, pasyuki can cover distances of several tens of kilometers in search of a comfortable place to stay.

When settling in human possessions, rats do not behave in the best way - they damage floors, furniture, walls, destroy food supplies, and destroy dangerous infections and terrify with their appearance. In nature, there are up to 70 species of wild rodents; 3 varieties live in Russia:

• Turkestan (red).

Even children know what wild rats look like, because they can be found near residential buildings, in basements, near garbage containers. Rodents are not a rare guest in vegetable gardens, gardens, utility rooms, sheds, and outbuildings where pets are kept. In cities, rats rise in buildings to a height of 8-9 floors through sewers and air ducts, frequent guests they are in the subway tunnels. Pests prefer to live in dark time days.

A dexterous, intelligent, enterprising, inventive and quick-witted animal is distinguished by amazing devotion to its family and offspring, which are raised by caring mothers. Natural enemies of wild rats are cats, ferrets, pigs, and hedgehogs. They are destroyed by kites, eagles, hawks, owls, owls and other birds.

Appearance:

• rodents have a stocky build and a characteristic oval shape torso;
• the rat's muzzle is elongated and pointed, the ears and eyes are quite small compared to the size of the head;
• the tail of most varieties is practically naked and is equal in length to the size of the body or slightly exceeds it, covered with sparse setae and ring scales;
• The rat's fur is dense and quite thick, with clearly defined guard hairs; its color varies from dark gray to reddish-yellow shades.

Many people are interested in what size rats are. Depending on the species, the body length of an adult is 8-30 cm. The weight of mammals ranges from 37 to 420 g. Individual specimens of domesticated rats can reach 500 g or even more. This is explained by the abundance of food and insufficient physical activity animals.

On a note!

Living in nature or decorative domestic rats do not reach the dimensions of a cat or dog. Rumors about giant mutants have not been scientifically confirmed.

Animals have underdeveloped calluses on their paws. This deficiency is compensated by the mobility of the fingers, which allows rats to lead not only a terrestrial lifestyle, but also to climb trees, where they quite often build nests in abandoned hollows.

• Hardy and mobile pests are capable of reaching speeds of up to 10 km/h, overcoming obstacles up to 0.8 m high on their way. The daily exercise of a wild rat ranges from 8 to 12 km.
• Animals are excellent swimmers. Rats can stay in water for up to 72 hours, diving for prey and spending long time at the depth of the reservoir.
• Synanthropes do not have good vision, the coverage angle of which is only 16°. However, thanks to good head mobility, a wild rat is able to survey all its surroundings.
• The color sensitivity of the visual organs is in the bluish-green part of the spectrum, so rats mainly perceive the world around them in gray color. The red tint means complete darkness for them.
• The olfactory organs allow you to detect odors at a short distance.
• The hearing aid allows the rat to distinguish the slightest rustling sounds with a frequency of up to 40 kHz, which is 2 times higher than human sound perception.
• A unique feature of rodents is their low sensitivity to radiation. The wild rat tolerates radiation intensity up to 300 roentgen/hour.

Features of rodent teeth

The jaws of rats are equipped with two types of teeth. Molars are located deep in oral cavity 3 pieces on each side of the jaw and are designed for grinding food. Flat and wide molars erupt in rat pups on the 19th day of life. First, molars of the first and second types appear, and only on the 40th day do the third ones grow. In front there are 2 pairs of long incisors.

Interesting!

Unlike predators, rats do not have fangs. Their front teeth grow constantly and appear on the 50th day of birth. They are yellow in color. The enamel, located only on the outer surface of the incisors, can be compared in strength to the hardness of steel.

The front teeth need to be constantly ground down, otherwise the rat will not be able to close its mouth. Due to the unevenness of this process, the surface of the incisors acquires a specific shape, reminiscent of appearance bit. The teeth of rats, due to their high strength, allow them to easily overcome any obstacle made of brick, wood, concrete, metal and other materials. When biting, the pressure of the Pasyuk incisors reaches 0.5 t/cm2.

