Turning biters into lovers...

[TheAudOne]

So I have a question...seems easy enough to figure out on my own...but I wanted to know what you all do to really get your breeders to come around to you. Our colony is getting bigger and bigger...and I really am starting to like one mama...who just birthed her 2nd very healthy litter of HUGE babies...I also have 2 other litters...one mother wasnt sitting on her's ever(this was also her first litter)...so I moved them over to the mom with the big babies and she took them all on...and then Mom's sister had her litter and she stole all of hers *sighs* so I had to seperate the 2 mama's and divided up the litters...now all the babies aredoing great!! We lost one sadly...but still have I think 32 healthy lil ones... So hears my question...These females are from a mom and pop pet shop...no idea how they were treated or bred before...I've only owned very friendly hairless rats. (for pets not breeding) I've always had this fear of haired rats (my mother had one when I was young and she was very mean ) But since the breeders are going to be with us for awhile I would really like to be able to actually hold them and play with them like I did with the hairless ones...yet the one female actually jumps up and bites me when I reach in the cage to get bowls out..clean up etc. She comes running over and nails me almost every time,with or with out young. The other mom (the one I favor with the large healthy babies) never has...but obviously I'm scared of her lol. She has done good so far...I've been checking on her and the babies...and talking to her as I do (really to keep myself calm lol) So far she hasnt offerd to bite me...yet I havent actually touched her with my hand...I'll use the tongs to move her over if I need to etc. The male is also a cute lil fatty with his tiny lil ears...and I so want to hold him So I'm just wondering...what tips do you guys have...I mean should I just reach in and hope for the best...keep trying etc...One of the babies I've had my eye on...and she has let me take him out from under her...I've started holding him for a minute or two..hoping he/she will get used to me over time...any who thanks for any tips and sorry for yet again another long post LOL.

[jglass38]

First off, don't attempt to tame your breeders when they have babies. I have found that even my nicest ones can turn defensive when it comes to their offspring. Outside of the times when she has babies, just take her out often, pet her and spend time with her. Rats (unlike snakes) love the attention and can become wonderful pets with time. Some might never be friendly. I have a couple that are standoffish all the time and some that will hang out with you for hours, clicking their teeth constantly while being pet.

[TheAudOne]

First off, don't attempt to tame your breeders when they have babies. I have found that even my nicest ones can turn defensive when it comes to their offspring. Outside of the times when she has babies, just take her out often, pet her and spend time with her. Rats (unlike snakes) love the attention and can become wonderful pets with time. Some might never be friendly. I have a couple that are standoffish all the time and some that will hang out with you for hours, clicking their teeth constantly while being pet.

Thanks Jamie! I really would love to have some tame one's...I miss my rats so much I think I will let my favorite have a nice break after this litter weans...let her rest and use that time to try and tame her a bit...We'll see....thanks again

[jglass38]

Sounds like a plan!

[Gooseman]

I've found a little "love potion #9" goes a long way...



But... if that's a little out of your realm, try a little TLC as Jamie suggested. You should have some furry friends in no time. ::crosses fingers::

[frankykeno]

Jamie's got it right about mama rats. Even the most even tempered ones can become quite the protective nippers when they are nursing so wait until they've weaned their litter and had a few days to forget the experience.

Remember that rats are always, always food driven. Use this to your advantage. Put down a small bowl with various human food treats - one small one piece of each. Things like banana, a bit of oil dipped bread, a grape, chunk of chicken, a few M&M's (yes rats can eat chocolate)...basically things that later can be used as hand fed treats to entice the rat. Keep the same stuff and offer it every other day, watch to see which thing that particular rat seems to grab first and quite enjoy eating. After a week of this, when you've figured out what that rat's favorite treat is...just offer only that treat for another week every other day in a small bowl. Get that rat hooked LOL. The next week start offering it only from your hand...if Miss Ratty wants her treat "fix" she has to come to you to get it. Let her "steal" it and run off the first couple of times...this step is to only get her to equate your hand and her precious treat. Once she's taking food this way without nipping, next remove her to your lap and present the treat there.

Some rats won't eat on your lap, they are too nervous or nosey but again, it's to get her to relate "human = yummy treat = I LIKE HUMANS!" lol Most rats enjoy behind the ear scratching, under the chin rubs, that sort of thing. If you hear them grinding their teeth, they are happy...if their eyes sort of bulge, called "boggling", they are REALLY happy! If they pee on you, consider yourself marked as "one of the family" LOL

If you take it slow, don't give the rat a reason to see you as a threat and use their natural food driven brains to your benefit usually within few weeks you will have an adult rat that sees you and runs to stand up and greet you (which is rat speak for "hi there! I like you! do you have a treat for me? I really like you! so how about that treat!!!")

On the other side, when I have a rat that is being a bit of a turd I do tap them sharply on their snout or smack my hands together loudly and yell "BAD RAT". Amazing but they are quite intelligent enough to know that you don't tick off the lady that #1 brings food, and #2 feeds your nasty butt off if you continue to nip for no good reason.

Here's a link for good and bad humans foods....

http://www.ratnutrition.com/suppleme...forbiddenfoods

[Pork Chops N' Corn Bread]

Show em to Ruby and they snap right into shape

[sweety314]

I did things like Jo's suggestions for Butterscotch. He'd bit me 3 or 4 times, was VERY timid and scared. Until we started breeding them, ALL of our rats were from the feed store, but eventually became pets. It took a lot longer time to get Butterscotch to where you could handle him w/o gloves, but eventually he became a good pet. Petunia never did calm down. She came across the cage multiple times and and eventually took a huge hunk out of my finger. After that, she became Hera food. Even though she was about to have a litter, I didn't want any more biting...and I didn't want Robin to get bitten, so I fed Petunia off.


A couple of the boys have tried to take a nip, but I've bopped their noses and told them NO! Right now Monkey is nursing, and she's such a lover, I reach in all the time...same with Peekaboo, but Dumbelina with this being her first litter, I've been very careful. There's been a couple of times when she's had that look in her eye that says she's thinking of trying a bite, but she hasn't yet. I'm just cautious until after the pups are either fed off or weaned.

Once they've weaned, and you get yogurt drops or some sort of treat, be patient and gentle, I think you'll have some squishy lap rats in no time at all.

[Flagg]

I always have the best results raising up tame breeders from newborns. Handle them daily from birth and they will be quite tame.

[frankykeno]

Oh yep, much easier to end up with a handtamed one that's been born in your own colony but I think she's trying to get some already adult, breeding age rats used to being handled.