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Just an fyi - if he gets into the habit of taking treats through the bars, he will eventually just open his mouth and bite anything and everything that comes through the bars (fingers, curious puppy dog noses...). For socialization purposes, you might try opening the cage door to hand him treats, and maybe taking him out to sit with you and feed him something yummy that he can't run off with, like yogurt or baby cereal. This way he has to stay in your lap or beside you the entire time he's eating, thus getting him much more used to being close to you. You will become his safe place.

Does he have a name yet?
 
temblabamomo said:
Just an fyi - if he gets into the habit of taking treats through the bars, he will eventually just open his mouth and bite anything and everything that comes through the bars (fingers, curious puppy dog noses...). For socialization purposes, you might try opening the cage door to hand him treats, and maybe taking him out to sit with you and feed him something yummy that he can't run off with, like yogurt or baby cereal. This way he has to stay in your lap or beside you the entire time he's eating, thus getting him much more used to being close to you. You will become his safe place.
:yeah:
 
Yeah, I typically hand him treats inside the cage or I take him out, but after he opened his mouth to my finger (my hand was inside the cage - as I said, I sometimes scratch behind his ear when he's snuggled in his little house), I just slipped the treats through the bars that night (since he kept running up to me everytime I got near the cage. It's not something I have been doing to make a habit out of, for the very reason you stated above. I only did it the one time with the dog biscuit AFTER he was already acting differently.

I think he is just feeling better and more comfortable now, and it just took me by surprise! As we speak, he is tickling the back of my neck with his whispers. I am sitting against a chair in the room, and he hopped up onto the chair and was climbing onto my shoulder. Since I have had him, I have taken him out quite often and handled him so that he gets used to it and realizes that hands aren't scary!

Haha, he's carrying a wrapper from a frozen banana I ate earlier, across the room. I don't know where he thinks he's going to stash it... Oh nevermind, he abandoned it. Now he's running back over to the chair. xD

I was just taken by surprise that night since that was the first time he had behaved that way (he was a COMPLETELY different rat, I swear!). Now I see that he is just more comfortable :) All is well. He seems to be more bold now, which is fine by me, since now I don't have to keep encouraging him to come out. He just comes out on his own, and is happy to do so.

As for a name, my fiance has been calling him "Splinter" -.-; in reference to Master Splinter from TMNT... Ever since he decided to name the rat Splinter, he is more interested in him now (he's not a big rodent fan... whereas I've had small rodent pets all my life). I thought maybe Yoshi would be a cute name, but not Yoshi from Super Mario. Then again, when I adopt his companion soon, I could call them Yoshi and Splinter. But still... I don't really like calling him Splinter :( He's too cute to make me think of something painful like splinters!

Seriously, though, I am considering Eli. Thoughts? I think he looks like an Eli. It's the one name I keep going back to.
 
temblabamomo said:
Just an fyi - if he gets into the habit of taking treats through the bars, he will eventually just open his mouth and bite anything and everything that comes through the bars (fingers, curious puppy dog noses...).

I'm going to have to disagree with this. I have been giving my rats any type of food or treat through the bars since they were babies and if I stick my fingers into their cage even after just giving them food they have never bitten me or anything of the like. Instead they give me kisses and attempt to drag me into the cage, lol.
I'm not saying to give treats through the bars, at all, I'm just saying it doesn't result in biting 100% of the time.

And back on topic, I like the name Eli! ^_^ I think it suits him.
 
KTyne said:
temblabamomo said:
And back on topic, I like the name Eli! ^_^ I think it suits him.

I agree! I think it really does suit him well! He looks like an "Eli" xD I just kept going back to the name, so it had to be the one! I have decided that when I find his companion, I will call him Desmond (hopefully he looks like a "Desmond!"). Thus, Eli and Desmond <3 I can't wait to unite him with a new friend.
 
He definitely looks more like an "Eli" than he does a "Splinter"...I love the name Desmond as well...never would have come up with that one, but it's great. Hope you can find a buddy soon.
 
Yeah, I really like the name Desmond, too!

I actually should have a new friend for him, soon. I kind of want to wait until my CN arrives, because I already hate having Eli in this small cage, and I would hate it even more to have TWO rats in a cage this small... :( I don't want to go buy a bigger one because I am already going to be buying the CN when it arrives (it's on back order so now I don't know WHEN it should arrive. I keep pressing the guys at work to see if it is coming in anytime soon).

A woman who visits my work has lots of rats that live in her FN. She said I was welcome to adopt from her for free (only certain ones though, as there are a few that are very special to her that she couldn't bare to part with). She has three sibling PEWs that are about 4 months old, and some younger ones of various colors. She also has one older black and white male. I also found a woman in VA Beach who has a standard Blue that she had rescued (it was purchased by her brother as snake food, but the snake wasn't interested in eating him). The sister, who is apparently a vet tech, took him in as a pet.

I will keep you guys updated as usual!
 
Is it possible that Eli may be a Chocolate Berkshire? His coat seems more dark brown than it does black. He just doesn't look quite black...
 
Dazzle87 said:
Most black rats aren't colored properly because of all the recessives that can dilulte it, he's a black :).

shhh... don't tell a black rat that he is a diluted recessive.... you could mar his little sense of self esteem! :laugh4:
 
The boys are doing great :D I set up a thread on the "Who's Your Rattie?" forum. You can find the link at the bottom of my signature. I've posted a ton of pictures of them from over the last couple of months. I can't remember if I kept and of you up to date on the whole introduction process, but it went incredibly smoothly despite how stressed out I was about the whole ordeal! Talk about one heck of a nerve-wracking experience! I'm so glad it went as well as it did, though.
 
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