Lifestyle and nutritional specifics

Rats lead both group and solitary lifestyles. A large colony is capable of controlling an area of ​​up to 2000 square meters. m, marking it and protecting it from the penetration of strangers. Within a group, which may contain 100 or more individuals, there are difficult relationships, built on a hierarchical principle.

In rat society, alpha males dominate, endowed with large sizes and physical strength. Their behavior is characterized by independence and aggressiveness; they mate with females. The remaining males occupy a subordinate position. Relations between females are more peaceful, but among them there are also “privileged” individuals who make the main contribution to the rat population. Photos of wild rats will help you carefully examine and study the pests.

Interesting!

In the wild community there are kamikaze rats or scouts who sacrifice themselves for the safety of the entire population. They are the first to investigate a dangerous situation, try suspicious food, and look for a way out of risky situations.

Rats are able to survive and even reproduce in extreme conditions when other animals die. The reproductive capacity of rodents is quite high. In natural natural conditions offspring are born mainly in the warm season, and reproduction takes place in heated shelters all year round, the number of broods reaches 8.

In one litter there is an average of up to 10 cubs, the weight of which is in the range of 4-6 g. They are devoid of fur, blind and have closed eyes. ear canals. After a month they become independent. Stillborn and weakened rat pups are eaten by the mother, and the male is capable of destroying the entire litter.

18 hours after birth, the female gains the ability to mate. Pregnancy lasts approximately 24 days. The lifespan of rats depends on the species and ranges from 1.5 to 3 years, although rarely 95% of individuals survive to this age due to the high mortality of offspring, predators, cannibalism, and active work people to destroy dangerous carriers of numerous infections.

Habitat and lifestyle greatly influence what wild rats eat. Animals are omnivores, and due to the fact that they are mammals, their bodies need animal proteins:

• the need for protein is satisfied by amphibians, mollusks and fish;
• rats catch small rodents, steal bird eggs and chicks from nests;
• Among plant foods, they prefer cereals, nuts, fruits and green plant matter.

Living close to people is a great privilege; in these conditions, rats feed on everyone available products nutrition. On average, an animal eats up to 25 g of food per day. Hunger - worst enemy rats, without food they die within 3-4 days, and without water even faster. Daily norm liquid is in the range of 30-35 ml.

Types of rats

The numerous genus of rats is poorly studied. The most famous types of rodents are:

• The gray rat or pasyuk is one of the large species of pests found in Russia. The body dimensions of an adult individual reach 25 cm, and Weight Limit is 390 g. The tail is slightly shorter than the body. The muzzle is quite wide and blunt, the auricle is small. Hairline painted in gray tones with a slight reddish tint. Rats prefer to settle near overgrown reservoirs, where they dig holes up to 5 m long. They can live in parks, basements, sewers, landfills, and vacant lots. They are aggressive.
• The black rat is smaller than the gray one. It is characterized by a pointed muzzle, large rounded ears and a long tail. It is densely covered with hair and can reach almost 29 cm in an adult. The largest rats of this species weigh up to 300 g with a body length of 22 cm. The animal is afraid of water, swims poorly, lives in foothills, forests, attics and roofs of buildings. The rodent prefers plant foods and can feast on invertebrates.
• Turkestan rat. The animal is similar to its gray relative, but has a wider head and a dense body. The back of the rodent is colored reddish-brown, and the abdomen is whitish-yellow. The rat's ears are covered with short, thick fur. The length of the body is no more than 23 cm, and the tail is 21.5 cm. It prefers to live in barns, mills, and warehouses.

These species of wild rats live in Russia. The Bosavi woolly rat is officially recognized. The length of its body from the base of the tail to the tip of the nose is 0.82 m, and the weight of the animal is about 1.5 kg. The inhabitants of the tropical forests of an extinct volcano in Papua New Guinea are not aggressive towards humans and do not attack them.

Interesting!

IN major cities the number of rats is comparable to the population. The most large cluster rats have been recorded in Rome, where about 15 million rodents live.

To exterminate dangerous animals, people use a whole arsenal of means, ranging from folk safe recipes and ending with highly toxic pesticides. However, this targeted destruction is not effective, since wild rats are hardy, fertile and cautious.

