Scared Rat - Treat Training Hasn't Worked

The Rat Shack Forum

Help Support The Rat Shack Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Trosit

Junior Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Messages
30
Location
Toronto, Ontario
Oh boy, *Gusteau sure has me on here often. He had his neuter a month ago but since his biting days I haven't touched him. I will take him out of his cage with his box and let him run over my hands and lap but the moment I move he dashes away. He still hesitates to come up for treats from my hand. If I got him something really good I'll try moving my hand (from his side or lower) towards him but he immediately freezes and stops chewing. So I back away. Any advice?

I don't want him to be a lonely boy. I've moved him to the main room and closed off my double Critter Nation cage so he can stay in one unit. Weekly I want to switch him and the girls to each others cage so they can at least smell and hear each other. I haven't seen his hair puff up anymore at least :) Do you think introducing them would be worth while? They seem really interested in each other through the bars at play time!

*I'm changing his name to Gaston.
Noooo oooone bites like Gaston
No one fights like Gaston
No one gives a hard time to the vet techs like Gaston!
For there's no one so burly or teste
As you can see he has hormones to spare
Not an inch of him squaggly or scrawny
And every last bit of him's covered in hair!
 
Last edited:
When I had a rat that was skittish with me, I would scoop him/her up and place him/her back down. I would do this several times and offer treats in between. But only do this when you are sure he's no longer biting. And I think it's a great idea to start intros with the girls.
 
No chance of me picking him up. I still have the scars to remind me to be careful. Guess I can't be a hand model now :9

Yea, I'm thinking introductions would go alright. I'll look up some videos about intros with his kind of behaviour. I had thought I needed him to trust me first but it might work best in his case to interact with well handled friends first. Thanks, guys!
 
Back
Top