My rat is just sat still with all its fur puffed up. Whats wrong?
This is a sign that the rat is ill and it should be taken to the vets, especially if its eyes are half closed, it has red staining around its eyes and/or nose and it shuns other rats or contact. The red staining is called porphyrin and is often mistaken for blood, though it is more like coloured mucous. It is produced when the rat is particularly stressed or ill. A vet will examine your rat and should listen to its chest to see if there is any congestion in the lungs (indicating a myco problem), as well as checking for swellings, breaks or gut problems. An ill rat need only be seperated from its cagemates if it is evident they are causing it more stress, or if its medical problem is contagious or if you need regular and easy access to the animal (say, for feeding or frequent drug administration) – keeping the ill rat with its siblings can often help keep it calm and relatively happy. Being prey animals, rats tend to hide any illness very well (a survival instinct), usually until it has
