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BPnet Veteran
2 new additions
Hey all-
Yesterday I went and picked out two small rats to join my family. One is a blue hooded (I belive, blue hood with stripe down her back) named Emma, and an albino named Ruby.
When I placed them in their cage, the did a lot of checking things out. They nibbled on some banana chips and pistachos.
Suddenly Ruby started climbing the bars and squeezed herself thru! I have a feeling till she starts putting some weight on her that she's gonna be my little escape artist.
Emma on the other hand is so scared. She checked me out, nibbled on my fingers, then went into hiding. I tried to hold her a few minutes ago and when I go her by the tail and lifted her she tried to run and jump. So I let go of her tail and she jumped onto the floor of her cage and ran and hid.
What are some tips on gaining her trust? If I take their hide out at play time (which for now will consist my hand in their cage with treats), do you think that'll stress her out too much? At the store she was all wide eyed and active and it pains me to see her so scared now.
I'll get some pictures of them later today.
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Re: 2 new additions
First off you need to make sure they can't get out again. A loose rat in your house is a danger to itself as well as making a mess of things and chewing on anything it can get to (including electric wires and so forth). If the cage bars are too wide you can temporarily rehouse them in something safer until they are bigger.
You did just get them yesterday so of course they are going to be a bit freaked out. They've likely come from a pet store through a large rat supplier so likely haven't been handled much if at all. They are social creatures that to some extent had likely adjusted to their colony in the pet store now they are suddenly in a new environment with new smells and a new human to get to know plus sorting out each other as cagemates.
Give them time, lots of food food and just reach in and scratch them a bit for now (they love behind the ear scratches generally much as a dog or cat does). Try offering hand treats in the cage to them. Things like stale bread dipped in olive oil, bits of cooked pasta, things like that to entice them to you and see that you are a good food source. Rats are ruled by their tummies LOL. Their drive to feed is so strong they generally fall in love with anyone that they perceive as the Goddess of Yum Yums. Once they know you, they are far more likely to be easy to handle. Rats can also to some extent learn sounds associated with food and handling. I often make a high pitched sort of "kissy" sound and they know it's me and I want them to come to me for something. My dog knows the same sound and has basically the same reaction LOL.
It's best to avoid tail grabbing unless they are escaping. Once they know you most rats will stand up on their back feet as you approach the enclosure and most like to be picked up and patted.
Here's a great link for rat foods and other info.....
http://www.ratnutrition.com/suppleme...forbiddenfoods
http://www.quite.co.uk/rats/#Red%20D...0and/or%20Nose:
http://www.ratz.co.uk/index.html
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BPnet Veteran
Re: 2 new additions
Thanks for the info Joanna! I am looking into a temporary home for them, or I need to figure out a way to block the bars. I haven't had any escapes today, so that's good. They're in my closet so when i am not in the room I close the door to it. So the worse that can happen is she roams the closet, which has no hiding spaces since i took everything out.
I'll give 'em some time. I tried to pet them but they didn't want much to do with it. I tired giving 'em a few treats. I bought some cheese flavored yogurt drops. They won't eat 'em from my fingers yet.... I also tried some rice krispies and they sniffed 'em but didn't take any.
I won't pick them up by the tail any longer (unless it's an emergency). I've had mice and that's how I pick them up since they're always so squirmy.
Now I have a question for everyone out there with pet rats. What is their favorite treats? Any ones in particular?
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BPnet Veteran
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Re: 2 new additions
They look just so little and cute LOL. Likely not long weaned and a bit unused to handling but most rats calm down with time. Female rats are always a bit "busier" than males though. Once big male rats hit maturity they tend to be the laziest things and are great lap rats (if you don't mind their ummm "butt pillows" dragging on you). Females always tend to stay a bit more active and are more challenging to get to stay still and just snuggle a bit with their owners.
Ours are crazy for raisins, M & M's (yes rats can have chocolate in reasonable amounts), olive oil dipped bread, scraps of cooked meat and lordy they love rib and chicken wing bones. Rats teeth never stop growing so they really do need hard things to knaw on so bones from your leftovers are perfect for them (just always watch that any "fresh" food is cleaned up and not hidden to rot in the bedding). We keep a covered tub in the fridge marked RAT FOOD for all sorts of leftovers plus they clean up ends of cereal, that last slice of bread no one ate and the salad in the bag nobody wanted to finish up. Our rat colony are great little recyclers LOL.
Pet rats do tend to get obese though so watch that they are in good shape and a bit chubby but never really fat. Fat rats die young and tend to get more cancers and suchlike.
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Re: 2 new additions
Butt Pillows!!!!!
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BPnet Veteran
Re: 2 new additions
Thanks for the advice, yes Butt Pillows is a good way to put it!
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Registered User
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Re: 2 new additions
Originally Posted by JLC
Butt Pillows!!!!!
Hon if you saw what some of my adult male breeder rats are dragging around behind them you'd just die laughing and they do ummm use them to sit upon while munching on a snack. Makes Mike wince to see it but Casanova, SuperNova, Damien and Lightning don't seem to mind one bit. LOL
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Re: 2 new additions
Originally Posted by frankykeno
Hon if you saw what some of my adult male breeder rats are dragging around behind them you'd just die laughing and they do ummm use them to sit upon while munching on a snack. Makes Mike wince to see it but Casanova, SuperNova, Damien and Lightning don't seem to mind one bit. LOL
LOL.... I've seen the jumbo males in the pet stores and I do have to laugh. They sure are ummmmm.....blessed...for such small critters!
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