Im new and need help.

[Clairebee1]

2 days ago i got 2 little kittens and i moved my 2 rattie boys into our bedroom away from them and from i moved the rattie boys into our bedroom this is when all this happened.
So i go up to let them out they wont come out they run back in scratch at me to let the go they wont come over to me won't eat.
So i left them for a few hrs then i moved them back to where they normally sit and kept the kittens away from them they have been hiding in the corner for 2 days now they eat and drink but won't come near me they are really fearful of coming out even though they have stayed in the hall from i got them they still wont come out they shake panic and run straight to their cage i have NOT let the kittens near them its as if they know the kittens are there.
Please someone give me some advice im crying my eyes out siting beside the cage every few hrs i should be enjoying the kittens but im not im kind of regret it because i feel ive let my rat boys down.

Some please help me.

 

[Cityratt]

Maybe they're a little shaken and disoriented from the move in cage location - they dont realize that you've moved them to a safer spot. to them its a completely different scary world.

one of the more ratty savvy people may have something better to add - but i would just let them chill and have some time to adjust to their new surroundings?

 

[jorats]

Some rats really can't take change... you just have to give them more time to adjust to the changes. Put them where you want them to live full time. Start by going to them often, with treats like banana or peas, open the door and touch them several times a day, this should make them feel secure again. Rats can be so silly sometimes.
BTW, Welcome!

 

[sarunia]

Ohhh... it'll be alright just as long as their eating and drinking something! When I changed apartments, my ratties flipped their sh*t, they were completely disoriented, and little Sashka even showed signs of stress until, well, yesterday! Generally, I've found that it's taken my babies about a week or two or three to get really oriented and comfortable in a new places, crazy things! :mouse1np1: I also made sure to spend time with them, talk to them (ahem, despite the rumors of my insanity :nod: ) and just let them know that their locale may have changed, but their mama did not!!
Maybe you could try to give them a special treat (mine LOVE cereal, especially special k), that generally gets my boys moving!
Good luck and :welcome4:

 

[LA]

They also probably smell the new kittens and that makes them nervous as well. I know when Ruby and Hazel were young they didn't like change. Ruby used to get ticked off when we changed things. She's mellowed about it now. I have found rats like people like things a certain way. :wink2:

 

[Dahlas]

They probably just need some time...put them where they are going to live full time like Jo said....Give treats, talk softly and they will come around. They will get used to the different smells and realize nothing will happen to them. Good luck with your new kittens.......
Oh maybe take a cloth and rub it on the kittens and put in the cage.....lay some extra special treats on it and maybe the rats will realize that smell is not so bad.....

 

[Clairebee1]

Thanks guys
Youve made me feel very welcomed.

Well they rats have had change before because we moved house and they never acted like this they loved exploring the new house
So i 100% think its because of the kittens smell.
They are moving about a bit more but we have put them where they have been from we moved here.

Still dont want to come out though.
Will the non exercise not effect them mentally ? im just scared incase they get bored and depressed.

 

[mamarat]

Just give them time and lots of loving, keep the door opened and maybe have treats for them to smell outside the cage. (do you have a closed in area where they free range?). I usually put strawberry yogurt outside but close enough to the cage that they get a whiff of it. Pretty soon they're out tasting the yummies.

 

[Fidget]

Aw, that's awfully upsetting isn't it when your babies are afraid and won't come to you for comfort. I'm sorry you're having this upset.
Everyone's given you good advice. Ratties can be so upset by change.. But they also do adjust very well when they find they are safe. I like Dahlas's idea:

.........put them where they are going to live full time like Jo said....Oh maybe take a cloth and rub it on the kittens and put in the cage.....lay some extra special treats on it and maybe the rats will realize that smell is not so bad.....

Having the scary thing in their safe space and finding it's no threat might help them get comfy with it.

 

[Godmother]

It might be close to impossible to desensitize them to the smell of a predator, so the cloth in the cage might not work. But if the smell is in the distance they should gradually feel safe again. You might need to wash your hands and put on a different top after you've been cuddling the kittens.

I once bought a cat gym on Ebay. I put it up and the rats were terrified. It obviously still smelled like its previous owner. I had to remove it from the play area, wipe it thoroughly, and store it on the back porch for a long time.

 

[Dahlas]

It might not work...like Godmother said...It will depend on your rats.........some are probably more sensitive then others but I have found with given time and to being able to examine it at their own pace they usually will come around. My rats, and three came here older, don't seem to mind the cats or the many different dogs in the house...They except that they won't hurt them and just forget about them...... I give them cat toys to play with and cat posts that the cats have used and will use again...I rotate the cat toys back and forth between the rats and cats...no one seems to mind each others scents.....

 

[Fidget]

I'd sure give it a try! A nice soft piece of fabric would be an attractive cozy thing and they'd be able to figure out real fast that there's no predator that comes with it and the smell is no threat in itself.