Rat blocks me from petting him

[Ruthie_is_Rattified]

I can't pet his head! Everytime I try, he blocks me with his face & it makes me nervous. I've isolated him & brother to a smaller cage so we could practice petting but he does it habitually!

 

[maddiescoobs]

Try not going over his head go under and don't pet around his rump as this could be percieved as dominant behavior to him. if he is nervous around you maybe hold off on trying to pet him and work on him just taking treats from your hands and just place your hand in his cage and allow him to approach you and explore you without making any sudden moves towards him. Also some rats are also just not that into petting! Out of my gang of three two love pets and my one doesn't he likes to play and explore more and is great in his own way . How old are your boys? rats also tend to be more skittish when they are young.

 

[SQ]

Respect his wishes …. if he does not want you to pet his head, do not do it

Please put him and his brother back …. there is absolutely no reason to practice petting or to isolate them
Rats are unique individuals with their own ideas, needs, and feelings

As mentioned above, do not put your hand over him and do not pet his lower back
Try working on your relationship with the two boys …... please see joinrats.com for ideas on socialization
It is ok if they never want to be petted, it is their choice

 

[Renee]

Never isolate your rats from each other, it will cause unnecessary stress. I would put them all back together and start by just talking to your rat when you give him treats to get him comfortable with your presence.

 

[lilspaz68]

How old is your rat, how long have you had him? As mentioned by others he may not want you to touch his head right now. Try a gentle scratch on the back of his neck/shoulder blades. It's a place a rat cannot reach on his own and is often itchy. Most rats love it. If he flinches or pulls away just respect his worries and stop until he's calmer then try again. It's all about watching his body language.

 

[jorats]

I also highly recommend never separating your rats. Rats learn from each other and if they see their buddies having a good time, they will come around too. But I also recommend respecting his wishes, find his happy spots and stick to that.

 

[Ruthie_is_Rattified]

They were never separated from each other. I said i isolated them to a smaller cage....and that was just work on being petted. They are back in a big cage.

Respect his wishes …. if he does not want you to pet his head, do not do it

Please put him and his brother back …. there is absolutely no reason to practice petting or to isolate them
Rats are unique individuals with their own ideas, needs, and feelings

As mentioned above, do not put your hand over him and do not pet his lower back
Try working on your relationship with the two boys …... please see joinrats.com for ideas on socialization
It is ok if they never want to be petted, it is their choice

 

[Ruthie_is_Rattified]

How old is your rat, how long have you had him? As mentioned by others he may not want you to touch his head right now. Try a gentle scratch on the back of his neck/shoulder blades. It's a place a rat cannot reach on his own and is often itchy. Most rats love it. If he flinches or pulls away just respect his worries and stop until he's calmer then try again. It's all about watching his body language.

THANK YOU for all this good advice. I am fine with not petting him at all. I just felt like it was a requirement because i always see pics of people & their rats having such a close relationship