Rat Noises and Vocalisations
Most of the sounds a rat makes are inaudible to human ears and without a specially modified bat detector we would be completely unaware of them. Most of a rats inaudible chatter seems to signify happiness and excitement. The more vocal sounds are generally aimed at reinforcing something they are communicating with their body. Rats only rely on audible communication for a very small part of their overall communication. It can still be useful to understand some of the more common noises.
Huff
A rat literally huff’s seeing to almost sigh in a quick short breath of air. Much like in humans this is often a sign of annoyance or general grumpy mood and a sign the rat wants to be left alone.
Pip or Peep
This is a very short sharp noise generally uttered by rats being groomed or manhandled by another rat or stroked / scratched by a human. Generally it is a sign of very mild protest, the longer the sound the more they are protesting. Sometimes rats will just make this noise for no discernible reason, they may appear very submissive, happy or just going about their daily business and still be piping away. Some rats seem to just squeak in passing, they happily wander around squeaking when touched or handled but not objecting, in fact often enjoying it. This is normally a learned behaviour and starts when the rat is young as they link piping with good sensations rather than bad. The overall body language and amount of tension in the body of the rat should indicate if this is protest pip’ing or just general ‘chatty’ behaviour.
Long Squeak
This is a long drawn out peep noise, it indicates severe protest and is generally most commonly heard when rats are fighting over something such as a tasty bit of food. The rat with the food will attempt to defend it, squeaking in protest if any other rat approaches
Scream or squeal
This is a particularly loud and drawn out squeak, a sign of fear and extreme protest. It is rare outside of introductions and even in introductions it does not occur in the majority of cases. Generally it is uttered by a rat who does not know what to do in that situation and is completely lost in its fear and sees no way out of the situation. It is most often found in young rats who have not developed any ratty social skills, an older rat more sure of its self physically is likely to attack. The rat screaming will often stand on hind legs in the boxing position but rather than facing forward will be cowering backwards into a nearby wall.
Generally a rat is more likely to scream if it is cornered, otherwise choosing to run away. In some cases the youngster screams with little or no provocation, just as soon as it feels trapped. In these cases it seems to be linked to testosterone level, so neutering has helped rats in the past, this brings them to a lower energy level and encourages submission which quickly resolves the situation. In some cases though a scream is a legitimate fear reaction to extreme bullying. It can also occur if a rat is trapped or badly injured, again fear and being unable to escape, but also pain. Overall if a rat is screaming it needs to be investigated quickly and the rats separated. The only exception to this is potentially if a new rat is screaming with no provocation or aggressive behaviour from its new cage mates, then they may benefit from being confined in a small space with their new cage mates well observed until they realise they are not going to be hurt,
Generally a rat is more likely to scream if it is cornered, otherwise choosing to run away. In some cases the youngster screams with little or no provocation, just as soon as it feels trapped. In these cases it seems to be linked to testosterone level, so neutering has helped rats in the past, this brings them to a lower energy level and encourages submission which quickly resolves the situation. In some cases though a scream is a legitimate fear reaction to extreme bullying. It can also occur if a rat is trapped or badly injured, again fear and being unable to escape, but also pain. Overall if a rat is screaming it needs to be investigated quickly and the rats separated. The only exception to this is potentially if a new rat is screaming with no provocation or aggressive behaviour from its new cage mates, then they may benefit from being confined in a small space with their new cage mates well observed until they realise they are not going to be hurt,
Hiss
A Hiss is an aggressive form of a ‘huff’. The rat will be aggressively posturing, probably fluffed up with their tail wagging. This rat should not be approached or picked up without a towel, some thick gloves or similar. In many cases it is best to leave the rat to calm down in a small familiar place such as a carrier. It is often a precursor to an outright attack or fight.
Chattering Teeth - see aggressive behaviours
Bruxing - see individual rat behaviours
Grunting, Hooting or Quacking
These noises are often accompanied by a vibration in the chest cavity, in fact if you rest your fingers lightly on there back you can often feel the vibrations before you can hear the noise. These are noises associated with damage to the respiratory tract and often the first sign of a respiratory issue. In some cases a rat can have scarring or a genetic defect causing it to make these noises even when not ill, however its important to rule out respiratory issues with a course of antibiotics before assuming this.
