What Does It Mean When a Rat Licks or Grooms You?
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Does it just mean I taste good?
Do I just smell terrible?
Does my rat think I’m a poorly, lost child who needs some direction in life?
Does this have anything to do with the boggling and bruxing that my rat does?!
What is this about?!
Rats are known for licking their owners; some a bit more obsessively than others. They may lick you at odd times. They might only do it once in a blue moon. In any case, it seems a bit odd; especially since dogs are the “lickers” of the animal world.
Move over, Fido. Templeton the Dumbo Rat is taking your title!
First Reason: Your Rat Thinks You Smell… Good!
While we, as humans, don’t just lick people that we think smell delicious, our rats will. If you’ve just finished a tender steak with some heavenly garlic bread and silky, buttery mashed potatoes, rest assured that your ratties most definitely smell it. They will move in quickly to sniff and aggressively lick you, perhaps even using their little hands to rip your lips apart; totally and utterly convinced that you’re hiding the good stuff in your mouth and out of their reach. After all, rats LOVE good eats; as if the lone rat that shut down an ENTIRE bakery wasn’t proof enough! They will lick any part of you that smells like food- whether you ate with your hands, dropped a little on our chest or lap, or didn’t wash your face after eating.
Or… Not So Good…
If your rat believes you’ve been slacking in the hygiene department, he or she will try to help you out. Of course, we’ll never smell like rats, or be their version of squeaky clean. However, that won’t stop the rat from licking you into oblivion with his or her little tongue, being the bath loving creatures that they are. Eventually the rat, as it pitter patters across you with its little feet, will realize that the battle is futile and that he or she will never get the job done. Thus, the ratty gives up and moves along with another exciting adventure; even if you are a giant, naked, weird ratty who needs to be looked after in the bathing department in their minds.
Bathing is also a way to assist in the removal of parasites like lice and mites, so if your rat sees a fleck of dirt on you, don’t be surprised if he or she tries to remove it! This goes for moles and freckles, too!
A rat can enjoy a bath greatly, so don’t be afraid to get them wet!
Reason Three: Your Rat Needs a Strengthened Bond
If your rat hasn’t had quite as much play time lately, he or she may simply need some reassurance and a great bonding session. Rats frequently groom each other in an effort to socialize and bond. You can return the favor by petting your rats in all of the right places; especially on the head or on the back! Once your rat feels as if they proper bonding between pet and owner is restored, he or she may seek a bit of playtime, run off for a snack, or get comfortable for a good old cuddle and nap session.
Moving on to Four: Hello, Ladies!
If you have both male and female rats, there might be a bit of attraction going on. If you hold your female rats, then spend time with your males, you may find that the males are far more curious than your females were. This is because the females left a scent trail behind! The males will sniff, lick, and investigate you in order to read the pheromones that the does left behind. You will probably also be the victim of lots of urine trails, as the males mark you to return a positive message to the receptive females. This makes a lot of people scratch their heads, asking how to make their rats stop peeing on them; many of them don’t realize that they’re mixing the pheromones of the sexes!