A Fear of Heights?

[Tara]

Does anyone know if it's possible for a rat to be afraid of heights?  

Gizmo has always been what I would call "hand shy," because he came from a...er... we'll say strange environment.  I thought that he just needed to get used to us.   But I have had a hard time reconciling that opinion with the fact that I get frequent bruxing from him, and he loves to groom my hand when I set it on his table, or stick my fingers thru the bars of the cage.  He's even letting me touch his back every now and again.   But if you go to pick him up he FREAKS OUT!  He doesn't fear poop for the first few minutes that you are holding him, but then he starts pooping all over the place.   When you set him down he's okay, and will come up and groom your hand.   Also, I have noticed that he is not a climber really like Stuart is...  Stuart wants to be as high up as he can be,  Gizmo is more of a floor dweller, or has to be enclosed to be comfortable being up high.  

What do you guys think?  

[Aileen]

Hi!

We felt that our Daphne was slightly scared of heights but wondered if it was because of poor eyesight - she had pale pink eyes - beautiful.  When out running in the hall, she would bound up the stairs but was always very very hesitant to come back down them again.  She would hang over the edge but seem to scared to take the step down.

The lady we got Phoebe from has an old boy who wouldn't climb down from his house for a run.  When she put a ramp for him to come down it was no problem - she reckoned it was fear due to poor eyesight.

Daphne's daughter Lilith, now approx 22mnths, has started doing the same thing.  Lilith has never liked being held, but like your rattie she's really tame and will preen us and take treats from us and climb up inside our clothes - but she squirms like mad if I pick her up.  I accept it's just her nature.

Phoebe on the other hand thinks she's half human - caught her tucked in our bed this afternoon after leaving the cage door open by mistake - she was sound asleep!!  She loves heights - can't get high enough - she's been up on the curtain rail once when we weren't quick enough and had to rescue her by getting her to climb onto a long handled floor brush.

Maybe your rattie just doesn't like being handled or maybe he is a bit more short sighted than usual.  Just go with the flow and don't put pressure on him or yourself to make him like being handled or high up.  No two rats have the same personalities so their behaviour is all different as well.

Aileen
and Lilith and Phoebe Ratson

[amymckee]

My girls will climb anything they can, and they love to be up high. They have had several months to get used to me and the apartment.
I recently got an older male, who had lived in a small cage most of his life. He just learned last week how to jump onto the couch, and a few days later he worked up the courage to jump off the couch. He is getting braver and braver every day. He has never really been afraid of heights, just uncomfortable in new surroundings.
How does Gizmo react to being on your shoulder? (ie, higher places where you arent holding him)


Ooo, I should have mentioned that Rat has ruby eyes, and I can tell that his eyesight isnt as good as the girls (all the girls have black eyes)

[RoseMarie]

My two boys:  Ralph climbs outside on top of his cage; Fred is too chicken to climb to the top, he has done it a few times but hasn't tried in a few months.  When they are out in the living room  Ralph is the one that climbs the couch without hesitation, Fred thinks about it and has to make at least one attempt before he gets to the top.  They are the same age (8 months).  I'm afraid of heights too.

[Ali]

All of my rats have liked to climb as high as possible, but Fly is the more hesitant when it comes to getting down again - he's a PEW and obviously has worse eye-sight than the others so that could be why. The others scare me really - they just nose dive off the bed, or even the dressing table.

However, none of my other rats have ever been happy shoulder-riding (though they'll sit there if I'm sitting down) except for Fly, who'll last longer before dashing down the front of my top!!

[SCRAPPYSMOMMY]

I have 2 height fearing rats and 2 who dont mind heights a bit.  I guess rats are like people in that way, some handle heights well and others dont.  

[emmamay]

does giszmo have pink eyes?
both my boys are a bit weary when going down the stairs but then it depends, ratty(hes got pink eyes) he usually sits on the top of my dads lazy boy when out but moley just runs around or sits on people.but as they have gotten older they dont like sitting on my sholder, they will sit in my arms if i craddle them though.
so yeah.

[Tara]

Thanks for your thoughts, everyone.  

Gizmo has normal ol' black eyes,  he's a black and white quasi bareback (he has a black dot on his rump).  

Haven't tried him on my shoulder,  cause he's like picking up one of those water filled tubes that just slip out of your hand.  So maybe I will try that and see how he reacts!  

[emmamay]

hehe, good luck! and best wished!:P