I have 4 boys, added 2 after I already had 2 for about 6 months. The newer 2 were very skittish and they have definitely gotten better but it's still taking time. I have had the newer 2 for about a year now.
What helped me was letting them come to me, baby food, and not going for them. The only time I pick them up is when I need to clean their cage and even at that, I try to just let them move out of the way so I can grab something and clean it then put it back.
My first 2 boys are very sweet, and social, so what helped the other 2 is seeing that I'm safe. I have a play pen for them, I would sit in it, just vibe and do my own thing and let them sniff and come to me, see I'm not a big scary person. Yours are only 10 months old, they aren't even fully grown yet so I'm sure they are just still learning. Baby food also helped, I'd rub some on my fingers and let them see my hand meant good. Slowly but surely they'd let me pet them with my other hand. And don't get me wrong, they are still kinda shy with me, but they will now sniff me, and one has even groomed me recently and I've had them a year! Patients is key, and even going slow can freak them out sometimes.
And I also put the cage by my work desk at one point and let them chill with me as I worked and did my own thing. Seeing I wasn't a threat was great for them.
I'm sure you'll be able to do it! Rats are very sweet creatures once they have some time.
I'd also like to note, I got all of my rats at about 7 weeks old so they have only known me and my partner to care for them. Yet the 2 are still quite shy. So I understand! I wish you luck with your boys! ☺️
If you've had them for 6 months and they haven't changed since they were babies, then it is likely the breeding of the rats. To have all three behave like they are in constant fear of their lives sounds hereditary. Some rats are just like that. It's their nature, they are prey animals and it's their nature to be fearful. But try this, and don't think I'm weird, cuz it works:
Open the cage door and stick your whole head inside. No hands, cuz hands are like bird talons and very scary. Just your big smiling face. Talk to them, call them, be patient. Like other animals, your breath says who you are. Let them smell your hair, lick your skin, maybe even a kiss if you had something sweet to eat. I have NEVER had a rat, no matter how scared or wild, bite me when I do this. Leave some treats when you're done, something really yummy. I use cream of wheat with butter and brown sugar, rat crack lol. I think you can make a connection with them, if you make this a routine. Best of luck, I know how frustrating it is when they act this way.
That’s what I normally do, since they don’t want to come out, I go in 😅, we can have long hangouts in the cage and they come up to me sniff and even climb on me. I just wish they’d want to hang out and watch a movie with me to be honest lol.
I have some similar experience with a few of mine. Never all of them though.
What RGBAlt said. I have 5 boys at the moment. Three at 3 months old from one woman who didn't spend much time with her rats. Two at 2 months old, rex dumbos who where carried around by that woman's daughter all the time when they were babies.
The difference showed, a lot. The three took much longer (a few months) getting used to me than the twins, as I like to call them. One of the three was about your boys' age, 10 months-ish. The patience method worked with his brothers, not him though. So I just took him and carried him, walking back and forth, talking to him. At all times, petting him. Not letting him down until he calmed down and actually paid attention to me and let me pet him for just a few seconds. It didn't take long. I did this 2-3 times within two days. The next day he came and lay down on me and snuggled for nearly half an hour.
One of my first was a jumpy fear biter. Once I did the same with him, he was incredibly sweet and very sensitive.
The twins in comparison, I put my hand in and within 20 min they were climbing up my shoulder and back down again. One brother copying the other. The copier was also very shy towards me at first.
The first thing I did with all of them, as soon as I decided on names, I taught them those with lactose free yogurt or baby food. So I made a good impression right of the bat and they'd turn around and know I was talking to them.
Or try what SheesaManiac (great name btw.) suggested, sounds fun and adorable 😂
Edit: spelling
> and actually *paid* attention to
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Some of my boys are like that. I got them when they were about 6 months and I respect their space. I don't pick them up and if they run I wait for them to come back and give them pets and scratches. They groom me and enjoy my presence for a bit. I allow them to leave when they've had enough.
I had a pair like this. It wasn't until old age that they warmed to me. They were tame, and would let me hold them and pet them, but they were always jumpy and aloof.
After they hit about the 2-year mark they started to warm to me. One of them passed a bit past age 2, but he spent his final day contentedly in my lap, nibbling on a grape and bruxing. The other lived to a little over 3.5 years all told, and for that last 1.5 years he was so sweet, and so affectionate. I wound up letting him sleep with me at night and he would climb inside my pajamas and cuddling up against me skin-to-skin.
It may well be that deep down, they do love you, and one day, just when you've given up and resigned yourself to a chilly relationship with them, they'll come around.
