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Why is my rat suddenly lethargic, aggressive, and not eating?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Small Animal | Unknown - Small Animal | Female | unspayed | 1lb

I have 4 pet rats,but the 1 in questions name is chaos. Chaos is about 6 months old and is normally highly energetic. She enjoys playing with the other rats ,and stealing my sandwiches,but recently, Ive noticed a decline in her energy. She doesn't play anymore, she sleeps more than normal and has become quite aggressive. She has stopped eating. Ive tried holding her favorite treat near her,but that's not working. I thought that maybe it was a disease,but all my other rats seem healthy and normal

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Mariya Gugel, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 6th, 2018

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If Chaos is housed with males, pregnancy may be changing her behavior. However, the signs you describe are pretty nonspecific, meaning that they can go along with a large number of conditions. There are a few things you can do to collect some more information - check to make sure that Chaos’s teeth align properly, check for any blood or diarrhea in the cage, and check Chaos for any swellings or masses. In the chase that Chaos has a contagious disease, I recommend keeping her separated from the other rats. There are vets in most towns/cities thatsee pocket pets, so it would be best to have Chaos evaluates as soon as possible.

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