The teeth, along with the tail, are distinctive feature rats, her tool
survival and getting food. They themselves are food for the formation
all kinds of misconceptions and horror films. Among rat breeders, rat teeth and
the results of their use are often a reason for laughter and jokes, and when
severe damage, and for mild sadness.
In general, rat teeth are a wonderful tool, equipped with a number of
unique features and ideally suited for the rat form
life. So how are they built...
Different species of mammals have four types of teeth, which
differ in form, function, location in the mouth and ability to
recovery. These are: incisors, canines, premolars and molars (molars).

In rats There are only two types of teeth (Fig. 1): incisors and molars. Incisors
- long and sharp front teeth. There are four of them, two at the top and two at the bottom.
Rat incisors are very well adapted to gnawing and grow over time.
all my life. Molars - the backmost teeth in the mouth, they
are designed to crush the food before it is
swallow. Rats have 12 molars, 6 above and below (3 sec., respectively)
each side of the jaw). Molars do not grow or are replaced, they remain
throughout life.

Fig. 1 - Arrangement of teeth in a rat's mouth

The structure of rat teeth

Fig. 2 - Tooth structure

Rat incisors

Rat pups start teething approximately 8-10 days after birth. Speed
the growth of the incisors is quite large. So, an adult rat has upper incisors
grow by about 2.2 mm per week, and the lower ones by 2.8 mm. So
Thus, the tooth grows to its full length in 40-50 days. So fast
growth also protects teeth from the appearance of chips, so they quickly heal, and
then grind down.
The growth rate of incisors can vary depending on conditions. For example,
after pruning they grow faster, about 1 mm per day. If the rat
you have to chew on harder materials, and, accordingly,
As teeth wear out faster, their growth rate also increases. More
Moreover, different incisors may have different speed growth depending on
own length and the length of neighboring teeth: if any incisor is shorter
the rest, then it grows faster. However, if the rat has the wrong
bite, then she cannot grind her teeth down normally and they begin
outgrow.
The incisors of rats are colored with yellow pigment. At first the pups' teeth are white, but
By the 21st day, the upper ones acquire a slight yellowish tint. By day 25
The upper incisors already have a distinct yellow color, and the lower ones are beginning to
to be painted. By day 38, the teeth acquire a rich yellow color, but
the upper ones are still more intensely colored. Such a difference in color between
upper and lower incisors are maintained throughout life. U
adult rats upper teeth already have a dark yellow-orange color, and
the lower ones remain yellow.
The cross section of the cutter (Fig. 3) shows that it consists of three layers.
The inner part - the pulp - is surrounded by dentin. Next comes the enamel,
which covers the tooth only from the front side. The pulp becomes everything
narrower and narrower as it approaches the end of the tooth, and at the very end it
filled with solid material. Thus, the sensitive pulp
never exposed to external influences.

