Question about trust training

[Dahlas]

I have two little foster boys who are a bit skittish...they are getting better but still are not like my babies.
They will now take some treats and come to sniff my hand and will let me pick them up but won't come to me and if given a chance will hide from me.......
I put them in with my boys for plays and they are getting along good with them. At first the foster boys where frightened of my boys but they are playing with them now....so my question is...should I put the boys all together in one cage or keep the foster boys in the smaller cage. The bigger cage would make it harder for me to reach in and let then sniff my hands, give them treats, gently stroke them and pick them up briefly and put them back down....which is what I have been doing as much as I can......
I would like them to get friendly with people...they make no attempt to bit or anything like that they are just scared.......
If they where mine to keep I would just put them in the big cage and just let them get to know me gradually but were they are for adoption I wonder if that will happen quicker if they stay in their own smaller cage?
Any suggestion would be appreciated......thanks

 

[SQ]

I would put them in with the other boys if they are going to be with you for awhile. The interaction may help them to feel safer and they will learn to trust from the behavior of your boys.

Are the girls the same?

 

[Dahlas]

Yes the are very scared and skittish.....Trish ( the previous owner) said that they didn't handle them much....they just didn't have time. The little boy I left behind seemed very scared even in his own cage....sitting in the corner and weaving back and forth... :cry:
None of them ran to the cage when Trish approached and she had a hard to catching them to bring out....I actually got the girls out because I hate to see people hand chasing them round and round....How scary that must be.

But I can see a big change in only a few days....they are more curious to come and sniff my hand and they don't squeak when I pick them up....they run a bit bit but I wait till they stop then I move my hand and try to pick them up again...I don't "chase" them around. I wait for them to calm down and then move my hand to pick them up...they are getting better doesn't take very much to pick them up anymore....
In the playpen they will come over and sniff my fingers.... think it helps to see the other rats so friendly......

Girls are going to the shelter as soon as they get everything ready....
Boys might be going to a new home next week....I have someone coming to see them this weekend........
They are first time rat owners but seem very interested and eager....they adopted a puppy from me so I kind of know them......I will do follow up visits, and if it doesn't work out I will bring the babies home....

 

[jorats]

If the boys are going to a new home soon, then I'd suggest not putting them with your boys except for play times. Lots of down the shirt socializing should help get these skittish boys to come around faster.

 

[Dahlas]

That was kinda what I was thinking to....I didn't want them to bond to much with my boys.......
I will put them in my shirt when I get home...they get scared so they poop the stinkiest poop you could ever imagine....but everyday is better...Right now the girls are all playing and two out of three of them will come up and sniff my fingers......
The girls are actually worse then the boys but they are better then they were......I'm sure they will get lots of attention at the shelter.....

 

[jorats]

Ya, that's the only drawback from the down the shirt trick, you have to allow them to use you as a toilet. :lol:

 

[Dahlas]

Not something you want to do before you have to go out :lol:

 

[jorats]

LOL!!

 

[Dahlas]

Yes very funny... :lol: ..Yesterday I had to go to work ,and even though it is at the animal shelter they like you to start of smelling clean, I grabbed the little boys and stuffed them in my neck pouch....they had the biggest stinkiest poop in thereand it was all over me....I washed but I'm sure everyone could smell it all day.
I forgot new rats do that....mine very seldom pop or pee on me. If they do it is a dry raisin or to and a tiny dribble...nothing like the soaking of pee and squished stinky poo I got yesterday.....