Pet Rats
X_Stickman
Not good enough for a custom title. Join Date: 2003-04-15 Member: 15533Members, Constellation
Not good enough for a custom title. Join Date: 2003-04-15 Member: 15533Members, Constellation
in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">I NEED HELP</div> I'm kinda confused. I got two rats from a petshop on sunday (along with all the stuff). I've wanted a rat for ages, but i've never kept rats before, but i'm finally a big boy and i can buy my own so i did.
Anyway... apparantly, i'm supposed to keep handling them until they're used to me. But the poor little things seem terrified whenever i pick them up, and it's not nice to try and hold and coo to a thing that seems to either want to get away, or tear you a new mouth hole into your face. It's pretty cruel, it seems.
So, are they supposed to be like that at first? Do they get calmer and calmer? How often am i supposed to pick them up and stroke them etc? Is there anything i can do to make it easier on them? Do i just keep doing this every day until they get used to me and don't struggle?
I need help!
Anyway... apparantly, i'm supposed to keep handling them until they're used to me. But the poor little things seem terrified whenever i pick them up, and it's not nice to try and hold and coo to a thing that seems to either want to get away, or tear you a new mouth hole into your face. It's pretty cruel, it seems.
So, are they supposed to be like that at first? Do they get calmer and calmer? How often am i supposed to pick them up and stroke them etc? Is there anything i can do to make it easier on them? Do i just keep doing this every day until they get used to me and don't struggle?
I need help!
Comments
Oh and try to keeping them in their cage, coz if a rodent gets scared they run FAST in every tiny place of safety...
Try letting your rats run freely in your room; just open their cage door and they should start exploring in a few minutes. While they are loose lie on your floor, being perfectly still. It will give them time to adjust to you and your room.
[EDIT] Oh yeah, what Coil said is very true. A rat that is eating is a happy rat. Leave some sweet fruits out to encourage them to come out of their cages. Watermelon skins are perfect, as they can really chew on those.
[EDIT^2] Also, don't be worried if your rats keep running back into their cage/s. It's perfectly normal for them to do that.
Another thing you will want to do is remove any unneccesary wires and cables from your room; especially those near the floor. Use tape to lift the wires you can't remove to a hieght of at least two feet (50-60 cm) so your rats can't chew on them. You wouldn't want your rats to shock themselves.
And do they 'love' you back?
I had hamsters once (many,many years ago) but they never seemed to care about anything but their food..
1) my rat eating cream cheese off my finger - she'd hold my fingertip between her teeth while she licked the cream cheese off.
2) my brother's rat chewing a hole in my shirt while she and I were watching TV together.
They're tons of fun. (:
They're tons of fun. (: <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yup. 2 years of eating various foods right out of my hands or off my fingers, and nary a nick or bite.
Plus rats are incredibly smart. They can learn more tricks than a barrel of monkeys and do it in half the time. They can jump up to three feet (~90cm) in the air, and do all types of crazy stuff.
If I decide to adopt a rat, can I start with just one of them or should I really buy two?
<ul><li>If you have one and it's used to you, a second (third, fourth) will acclimate much more quickly. Only good to know once one dies.</li><li>If you're nervous, they'll pick up on it and grow skittish. Relax.</li><li>NEVER feed them through the bars of the cage. They'll very quickly start guessing that anything that comes near the cage bars (such as your fingers) is food. (My little sister gave me a first-hand learning experience with this one)</li><li>Bites aren't that bad. They'll learn not to if you give their nose a light flick if they do bite (LIGHT flick, don't wanna really hurt them, just go 'hey, not cool').</li><li>Nibbles are not bites. If a rat bites you, you'll know it. Nibbles are normal grooming behaviour.</li><li>If you have long hair, plan to wash it. Rats LOVE burrowing through/hiding in long hair, and unless you potty train them, you'll end up with rat offal on your head. Not pleasant.</li><li>Rats need love and attention. If you can't spare an hour or three spaced out over the day to cuddle and let them climb on you, get two. They'll keep each other company, so they'll stay more social. You still need to spend <b>some</b> time with them daily if possible, it's just a 'cushion' for when you can't.</li><li>It's fun to wander around with a rat on your shoulder, but don't use it to scare people. Some react badly, including hitting the rat. A solid smack can kill instantly, but it's even more painful to sit and nurse one dying from internal injuries.</li><li>Related to the last, do NOT allow any small children to handle the rats. If the rat starts to wriggle, their usual reflex is to squeeze. Internal injuries usually result. I've lost one, Taffy, in this manner.</li></ul>
Listen to the man, people. It's blatantly obvious he knows what he is talking about. A few more tips:
1) Rat-proof your room. This means (as I've sad earlier) lifting all cables off the floor, as well ar removing anything that could be a danger to your rat from the room. Poisonous plants are a decided no-no. (Even though you might be able to tolerate the plant, it could kill your rat easily.)
2) Do some research. The more you know about your pet, the less chance you'll have an unpleasant surprise. (If you really want, I might even be able to send you the book I have when I next go home.)
3) Spend time with your rat or rats. They will return your love tenfold.
4) Avoid 'bad' foods. A good rule of thumb - if it's bad for us, it's worse for them. Especially avoid sweet, fatty and salty foods. Good ideas include unbuttered low-fat popcorn, unsalted pretzles, crackers, bread, etc.
Thanks to this thread, I now know what my new pets are going to be =D
If you've never had rats before, GET FEMALES. Most are weirded out by the rather overlarge testicles on the males, leading to less handle-time. Males also will go territorial at times, including spraying.
NEVER put a female rat next to a male, even 'just for a second'. It takes less than a second and a half for them to finish the meeting, courting, and mating. Look away and you'll miss it, then wonder if you're feeding her too much, with how round she's getting a few weeks later.
If you let them free-run, securing your room is a neccessity. If you only let them out while you're holding them, they'll associate you with 'out of the cage' and be less likely to hide out.. you also won't have to worry as much, nor stress over making sure everything's ratproof.
Make sure your bed isn't a box-spring, or SEAL the underside. They'll happily climb up into the box and play in the springs. NOT good if you come home and flop out, only to hear a very short, sharp squeal.
While cleaning the cage, it's good to put them in the bathtub if you have a metal grate over the drain (multiple holes on a guard cover). <b><u>NEVER</u></b> put them in a tub with a 'cross' style drainguard, as they can squeeze partway through (if not all the way) and get stuck in the pipe.