Dealing with nervous rats

[MrLang]

Let's call them nervous. I have been raising up my 2.4 and have spent most of the time socializing the males as they are friendly and when they retire my GF wants to keep them as pets. The females are a little bit wild.

What's the best way to get them to calm down without spending lots of time socializing with them? Feed them treats? Wait for them to grow out of it?

They really squirm and jump when I try to move them for cleaning, etc, and I'm worried they're going to escape every time. I know they don't like to be held by the tail and I am quite nervous about hurting them, but should I be picking them up by the base of the tail or holding them from below and over the top? When I try to scoop them from below they just jump or act like I'm murdering them. One squeals like it's about to die every time I pick it up and it makes me quite nervous. They get backed into the corner of the tub and that's when I feel like I'm going to get bit.

So how do you guys deal with your breeders to make them easy to work with? Any pro tips? Invest in a pair of leather gloves? Grab the base of the tail?

[carlson]

The ones I bought as adults are sketchy momma bites when by babies but getting better and the two big males don't bite but run away With the males I just try an move fast and grab them once I got them they squirm but if I let them run hand to hand they fine. The momma I gotta grab her from behind any way I can once in hands she won't bite. The ones I got young will all let me grab no problems and the ones I raise from babies are turning out good my one girl will run to my hand to come up on shoulder but I make sure to handle future breeders lots. I'm still newish to breeding them an I may buy gloves cuz I hate being bit

[DooLittle]

I can handle all of mine. The nasty ones turn into food. That being said though, we handle them from babies, I scratch and pet them when I feed and water. They also get treats. My one group will jump up and hang off the edge of the tank to be scratched, they don't want out, just behind their ears scratched. I really think you need to handle them to socialize them. If they are squirrelly now, I wouldn't trust my hand near them with babies. I had one momma we got as an adult, and she would charge across the cage to bite, or if you put your fingers in the bars she would chomp on them. She's a long forgotten snake turd now though...

Also, I would suggest never grabbing them by any part of their tail. That freaks them the freak out. And probably hurts too.

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[MrLang]

I think this squealer is going to become snake food pretty soon...

[carlson]

My big male lucky is missing last inch of his tail cuz he was a feeder in beginning an I picked him up by tail he spun and ripped it. Doesn't bother him now and he's huge but looked painful

[aldebono]

I pick all my rats up like a kitten. One hand over the body and lift from under the arm pits. The big boys get a hand supporting the bottom or back feet because they are so big. I never grab from the tail and I think my rats are calmer for it. I think picking them up, even by the base of the tail, creates a negative experience of being airborne. Most of them will calm down with interacting at feeding time and other calm interactions with them. Just takes a little time and age.

I had a screamer for a little while. Every time I would pick her up it was like she was being killed. I got rid of her because I don't have the time or patience to chase them around to pick up by the tail or get scratched. I also feel that sort of behavior or fearfulness could be genetic and I breed for pets as well.
All my rats can be cradled in your arms without them freaking out as well. They even stand on their hind legs in order to get picked up when moving them from the bin to be cleaned. They know and are comfortable with the routine.

[Capray]

Pick the rats up gently! Give them treats and give them no reason to fear you.
Using gloves will scare them more. Try to handle them whenever you have time, and always pick the calmest and healthiest rats when buying new stock.


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[wolfy-hound]

I have some that I had to pick up by the base of the tail, then I instantly 'lay' them across my other hand to support them. That way they like the supporting hand, even if they don't like the tail lift. Almost every one that I've needed to do that to can now be picked up with a hand scooping them up midsection now, no tail grabbing needed.

If they bite, it's into the feeder bin. The only ones that get away with bites are my albino elder females who sometimes grab for a treat and get a finger by accident. As long as they know it's my hand, they won't bite and like petting and picking up.

All my breeders can be picked up. I've had males that squeeled like crazy every time I picked them up too. For a while, all the males would squeel, while the females never squeeled. That generation of males are all gone now, but I could tell which sex the rat was when I grabbed it, based on squeel or no squeel. LOL.

[Capray]

Rats being vocal is generally depending on the rat… females who are hormonal amd high strung will sqeak a lot and same with males


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