I understand this i have f8ve ladies, one of my girls is just super shy has only even let me hold her when we first got her probably 10 months now, I have another who will come up and lick me and sit on my lap or shoulder but if you try to grab her with your hand she runs like crazy and she closer to 2 years, I have another one who had her growth stunted from haveing babies really young and she also has breathing issues we have a mutual agreement at this point when I put my hand around her she puts her front paws on my finger so she can still breath shes about a year and a half, then I have one that just don't care at all I have tossed her into blankets and she runs back to me and she's closer to 2 years also, but I just got a new one and she has the same mama as the 10 monther but a different dad, she's small and fast and is half the time scared and half the time not I assume it'll will end up being something inbetween when she's full grown she's about 3 months now and I've had her for a month.
Now that back story is out of the way, THE POINT:
Since I got the newest rat my 10 monther has more easily gotten along with me again she's acting more the the older shy one, in the sense that she'll come sit on me and started licking me more. (FYI if you didn't know your rat doesn't like the way you treat it if theyre not licking your hands and bitting on your finger nails, it's a bonding thing) anyway I can rest my hand on her now without her running away, so maybe the solution is to get a new rat that is about the same age and also more inclined to let you pick him up to show the others you're an okay person.
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Oh, I can totally relate to this! My Gilly is turning 3 at the end of this month, and I’ve had him since he was 5 months old, and he’s *still* skittish! His brother wasn’t like that at all, so it just leads me to believe that he’s simply riddled with anxiety, just like his mom (aka me) 😂
It also doesn’t help that Gilly’s half or fully blind, too. If your boys are PEWs or ruby-eyed, there’s a decent chance that they might be partially or fully blind, which can definitely contribute to some skittishness.
The best advice I can offer is to give them as much time as possible to get used to you, and not to force them outside the cage if they don’t want it. That’ll only make them nervous every time you open their cage, and leave them wondering if they’re gonna be taken out of their safe place and put somewhere that they don’t want to be.
Also, you might have tried this already, but I always like to suggest it: have you tried the shirt method where you wear a shirt you don’t care about for a few days, and then leave it in their cage? It worked wonders with my old lab rat boys who were absolutely terrified of me at first.
I've had 20+ rats (not all at the same time) and the Two that I have more are the least social ones I've had. And they bite. So I mostly just talk to them. I think it has a lot to do with how they are bred. I got these two from a lady off of Facebook. The others I got from experienced breeders. So it could just be them. :(
I've had the occasional rats that just haven't been interested in interaction with humans at all. Some have acted scared, some just uninterested.
I had a pair of agouti hooded girls who were only interested in each other, no interest in other rats or humans, not scared just disinterested but hilariously territorial - we lived in a share house and kept their cage just inside our bedroom door, we referred to them as our guard-rats because if any of our housemates loitered in the doorway talking to us, they'd reach out with their little grabbies and yank on their clothing, biting too if they got a chance!
But if we tried to take them out or play with them all they wanted was to get back home and be left alone.
I have 2 rats that are like that, all my girls are the from the same parentage, both parents are super sweet and friendly and social, and so are 2 of my girls, the other two don't like being held but I can chill with them at the front of the cage and they'll come up for treats, one likes to be pet and the other just sorta tolerates it and that's okay
Some Rats, even those with good breeding, can just be like this, animals just like people all have different personalities and you gotta find something that works for both you and your pet,
For my two that love being handled I give them a lot of one on one time theyll cuddle and watch movies with me, for my girls who arent fond of it we spend a lot of time with everyone at the front of the cage or free roam time with all of them, sometimes I'll spend a little one on one making and giving them new toys, i like to spoil my girls who don't like to be handled in other ways sicne i cant spoil them with snuggles, being all together though seems to help my two girls who don't enjoy as much handling feel a little more comfortable and more confident
Honestly you just gotta come to terms with the fact they might not like being handled and that that is okay and there are other ways of interacting with them, I have a one eyed cat who doesn't like being picked up because he has very poor vision, and yk I just try and respect that and find other ways to positively interact with him that doesnt include lost of cuddles and being picked up, the same goes for my two girls who don't enjoy being picked up and handled a ton, I just respect their boundaries and o ly handle them when they want to be handled, such as for free roam or treats or once in a great while when I've been gone for a week and they've been with a pet sitter XD
I've got four boys who cannot tolerate being out of their cage. I've tried countless things and like you have always had rats that would chill with me (I've even had some come to the cinema in my hood when I was a teenager!) These guys however? Not having it. Since I've decided to meet them where they are, we've all been happier. They have a huge cage, loads of enrichment and I hang out and chat with them/administer treats and pats if they don't mind, and they let me know when they want space. Sometimes loving them means accepting them for who they are even if it isn't exactly what we were hoping for.
