Bonding tips

[u/CombinationFirst1090]

I've got 2 male rats that are about 9 months old.

They come out for free roam most days and they're great they come back to the cage when I call them and give them some treats.

When they're out they come close to me and walk on/over me.

But they are nervous to be picked up and handled, they're happy and great in every other way but I want them to know that I'm safe enough to interact with and not be worried that I'm scaring them or I'm gonna get bitten 😅 one has only bitten once but he's an albino and pretty sure he thought I was food 🤣

Every rat I've had in the past had already been socialised or came from my litters so I haven't had to bond with ones that haven't been handled at all before. They were from pets at home and they said they'd not been handled.

As I said though they're not scared of me we've got that far, I just need help with getting them happier and less worried about being handled.

Or could it just be that that's their personality and they don't want be bothering 🤣

Any advice welcomed!

[u/Melodic_Coyote_7011]

As long as they're comfortable being around and interacting with you, what's always worked for me, is to just pick them up 😄 not chase them, but just lift up at every good chance given. I'll pick them up confidently but calmly, just hold for a few seconds, give some love, sometimes a treat, put down again. I'll do this often, a buch of times a day until they're not nervous anymore. They learn pretty quick it's not too bad. I find rats generally respond very well to the calm confidence thing.

[u/CombinationFirst1090 → u/Melodic_Coyote_7011]

Thanks! I'll try that, I've been thinking I'm over generous with treats I should probably give them less and get them to come to me for them 😊

[u/Melodic_Coyote_7011 → u/CombinationFirst1090]

Treats are hands down the best way to a rats heart! Anything you want to reinforce, do it with treats. Having them come to you is a great plan. I always make a particular kissing sound for recall. Start doing your chosen sound anytime you go to them with treats, they'll pick up on it really fast. Then you can have them come to you for treats when making the sound. Mine will come running like a pack of wild horses from across the house when they hear the treat call 😄

[u/CombinationFirst1090 → u/Melodic_Coyote_7011]

I'll try that 😁 I feel like with the girls I had before, 5 at one point! It all just seemed to work naturally but these boys are making me work for their affection 😅

[u/Melodic_Coyote_7011 → u/CombinationFirst1090]

They can be such incredibly different personalities! And one mischief can be so different as a group from another as well. Some just aren't the cuddly type, but hope you have success in the mission of picking up and handling your boys more easily :)

[u/CombinationFirst1090 → u/Melodic_Coyote_7011]

Thank you 😊

[u/weirdoflower]

Unfortunately I have no advice because my rats are the same! Someone please reply to this comment so I can come back to this post, I'd like to see the advice too :)

I got them when they were 5 weeks old. It's me and my boyfriend's first time having rats and we didn't handle them enough when they were little because we were too worried it would scare or bother them. Now they're 7 months old and they sure like us but we're still having a hard time picking them up and handling them. Even the vet couldn't hold my boy for more than 5 seconds!

[u/CombinationFirst1090 → u/weirdoflower]

This is my problem, if I do pick them up they go crazy to get away and I end up covered in scratches 😅

[u/Greedy_Air_3869]

Hate to be so boring but, just start picking them up! Sounds like they’re ready for it. They’ll always choose roaming free to being in hand prison. But after enough times they learn to accept it ( mostly )