two dogs a girl and groominggrooming and training your dog

what does it mean when a pet rat tries to “groom” their owner?

i just got 2 rats last night, and their names are oreo and jack. jack is the little baby, who always looks sleepy and who falls asleep when i rub his head. (SO CUTE!!!!) and oreo is the little stinker who NEVER STOPS MOVING! lol
anyways, i’ve been trying to get them used to me, so i’ve been sticking my hands in their cage and feeding them treats and letting them walk all over my hands and nibble them. and i’ve also been sticking my face in the opening of the cage. so they sniff all over my and lick me and stuff, but they also try and groom my bangs! lol i think it’s adorable but why do they do that? lol they lick it and fuss around with it with their paws and it’s like they’re slicking it down and combing it with their paws lol.
why do they do it?

Congratulations on getting some well-socialized and friendly babies

The art of grooming:

http://www.ratbehavior.org

Rats engage in a number of self-grooming activities, which keep the fur and skin clean. The most extensive is the cephalocaudal groom, a grooming sequence that covers the face, flanks and tail and is found in some form or another in all rodents. A less extensive grooming sequence is the nibble. In rare circumstances nibbling may become excessive and turn into self-barbering. Lastly, rats scratch themselves, usually with a hind foot.

Rats live in a social colony and grooming one another is an activity that let’s each rat know that they are an accepted member of the colony. If your babies are grooming you then it means that you have been accepted into their colony. http://www.ratbehavior.org/Glossary.htm#Allogrooming

Your relationship with your new pets is the best start that you can have and what every new rat-keeper hopes for. Enjoy

spazrats
“my life has gone to the rats”

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