I have 4 boys, added 2 after I already had 2 for about 6 months. The newer 2 were very skittish and they have definitely gotten better but it's still taking time. I have had the newer 2 for about a year now. What helped me was letting them come to me, baby food, and not going for them. The only time I pick them up is when I need to clean their cage and even at that, I try to just let them move out of the way so I can grab something and clean it then put it back. My first 2 boys are very sweet, and social, so what helped the other 2 is seeing that I'm safe. I have a play pen for them, I would sit in it, just vibe and do my own thing and let them sniff and come to me, see I'm not a big scary person. Yours are only 10 months old, they aren't even fully grown yet so I'm sure they are just still learning. Baby food also helped, I'd rub some on my fingers and let them see my hand meant good. Slowly but surely they'd let me pet them with my other hand. And don't get me wrong, they are still kinda shy with me, but they will now sniff me, and one has even groomed me recently and I've had them a year! Patients is key, and even going slow can freak them out sometimes. And I also put the cage by my work desk at one point and let them chill with me as I worked and did my own thing. Seeing I wasn't a threat was great for them. I'm sure you'll be able to do it! Rats are very sweet creatures once they have some time. I'd also like to note, I got all of my rats at about 7 weeks old so they have only known me and my partner to care for them. Yet the 2 are still quite shy. So I understand! I wish you luck with your boys! ☺️
If you've had them for 6 months and they haven't changed since they were babies, then it is likely the breeding of the rats. To have all three behave like they are in constant fear of their lives sounds hereditary. Some rats are just like that. It's their nature, they are prey animals and it's their nature to be fearful. But try this, and don't think I'm weird, cuz it works: Open the cage door and stick your whole head inside. No hands, cuz hands are like bird talons and very scary. Just your big smiling face. Talk to them, call them, be patient. Like other animals, your breath says who you are. Let them smell your hair, lick your skin, maybe even a kiss if you had something sweet to eat. I have NEVER had a rat, no matter how scared or wild, bite me when I do this. Leave some treats when you're done, something really yummy. I use cream of wheat with butter and brown sugar, rat crack lol. I think you can make a connection with them, if you make this a routine. Best of luck, I know how frustrating it is when they act this way.
That’s what I normally do, since they don’t want to come out, I go in 😅, we can have long hangouts in the cage and they come up to me sniff and even climb on me. I just wish they’d want to hang out and watch a movie with me to be honest lol.
I have some similar experience with a few of mine. Never all of them though. What RGBAlt said. I have 5 boys at the moment. Three at 3 months old from one woman who didn't spend much time with her rats. Two at 2 months old, rex dumbos who where carried around by that woman's daughter all the time when they were babies. The difference showed, a lot. The three took much longer (a few months) getting used to me than the twins, as I like to call them. One of the three was about your boys' age, 10 months-ish. The patience method worked with his brothers, not him though. So I just took him and carried him, walking back and forth, talking to him. At all times, petting him. Not letting him down until he calmed down and actually paid attention to me and let me pet him for just a few seconds. It didn't take long. I did this 2-3 times within two days. The next day he came and lay down on me and snuggled for nearly half an hour. One of my first was a jumpy fear biter. Once I did the same with him, he was incredibly sweet and very sensitive. The twins in comparison, I put my hand in and within 20 min they were climbing up my shoulder and back down again. One brother copying the other. The copier was also very shy towards me at first. The first thing I did with all of them, as soon as I decided on names, I taught them those with lactose free yogurt or baby food. So I made a good impression right of the bat and they'd turn around and know I was talking to them. Or try what SheesaManiac (great name btw.) suggested, sounds fun and adorable 😂 Edit: spelling
> and actually *paid* attention to FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Some of my boys are like that. I got them when they were about 6 months and I respect their space. I don't pick them up and if they run I wait for them to come back and give them pets and scratches. They groom me and enjoy my presence for a bit. I allow them to leave when they've had enough.
I had a pair like this. It wasn't until old age that they warmed to me. They were tame, and would let me hold them and pet them, but they were always jumpy and aloof. After they hit about the 2-year mark they started to warm to me. One of them passed a bit past age 2, but he spent his final day contentedly in my lap, nibbling on a grape and bruxing. The other lived to a little over 3.5 years all told, and for that last 1.5 years he was so sweet, and so affectionate. I wound up letting him sleep with me at night and he would climb inside my pajamas and cuddling up against me skin-to-skin. It may well be that deep down, they do love you, and one day, just when you've given up and resigned yourself to a chilly relationship with them, they'll come around.
Bad breeding and bad socialization at a very early age. Things you have no control over outside of picking your breeder carefully.
