Grooming

Brown rats are highly active groomers. They regularly groom themselves (personal grooming), their colony members, and if they are tamed, their human owners as well (social grooming). Grooming serves two important functions; one is the act of cleaning for the purpose of hygiene and first aid while the other is as an important social activity.

Grooming for Hygiene and First Aid
Brown rats free their fur and exposed areas of dirt and debris by using their tongue, teeth, and paws. The licking action of the tongue spreads saliva onto the rat and directly aids in cleaning the surface. The additional action of scratching with claws, rubbing and stroking with the paw pads, and nibbling with the front teeth helps to spread the saliva over a larger surface area and penetrate deep below the surface of the fur. The combination of these actions keep the fur and skin free of parasites, dead skin, and all manner of foreign objects.

The physical washing effect of the tongue goes further than just as a dirt cleansing lubrication. Brown rat saliva contains antibacterial properties that protect against some diseases. In addition, it also contains a biologically active nerve growth factor that speeds up the healing process should a rat lick a wounded area.

Grooming as a Social Activity
Brown rats live in close proximity to other members in their colony and will frequently cross each other's paths. One major social activity they will commonly partake in is personal grooming and social grooming. In addition to the health benefits described above, the brown rat also benefits greatly from grooming itself and others in a number of more social ways. Grooming allows brown rats to bond, reinforce relationships and colony structure, and defuse or reconcile from hostility.

In my own pet rats, personal and social grooming is a very common activity that keeps them (and me) clean and bonded. My rats are very much at ease in their bed and it's here that they will groom themselves and each other in a state of mutual relaxation. There are also occasions where play fighting gets a little boisterous and aggression starts to flare. During these moments where the rat is torn between the fight or flight conflict, a 'displacement behaviour' of doing neither often occurs where the third and best solution is personal or social grooming.

As pet rats groom often it's easy to watch the grooming process and examine the sequence in detail. Personal grooming follows two patterns. One is a fixed sequence that has been observed after many hours of behavioural research and the other is a pattern without true sequence. Here is a pattern I frequently observe in my rats that may or may not follow this exact sequence:

a) A pet rat will 'squat' on its hind quarters and begin rubbing its face in a similar motion to that of a human washing its face at the sink. Where a human will put its hands in water a rat will lick its paws to lubricate them.

b) Face rubbing may soon turn to front arm and chest licking. This in turn is followed by licking of the belly and genitalia. A pet rat will arch its back as its head buries under its body to reach its nether regions.

c) A pet rat may drop its front paws in front and straighten out its body a little as its hind paws get in on the action. The hind paws will scratch rapidly and allow the claws to get to work around the head and flanks. A lick (and sometimes nibble) of the hind claws removes debris and lubricates them.

d) From time to time a pet rat may hold its hind paw or tail in its front paws and gently lick and nibble.

As of writing, one of my rats (Sally) has a missing left eye and her sister (Rena) will over groom this area to the point that the fur is trimmed close to the surface of the skin. This may simply be a sign of stress but I don't think that's the case. It may also be an indication that she is aware of the missing eye and reacts to it as a wound. Either way, the extra 'loving' doesn't appear to cause Sally any pain or distress.

Grooming Kittens
Although I haven't allowed my rats to raise a litter and have not observed the behaviour in rats first hand, research displays that grooming new born kittens straight after the mother has given birth, and also regular grooming during the kittens early development is essential for its physiological and psychological growth. A mother rat that has just given birth will lick her kittens which will in turn clean them, arouse them, stimulate their bodily functions, and provide psychological comfort.

Bathing
Pet rats that are in the habit of grooming do not smell bad. In fact, their smell is rather subtle and you could even say pleasant. From time to time, there may be a need to wash your rats if they have laid in soiled bedding material or picked up something in their fur. When cleaning my rats I use a mild pet shampoo formulated for kittens. If you have got your rats accustomed to swimming then you can combine the two activities into one. If your rats do not like water then keep the cleaning process as low key as possible to ensure the experience doesn't cause too much stress.

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