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Jess5

Active Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2020
Messages
32
Location
Reno Nevada
Hello!
I’ve had my rats for about a month now. They’re 3 month old females so they’re super energetic which has proven to be a challenge when trying to give them uri medication and clean the cage.

I’ve been trying to get them used to me because I know out of cage time is important for rats. They’ll all take treats from my hand and even crawl up my arm a bit before sprinting back down. I have only been actually bitten once by Scrabble but she hasn’t done that in over 3 weeks, the rest just give small nibbles and mostly sniffs. I’ve been wanting to take them to the *dry* bathtub so they can really start getting used to me but it’s absolutely impossible to even get them out of the cage.

Ive also been wanting to get them onto the bed for some free roaming time but again, it’s very difficult to even get them out of the cage. I’m also terrified of them darting off the bed, my room is pretty big and it is very difficult to catch a rat in (unfortunately I’ve already had to attempt this once when one of the rats ran out of the cage).

Does anyone have tips on what I should do to progress the process? I really wanted to get rats so I could have a pet I could handle but they seem to prefer the cage at this point lol. Any suggestions are appreciated! :)
 
For taking your rats out of the cage, I used to use a little cardboard box which they'd go into- would that work for you? Also, if you're worried about your rats jumping off your bed I'd rat-proof the room so they could free-roam.
 
Hello!
I’ve had my rats for about a month now. They’re 3 month old females so they’re super energetic which has proven to be a challenge when trying to give them uri medication and clean the cage.

I’ve been trying to get them used to me because I know out of cage time is important for rats. They’ll all take treats from my hand and even crawl up my arm a bit before sprinting back down. I have only been actually bitten once by Scrabble but she hasn’t done that in over 3 weeks, the rest just give small nibbles and mostly sniffs. I’ve been wanting to take them to the *dry* bathtub so they can really start getting used to me but it’s absolutely impossible to even get them out of the cage.

Ive also been wanting to get them onto the bed for some free roaming time but again, it’s very difficult to even get them out of the cage. I’m also terrified of them darting off the bed, my room is pretty big and it is very difficult to catch a rat in (unfortunately I’ve already had to attempt this once when one of the rats ran out of the cage).

Does anyone have tips on what I should do to progress the process? I really wanted to get rats so I could have a pet I could handle but they seem to prefer the cage at this point lol. Any suggestions are appreciated! :)
Medications require a fave treat, something irresistable. I used whipped cream for my Simone when I had to give her Baytril and Doxy. You need to find what they can't resist.

As far as getting out of the cage, you haven't picked them up yet? Scoop them up from underneath?

You must rat proof your room or get a pen that they can be in. They must have free roam time. I recommend on the bed with a blanket covering you and them so they feel safe and will get your scent.

The faster you rat proof or get a pen, the better it'll be so that you can spend time out with them.
 
For taking your rats out of the cage, I used to use a little cardboard box which they'd go into- would that work for you? Also, if you're worried about your rats jumping off your bed I'd rat-proof the room so they could free-roam.
I’ll try that! Thank you :)
 
Medications require a fave treat, something irresistable. I used whipped cream for my Simone when I had to give her Baytril and Doxy. You need to find what they can't resist.

As far as getting out of the cage, you haven't picked them up yet? Scoop them up from underneath?

You must rat proof your room or get a pen that they can be in. They must have free roam time. I recommend on the bed with a blanket covering you and them so they feel safe and will get your scent.

The faster you rat proof or get a pen, the better it'll be so that you can spend time out with them.
Thank you! Thankfully after a few days I figured out that baby food works well for them so they’ve all been taking it. If I try to scoop them up they’ll sprint away from me and be terrified, they won’t hold still for long enough unfortunately. I looked into some playpen options because my room has a lot of wires that I can’t really move (lots of other pets in the room) and too many hard to reach places for me. I found some connectable plastic storage panels that I think will work well, I’m hoping to order those very soon! It should also be big enough for me to sit in the pen with them so they can get used to me.
Thank you!
 
Thank you! Thankfully after a few days I figured out that baby food works well for them so they’ve all been taking it. If I try to scoop them up they’ll sprint away from me and be terrified, they won’t hold still for long enough unfortunately. I looked into some playpen options because my room has a lot of wires that I can’t really move (lots of other pets in the room) and too many hard to reach places for me. I found some connectable plastic storage panels that I think will work well, I’m hoping to order those very soon! It should also be big enough for me to sit in the pen with them so they can get used to me.
Thank you!
That sounds fantastic. Rats, individually have their fave lickable treats. My girls love dairy. They LOVE vanilla yogurt or whipped cream so AB's are super easy to give. I just squirt the AB into the little bit of whipped cream, and stir it, just a little bit of whipped cream, and then they lick it up off their mini dish. Super easy.
 
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