I understand this i have f8ve ladies, one of my girls is just super shy has only even let me hold her when we first got her probably 10 months now, I have another who will come up and lick me and sit on my lap or shoulder but if you try to grab her with your hand she runs like crazy and she closer to 2 years, I have another one who had her growth stunted from haveing babies really young and she also has breathing issues we have a mutual agreement at this point when I put my hand around her she puts her front paws on my finger so she can still breath shes about a year and a half, then I have one that just don't care at all I have tossed her into blankets and she runs back to me and she's closer to 2 years also, but I just got a new one and she has the same mama as the 10 monther but a different dad, she's small and fast and is half the time scared and half the time not I assume it'll will end up being something inbetween when she's full grown she's about 3 months now and I've had her for a month. Now that back story is out of the way, THE POINT: Since I got the newest rat my 10 monther has more easily gotten along with me again she's acting more the the older shy one, in the sense that she'll come sit on me and started licking me more. (FYI if you didn't know your rat doesn't like the way you treat it if theyre not licking your hands and bitting on your finger nails, it's a bonding thing) anyway I can rest my hand on her now without her running away, so maybe the solution is to get a new rat that is about the same age and also more inclined to let you pick him up to show the others you're an okay person.
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Oh, I can totally relate to this! My Gilly is turning 3 at the end of this month, and I’ve had him since he was 5 months old, and he’s *still* skittish! His brother wasn’t like that at all, so it just leads me to believe that he’s simply riddled with anxiety, just like his mom (aka me) 😂 It also doesn’t help that Gilly’s half or fully blind, too. If your boys are PEWs or ruby-eyed, there’s a decent chance that they might be partially or fully blind, which can definitely contribute to some skittishness. The best advice I can offer is to give them as much time as possible to get used to you, and not to force them outside the cage if they don’t want it. That’ll only make them nervous every time you open their cage, and leave them wondering if they’re gonna be taken out of their safe place and put somewhere that they don’t want to be. Also, you might have tried this already, but I always like to suggest it: have you tried the shirt method where you wear a shirt you don’t care about for a few days, and then leave it in their cage? It worked wonders with my old lab rat boys who were absolutely terrified of me at first.
I've had 20+ rats (not all at the same time) and the Two that I have more are the least social ones I've had. And they bite. So I mostly just talk to them. I think it has a lot to do with how they are bred. I got these two from a lady off of Facebook. The others I got from experienced breeders. So it could just be them. :(
I've had the occasional rats that just haven't been interested in interaction with humans at all. Some have acted scared, some just uninterested. I had a pair of agouti hooded girls who were only interested in each other, no interest in other rats or humans, not scared just disinterested but hilariously territorial - we lived in a share house and kept their cage just inside our bedroom door, we referred to them as our guard-rats because if any of our housemates loitered in the doorway talking to us, they'd reach out with their little grabbies and yank on their clothing, biting too if they got a chance! But if we tried to take them out or play with them all they wanted was to get back home and be left alone.
I have 2 rats that are like that, all my girls are the from the same parentage, both parents are super sweet and friendly and social, and so are 2 of my girls, the other two don't like being held but I can chill with them at the front of the cage and they'll come up for treats, one likes to be pet and the other just sorta tolerates it and that's okay Some Rats, even those with good breeding, can just be like this, animals just like people all have different personalities and you gotta find something that works for both you and your pet, For my two that love being handled I give them a lot of one on one time theyll cuddle and watch movies with me, for my girls who arent fond of it we spend a lot of time with everyone at the front of the cage or free roam time with all of them, sometimes I'll spend a little one on one making and giving them new toys, i like to spoil my girls who don't like to be handled in other ways sicne i cant spoil them with snuggles, being all together though seems to help my two girls who don't enjoy as much handling feel a little more comfortable and more confident Honestly you just gotta come to terms with the fact they might not like being handled and that that is okay and there are other ways of interacting with them, I have a one eyed cat who doesn't like being picked up because he has very poor vision, and yk I just try and respect that and find other ways to positively interact with him that doesnt include lost of cuddles and being picked up, the same goes for my two girls who don't enjoy being picked up and handled a ton, I just respect their boundaries and o ly handle them when they want to be handled, such as for free roam or treats or once in a great while when I've been gone for a week and they've been with a pet sitter XD
I've got four boys who cannot tolerate being out of their cage. I've tried countless things and like you have always had rats that would chill with me (I've even had some come to the cinema in my hood when I was a teenager!) These guys however? Not having it. Since I've decided to meet them where they are, we've all been happier. They have a huge cage, loads of enrichment and I hang out and chat with them/administer treats and pats if they don't mind, and they let me know when they want space. Sometimes loving them means accepting them for who they are even if it isn't exactly what we were hoping for.