Fig. 3 - Cross section of a rat incisor

Fig. 4 - Grinding teeth

Fig. 5 - Diagram of the location of the muscles responsible for gnawing

Fig. 6 - Scheme of spreading the lower incisors

Rat molars

Why, if it is so easy to improve the teeth of rats by artificial selection, natural selection obviously did such a bad job in the first place? There is no doubt that there is no benefit to dental caries. Why, if artificial selection can weaken it, has natural selection not done the same job long ago? I can think of two answers, both of which are instructive. The first answer is that the original population that breeders used as primary material did not consist of wild rats, but of domesticated, laboratory-bred white rats. One could say that laboratory rats are spoiled, like modern people, protected from the cutting edge of natural selection. A genetic tendency toward tooth decay would greatly reduce reproductive prospects in the wild, but might make no difference in a laboratory colony where life is easy and decisions about who will reproduce and who will not are made by individuals without regard to survival. Here is the first answer to this question. The second answer is more interesting because it carries an important lesson about natural selection as well as artificial selection. This is a lesson in trade-offs, and one we've already addressed when it comes to strategy in plant pollination. Nothing is free, you have to pay for everything. It may seem obvious that tooth decay should be avoided at all costs, and I have no doubt that dental caries significantly shortens the life of rats. But let's think for a moment about what needs to happen to make animals more resistant to tooth decay. I don't know the details, but I'm sure it will be expensive, and that's all I need to guess. Let's say this is achieved by thickening the tooth wall, and this requires additional calcium. Finding extra calcium isn't impossible, but it has to come from somewhere, and it's not free. Calcium (or perhaps any other limited resource) does not float in the air. It must enter the body with food. And it has potential benefits for things other than teeth. The body has something we might call a calcium economy. Calcium is needed in bones and it is needed in milk. (I'm assuming we're talking about calcium. But even if it's not calcium, there must be some expensive limiting resource, and the argument would work exactly the same regardless of what that limiting resource is. I'll continue to use calcium for needs argument). A separate rat with a special strong teeth, as a rule, lives longer than a rat with rotten teeth, otherwise equal conditions. But all other circumstances are not the same, because the calcium needed to strengthen the teeth had to come from somewhere, say from the bones.

A competing individual, whose genes do not predispose it to steal calcium from its bones, might therefore survive longer because of its best bones and despite my bad teeth. Or a competing individual might be more successful at feeding babies because it produces more rich in calcium milk. Since economists like to quote Robert Heinlein, there is no such thing as a free lunch. My rat example is hypothetical, but it's safe to say that economic reasons There must be such a thing as a rat whose teeth are too good. Excellence in one area must be purchased in the form of sacrifices in another. This lesson applies to all living beings. We can expect bodies to be well equipped for survival, but that doesn't mean they have to be perfect in every way. An antelope could run faster and with more likely avoid the leopard if only her legs were a little longer. But a rival antelope with longer legs, although it might be better equipped to break away from the predator, would have to pay for its long legs in some other area of ​​body economics. The materials needed to create the extra bone and muscle in the longer legs must be taken elsewhere, and thus an individual with longer legs is more likely to die from causes unrelated to death by a predator. Or she may even be more likely to fall prey to a predator because her longer legs, although they can run faster when intact, are more likely to break, in which case she will not be able to run at all. The body is a patchwork quilt of compromises. I will return to this in the chapter on the arms race. When animals are domesticated, they are artificially protected from many of the risks that shorten the lives of wild animals. A breeding dairy cow can produce amazing amounts of milk, but her pendulous, heavy udders would severely hinder her in any attempt to escape from a lion. Thoroughbreds are excellent runners and jumpers, but their legs are vulnerable to injury while running, especially in racing, which suggests that artificial selection has pushed them into areas that natural selection would not allow. In addition, purebreds thrive only on the abundant food provided by humans. While native British ponies, for example, thrive on pasture, racehorses do not thrive unless fed a much richer diet of grain and food additives that they wouldn't find in wildlife. Again, I will return to these issues in the chapter on the arms race.

Any rat or hamster owner is faced with the question of teeth trimming.

Once you go to the veterinarian, it is quite acceptable to answer: “You can do this at home,” and this will make the animal lover fall into a stupor.

The owner is scared to do this; sometimes people have no idea how to do this and are afraid of harming the animal.

Rodent teeth

Usually they grind their incisors themselves. It is important that the latter are always sharp and short. And usually rodents do this at the moment of communication with the owner, when they pick her up. Many animals experience a feeling of satisfaction from this process and bulge their eyes. This action is akin to a cat purring on its owner’s lap. Almost all rodents behave this way; they like it.

Often, a rat can use its teeth to express its feelings, like extra paws. Gentle animals look after their owner, and pass their incisors as if with a dull razor. Not a very pleasant procedure for a person, but it is assumed that the owner also enjoys it.

How do rodents wear down their teeth?

Throughout your pet's life, you need to make sure that there are enough hard elements in the cage for the rat to chew on. Suitable for self-stitching:

• solid dry food;
• crackers;
• special stones;
• nuts in shell;
• chicken bones.

If the animal always has a hard object to sharpen in its house, the issue of shortening will not arise for long enough.

How to trim teeth at home?

