I got a new pet rat the other day and i know how afraid it must be. I have it near me in it's cage now and I cant get it to take treats from me. It is a boy and i have had rats before. Its eaten and i'm pretty sure it's had some water too. does any one have any ways to teach my rat im going to not hurt him? i really want to get to the point where it will sit on it's shoulder and come to it's name and play fetch. please help, i just want to have fun with my new pet.
Hi there:) don't you worry - I'm sure your little rattie will soon be bouncing off the walls (literally)!
First off, does your rat have a same sex cage mate? I know you've probably seen this question asked a lot, but it is REALLY important that rats are kept in groups of 2 +. Rats are extremely sociable, and your rat could even become friendlier towards you with a playmate - he would become more confident. Maybe he is lonely at the moment.
Bare in mind that you haven't had him long. He will still be adjusting to his new environment. This can be very stressful for a rat, and if you try to start handling him too soon it can make him even more stressed. This could potentially lead to illnesses. It is usually normal for a rat to sneeze a little or make funny noises during the first week or so of a new environment. But if it persists, contact your local small animal vet. Just make sure you aren ' t using pine or cedar bedding - this can cause respiratory problems. I personally don't recommend using shavings at all. I use good quality cat litter and have never had problems with it:) although some cheap litters could cause allergies with your rats - especially dusty ones with small particles.
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Try resting your hand along the bottom of the cage. Keep it still and see if your rat comes over to sniff. Don't move your hand. If he refuses to investigate your hand after a couple of minutes, try again later. Patience is key. You might want to balance a few tasty treats on your hand, then return to resting it in the cage. Your rat might be tempted by the treats. Just keep your hand still, and be patient.
Each day, put your hand in the cage (as above) a few times to let your rat get used to the idea of it. Soon your rat will come over and start sniffing your hand. It may eventually start climbing around on it.
After your rat gets used to your hand in the cage, open the side door of the cage (if there is one) and place your hand in front, fingertips slightly inside the cage. You could put treats in your hand to encourage your rat. He should sniff your hand by the door, and eventually climb into your hands. He may scarper off quickly if he is still adjusting to being in your hand, so again, be patient. When he sits in your hand, move it so the rat can easily access the cage (for comfort) and your body. Whenever I acquire new rats I always wedge my hand in between the cage and my chest so the rat can either go on the cage, on climb up onto my shoulders. Give it a go!
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Hopefully your rat will soon start exploring you! If he doesn't, be patient and do some research. He might just have a naturally shy personality - all rats are different.
I hope I have helped you and your little rat!
Good luck!:)
Talk to him, all the time. Don't push him, trust is earned.
If he had a buddy he would feel less scared. When i was taming my 2 older rats, hikaru would only come out if i was holding tamaki. he didnt like coming out on his own
How many days ago? If it was just two or three, he will still be scared.
Put him in a room where there are a lot of people, like the living room. When you walk in the room, DON'T run up to his cage, just ignore it.
After a couple of days of that, he should know you won't do anything. Then try putting your hand in the cage. Try holding a treat and see if he will eat from it. Do not try and pet him.
Once he is used to your hand in the cage or taking treats from it, pet him about 4 times a day. Do that for about 3 days.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com Once he is used to you petting him, try taking him out. If he is scared, don't pull on him so he can't go back into his cage like so many people do. Let him go back in. Try again and again until he is used to you. When you get to that point, just take time to bond with him. He won't want to play with you when he doesn't even know you.
Once you have bonded, it's up to you. Teach him tricks, take him out to places (I take them to soccer games, they love it), whatever. Have fun!
I know how you feel. My husband and i had 5 rats ... now 4=[.
but our first one did the same thing. we would put treats in our hand and leave our hand in the cage til she came to us. rats love to cuddle so try to cuddle with him put him on your shoulder and even try a little massage . our rat Trouble loved that. it took us about a month to get her comfortable with us. she would even fall asleep with my son when he was a newborn. she lived a good 3 years and was 4 years old when she died. but if you have had rats before the n you would know that they are very social animals so tryi getting another rat.
