Question about my Babies...

[petlover]

I got thinking earlier and wondered what you guys thought about this...
In 4 weeks time i get my new babies... They will be 6 weeks old.
What i was wondering was how would i go about "out" time with them.
Alfie, Oscar & Fidget are let out usually twice in the day for a couple of hours each time.. they roam around the main living area where we are.. Would i be allowed to let the new babies roam freely also.. im worried about what size they would be at that age and if they would be as safe as the others... I am estimating maybe 3-4 weeks on the intro's which adds another month to their age.. i doubt i would be as lucky to have an intro like my other boys.. that was just too easy. :wink:
ive never had baby rats so i can imagine the size they would be.
Help,suggestions would be great...
Also... Although Oscar, Alfie and Fidget get along ok... Oscar is just so so timid... i try to handle him more than the others and he shakes so bad.
The worst part is when hes due to go back in the cage.. he hides and trys to make it difficult for us to get him in.. This causes him more stress.. any suggestions..?

Yvonne & Barry

 

[jorats]

Any chance you can have the cage accessible to them during out time, sometimes rats feel more secure with their cage there.

As for the tiny babies, I wouldn't let them free range, not yet. But lots of putting them down your shirt for extra socializing. I would also not do intros until they are about 2.5 months.

 

[Dahlas]

My babies have a large play pen to play in and the zoom around inside it......they are easy to catch because the come to my hand...but when they are in their zoom zoom mode there is no way I could catch them...they are amazingly fast........so I wouldn't let them free range...it would only take a second for them to disappear.....

As for Oscar maybe you could work on making a little noise when he is in his cage and teach him to associate it with getting a treat....something really tasty saved just for this....do this many times a day.....Just go to the cage...make the noise and hand him a treat...if he won't take it from you just sit it in front of him.....or use a spoon.......then you could teach him to slowly come towards the treat.......then maybe going into a box/basket.......Then when he is free ranging and you make the noise and hold out his box/basket he will think "treat" and go into it...making it easier to pick up and put him back in the cage.......
Eventually you will be able to pick him up and he will be more comfortable with it.

 

[petlover]

The cage is always accessible to the boys.. i put ramps up at the doors when they are out and they often wander in and out of the cage during there play time... i noticed Oscar used to hide behind the cage but he is getting a little more adventurous and wandering slightly away from it so i guess thats progress.
I'm working on the treat method at the moment.. He never used to take food from my hand, he used to just shrink into a corner but hes now coming forward.. i think what is needed here is just patience and more of what im doing. :roll:
As for the babys.. Your absolutely right.. i must of been mad to even consider them roaming free.
I will do what you guys suggested.. handling them often for social time but i will leave it till there around 10 weeks to start intro's.