Old animals that are no longer able to chew much need to have their incisors shortened, and they grow throughout their lives. If you notice that the length of the incisors exceeds the permissible limit, you need to go to the veterinarian and undergo a shortening procedure in the clinic. In addition to working with the teeth, the doctor will be able to examine the rodent and possibly prescribe any additional tests to completely make sure that the rat is healthy. But if it is not possible to visit the clinic, or your pet is afraid of doctors, you will have to this procedure on one's own.

To do this you will need nail clippers. This should be done before meals, preferably on an empty stomach:

• pick up the pet and hold it tightly;
• pressing your fingers on the base of the jaw, you should open her mouth;
• it is allowed to open your mouth with a stick;
• the head should be lowered down so that the fragment does not get into the mouth;
• aim so that most of the tooth remains in place;
• you need to cut one sudden movement parallel to growth.

Thus, you should cut off a small part, not too low, so as not to provoke various damages and incisor cracks. Similar method You can cut off all four of a rat's front teeth.

For the next few days, do not feed your pet hard or hard food. Feed softer food. If the animal is active, behaves normally and eats with appetite, soon again continue to give nuts and seeds for self-grinding.

Don’t forget to wash the cage tray every day, change the water in the drinking bowls, and remove leftover food after eating. You should not let it spoil, as this could cause the animal to become poisoned. Also inspect the house for hidden pieces of food. It is also better to get rid of them. Bowls and drinking bowls also need to be washed daily. The entire cage should be cleaned weekly and the entire contents should be carefully washed and washed using unscented baby soap. When everything is washed, let the cage and filling dry and ventilate so that the smell of soap does not remain; rodents do not like this very much. Love your pet, and he will thank you with the same care and attention.

Not all owners of small pets thoroughly understand their habits and habits. Especially when it comes to small rodents. Therefore, some features of their behavior cause sincere bewilderment. For example, a rat chatters its teeth. What does it mean?

Most often, the characteristic sound when a rat chatters its teeth is made in a state of absolute rest. After eating, the rat does something useful for its body - in this way it sharpens its teeth. This is an urgent natural necessity. If this is not done, then the incisors can grow to an exorbitant length and cause painful sensations, growing into the oral cavity. Once carried away by the process, the animal can bulge its eyes, which usually frightens inexperienced owners. However, this is considered normal phenomena during the sharpening procedure.

One of the special cases: sharpening of teeth occurs not after, but during eating, while eating hard food. The animal does not have enough strength to chew through some pieces and is forced to sharpen its incisors to do this, increasing their efficiency.

However, this is not all possible situations giving an answer to the question why a rat chatters its teeth.

Less common cases

Another option is that the rodent experiences joyful moments for some reason. This usually happens at the moment when the owner caresses his pet. The sound is equivalent to a cat purring. In case of special bright emotions body vibration is added.

When you are scared or excited, you can hear a similar sound. However, these emotions are accompanied by characteristic behavior in everything else, so they are quite easy to read and distinguish:

• Rising wool;
• Body muscles look tense;
• The gaze is directed in the direction of the source of experiences. Usually frozen and hardly blinking.

The most common situations are when a rat experiences negative emotions:

• The appearance of new unfamiliar pets next to the rodent;
• Unfamiliar environment;
• Visit to the veterinary clinic.

Sometimes passions boil with such force that the animal begins to prepare for an attack. This happens when a new tenant moves into the cage. The aggressor must be immediately isolated, otherwise a fierce battle and spilled blood cannot be avoided.

Curiosity and interest can also cause teeth grinding.

Knocking and grinding as a cause for alarm

Representatives of rodents bred for home care, are usually subject to a whole range of various ailments, the course of which can also be accompanied by the sound of grinding or chattering of teeth. Diseases for which you need to be prepared:

• a wide variety of tumors;
• strokes and heart attacks of all possible types and types;
• infection with mites and their further penetration into the body;
• problems related to the respiratory system;
• overgrown incisors that began to dig into the skin and cause acute pain.

The sounds that an animal makes when sick are designed to attract the owner’s attention to itself. The pain and discomfort are still moderate and tolerable for now.