alosha
Well-Known Member
I got my rats Diez and Apollo (about 1.5 years old) on July 1, so just 5 days ago. I realize writing this that 5 days isn't a very long time so maybe I'm worrying for nothing but I'm concerned and disappointed so I'd like to post anyway.
They were bred by a breeder (as far as I can tell, a good one that keeps track of their bloodlines and everything) and born on March 18, 2009 and March 20, 2009 (two different litters). Someone adopted them and eventually ended up returning them (along with a third rat who was older and has since died) due to allergies. Apparently they have been living back with the breeder for some time now (I don't know exactly, but probably months, maybe even a year?) and I adopted them from the breeder instead of getting babies because I wanted to get some rats in need, and I thought this would be a bonus that they were older and already socialized.
I left them alone in the cage for the first 3 days, except once per day when I put them in the carrier for 5 minutes while I cleaned the poo out of the cage. They don't like being picked up and seem fairly freaked out about being put in the carrier. Yesterday I put a small dish with tiny banana pieces and a tiny dollop of yogurt inside of the carrier before I put them in there and that distracted them for a few minutes but then they resumed their normal freaked out behavior, crawling/sniffing all over, trying to get out, pooping all over.
1) When my boyfriend came over to meet them, Apollo (the un-neutered one) bit his finger (broken skin but no blood) through the bars. This is kinda his fault because a lot of rats don't like fingers through bars, I figure, so that's not so bad.
2) Apollo also gave me a warning-bite when I tried to pet him with my hand inside the cage after my boyfriend got there and I think this is because he was freaked out by the new person. No broken skin, I think this is also acceptable.
3) Apollo (again) (Diez is more shy and doesn't even come that close usually) bit my lip (drew blood) when I was trying to get him to crawl onto my hands. I had my face leaned in close to the cage to talk to him and he was stretching at me, I thought he was trying to sniff my face, so I let him, but then he grabbed onto my lip and pulled away. It only took a few seconds to realize that I had eaten vanilla icecream about 10 minutes prior and he probably thought my lip was some kind of yogurt drop. My fault again. I should have known better since the previous day he tried to run away with my finger (after I applied my daily vanilla lotion to my face which I've been doing for years... methinks I will have to switch away from that lotion if I want to avoid smelly tasty to rats).
4) Both of them will come up to my hand/the door whenever I open it, but typically back away if I actually try to pet them. Sometimes they will groom my hand, sometimes just ignore it, but if I reach for them they will almost always back away. If I try to pick them up they grab at the bars and hold on for dear life.
5) I tried to have "out time" for the first time yesterday, I wheeled the cage up to the couch and opened the door so they could crawl seamlessly between them. I thought if they could get back to their cage easily they would be less nervous. I also put the carrier on the couch so they would play in it and not be so afraid of it. They spent the whole time sniffing around and I was terrified they were going to leap off of the couch or crawl down the couch or fall or something and escape somewhere in my apartment. In your experience, will they stay on the couch?? They always avoid me and it's hard to wrangle two rats on a big couch by myself when I'm afraid they will wander off. I wore long pants and socks because I was afraid of being bitten. They really wanted to sniff my feet but I was afraid they would bite me so I covered my feet with a towel. At one point Diez got his fingernail caught in the towel and I freed him.
I really just want to cuddle them but I feel frustrated that at such an old age and supposedly being handled by very experienced people they are not better socialized...? Maybe they are just still getting used to things. Sigh.
If I want to put them down my shirt, should I put them both down or one at a time?
:sad3:
They were bred by a breeder (as far as I can tell, a good one that keeps track of their bloodlines and everything) and born on March 18, 2009 and March 20, 2009 (two different litters). Someone adopted them and eventually ended up returning them (along with a third rat who was older and has since died) due to allergies. Apparently they have been living back with the breeder for some time now (I don't know exactly, but probably months, maybe even a year?) and I adopted them from the breeder instead of getting babies because I wanted to get some rats in need, and I thought this would be a bonus that they were older and already socialized.
I left them alone in the cage for the first 3 days, except once per day when I put them in the carrier for 5 minutes while I cleaned the poo out of the cage. They don't like being picked up and seem fairly freaked out about being put in the carrier. Yesterday I put a small dish with tiny banana pieces and a tiny dollop of yogurt inside of the carrier before I put them in there and that distracted them for a few minutes but then they resumed their normal freaked out behavior, crawling/sniffing all over, trying to get out, pooping all over.
1) When my boyfriend came over to meet them, Apollo (the un-neutered one) bit his finger (broken skin but no blood) through the bars. This is kinda his fault because a lot of rats don't like fingers through bars, I figure, so that's not so bad.
2) Apollo also gave me a warning-bite when I tried to pet him with my hand inside the cage after my boyfriend got there and I think this is because he was freaked out by the new person. No broken skin, I think this is also acceptable.
3) Apollo (again) (Diez is more shy and doesn't even come that close usually) bit my lip (drew blood) when I was trying to get him to crawl onto my hands. I had my face leaned in close to the cage to talk to him and he was stretching at me, I thought he was trying to sniff my face, so I let him, but then he grabbed onto my lip and pulled away. It only took a few seconds to realize that I had eaten vanilla icecream about 10 minutes prior and he probably thought my lip was some kind of yogurt drop. My fault again. I should have known better since the previous day he tried to run away with my finger (after I applied my daily vanilla lotion to my face which I've been doing for years... methinks I will have to switch away from that lotion if I want to avoid smelly tasty to rats).
4) Both of them will come up to my hand/the door whenever I open it, but typically back away if I actually try to pet them. Sometimes they will groom my hand, sometimes just ignore it, but if I reach for them they will almost always back away. If I try to pick them up they grab at the bars and hold on for dear life.
5) I tried to have "out time" for the first time yesterday, I wheeled the cage up to the couch and opened the door so they could crawl seamlessly between them. I thought if they could get back to their cage easily they would be less nervous. I also put the carrier on the couch so they would play in it and not be so afraid of it. They spent the whole time sniffing around and I was terrified they were going to leap off of the couch or crawl down the couch or fall or something and escape somewhere in my apartment. In your experience, will they stay on the couch?? They always avoid me and it's hard to wrangle two rats on a big couch by myself when I'm afraid they will wander off. I wore long pants and socks because I was afraid of being bitten. They really wanted to sniff my feet but I was afraid they would bite me so I covered my feet with a towel. At one point Diez got his fingernail caught in the towel and I freed him.
I really just want to cuddle them but I feel frustrated that at such an old age and supposedly being handled by very experienced people they are not better socialized...? Maybe they are just still getting used to things. Sigh.
If I want to put them down my shirt, should I put them both down or one at a time?
:sad3:
eventually you'll be able to do it individually. if you're worried about them trying to escape or getting loose, do it in a room that's rat safe, like a clean bathroom, and just bring something with you to keep you entertained while they're in there.
