Reactions to sounds -- instinct?

[SADCAT]

I had the girls out on the bed the other day and I was watching the Discovery Channel while I played with them. There was some sort of show about reptiles on and they started to show this rattlesnake. It started to shake it's little rattle and immediately all of my rats just stood deadly still. Then in an instant all three of them (just the big girls were out) dashed into a box and started chattering. I couldn't get them out for a while because they were so tense and freaked out. I turned off the show and after a while they came out again.

The same thing happened again when they heard an owl call out on the TV... Do you think this is some instinct or maybe just a coincidence?

[amymckee]

That's interesting. Mine totally know certain sounds, but I have taught them to respond to them. I know my brother's dog goes nuts if I meow at him.

[SADCAT]

Haha. My cat Jinx, whenever you sneeze, no matter who you are, he will always meow in digust after you've sneezed. Now all we have to do is go "Ahh! Ahhh!" (minus the CHOO part) and he will start meowing at us.

But I just think it's kind of neat, if in fact it's true, that rats would have that built into them, to be afraid of the sounds of predators, even if they are domesticated.

[Suebee]

I think they can hear it and are reacting to it, for sure!

The other night, I was listening to Road Rage, Great Big Sea's live album, and everytime the crowd cheered, the b'ys would get freaked out!

[Vouivre]

My ratties are terrified of the cat meowing!Or even the smell of it. They havn't had any nasty situations with it or anything. I think it is weird though that they arent scared of the dog, and couldn't care less when it barks

[whispurrr]

I was turning on our gas heater once, which makes a clicking noise, and Eros did that PEW head swaying thing (trying to see what was there), and when I came towards him, ran away terrified. I couldn't get close to him for ages, and when I managed to pick him up and try to comfort him, I could tell he was terrified.
I'm sure it was the clicking that set him off, though I don't have a clue why..

Laura

[Jen at PRC]

When I was a kid I had my hamster outside on the sidewalk one summer and a float-plane flew overhead.  The hamster immediately flattened into a furry pancake on the sidewalk and didn't move a muscle for a good five minutes.  I thought it was pretty cool.  My hamster obviously perceived airplane = large bird of prey.

I'll bet rats also have some intinctive reactions to predator stimuli.  Their their reaction to the rattlesnake and owl sounds supports it.