Imagine you are at home, sitting in front of the TV, thinking about your own business. Suddenly, the roof of your house is uprooted and you see Godzilla coming trying to grab you. He takes you in his huge hands and holds you in front of his face. He starts making strange noises, but you have no idea what they mean or what he wants from you. It looks weird, it smells weird, it makes weird noises and it's gigantic! You are so scared that you do it on yourself!
Scary, right? This is most likely how a pet rat feels. You know you won't hurt him, but he doesn't know it. So you have to prove it to him with your actions. This article will tell you how to turn a frisky rat into a loving pet.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Method 1: Well Socialized Rats
Step 1. If you are lucky enough to find a good breeder, you will have rats that are used to being touched by humans from birth
(You can also find rats used to being handled in animal shelters, because they have been abandoned.) Bonding with these rats is easy and can happen as early as the first couple of days. They should accept food straight from your hand from day one and it should be easy to pick them up (although you have to keep in mind that very young rats and females usually tend to wriggle even if they have been socialized). If your rat is not well socialized, read the next sections first, then come back to this when the time comes.
Step 2. Give the rats a good treat every time you go to their cage to see them
Cereals are a suitable food for this purpose. In any case, never feed rats through the cage bars, as doing so will encourage them to bite. Open the door of the cage, give them time to understand that you are there and make sure they are aware of your presence, so as not to scare them; shake the container of food you will give them, so that they associate this noise with receiving a good morsel; then give him the food. By doing so, they will learn to await your arrival, because it will mean eating something good! Name each rat by name when you feed them so they will learn their own name (so call rats by name whenever you can). Go on like this for a week. If a rat bites you, make one or more squeaks. Try to make a sound similar to that of an annoyed rat. Don't scream: that would transform communication between rats into human-who-traumatizing-a-scared-rat. You don't have to really scare the rat by screaming, just let it know that it needs to be careful. Rats don't want to hurt their human friend - they want to learn and will learn to pay attention.
Step 3. Now start getting the rats to come to the cage door for the treat
This will teach them to come to the counter when you want to see them, so you don't have to chase them in the cage. Shake the food container to encourage them to come up to the door. If they don't come close, hold a piece of cereal in front of their nose and try to lure them to the food counter.
Step 4. Play and bond with the rats
When the rats come to the door, pick up one or more and take them to a rat-proof play area where they can run, walk around and explore new things.
- How to build a safe play area for your pet rats.
- To teach the rats to come to you and let themselves be picked up and taken to the play area, do this. Shake the container of food, which they should associate with getting a good morsel, and, when they come to you, lift them, then give them the treat while holding them. Then put them back down immediately. Do this two or three times while I'm out of the cage. Then, the last time you take them and give them the treat, put them back in the cage. If you put them in the cage on the first call, they would quickly learn that coming for the prize means going back to the cage and they would stop coming. By doing this at random times, many times during the time they are playing outside the cage, the rats will not be able to predict when they will be returned to the cage. And if you don't pick up the rat before you give it the treat, it'll flee with the food in no time before you grab it.
- If you want, instead of shaking the food container as a signal, you can call the rat by name and say "come" or "come here" as a signal to bring it closer. Choose the method you prefer and apply it constantly.
Method 2 of 4: Method 2: Semi-Socialized Rats
Step 1. Semi-socialized rats have been touched by humans a few times in their lifetime, but they are very lively and suspicious of humans
You can still touch them and learn to hold them, but they are more scared and it will take you longer to bond with them. Many rats found in pet stores fall into this category.
Step 2. Teach the rat to take food from your hand
Usually a semi-socialized rat does not take the morsel directly from the hand, so you will have to teach him how to do it.
- Choose a flavorful food, such as grains, and put some in the cage for several days so the rats get used to it. If it's been a couple of days and the rats haven't eaten your chosen food, try another type of dried cereal until you find something they like.
- When they start eating that food promptly, stop putting it in the cage and start offering it to them only from your hand. Never feed rats through the cage bars as this will encourage them to bite. From now on they can only get the prize if they take it from your hand. (Make sure you keep using the food they like.) They should learn to take food from the hand and this is a big step in the socialization process.
Step 3. Follow the steps outlined above for well socialized rats, but when play time comes, spend time with the rats to force them to stay close to you
A semi-socialized rat will need time to bond with humans. The more time you spend with him, the faster this will happen. You can use a chair to keep the rat close to you.
- Put an old blanket or cloth on the chair so it doesn't get dirty if the rat goes to the toilet. It is possible that the rat will learn to restrain itself when it is out of the cage with you and stop going to the toilet if you take it to the cage for a grooming break from time to time.
- Take the rats out of the cage and sit with them in the chair. At first the rats will walk in the chair to explore it and are likely to go on like this for several days. (Don't worry about them jumping off the chair. Until you show them how to get off or how to climb into the chair off the floor, they shouldn't be able to.)
- Show the rats that they can take refuge under your shirt. They will feel safer there. Rats feel more comfortable in dark places. (To prevent them from scratching you, put on two T-shirts and place the rat under the first one so that your skin is protected. If you don't want them to fit in your clothes, put on a blanket and let them take refuge under it.)
- The close proximity, exposure to your scent, and having to be on top of you will greatly help the rat stop being afraid of you. It is possible that when you take the rat out of the cage, it will slip directly under your shirt and fall asleep. After some time, you can start touching the rat more by placing a hand under your shirt and stroking it.
- The sofa can also be used, but it doesn't provide the same close physical proximity as the chair. The important thing is that you choose a small space to share with the rat, so that he has no choice but to interact with you. If you don't have any other suitable spaces, you can sit in the bathtub with the rats. Spread a blanket under you and maybe one over it, or just let the rats slip under your shirt. It won't be the most comfortable place, but it will force the rats to be near you, which is necessary for them to overcome their fear of you.
Method 3 of 4: Method 3: Unsocialized Rats
Step 1. Unsocialized rats are completely terrified of humans and are usually very difficult to catch or touch them
They may make screams of fear if you try to touch them. These rats are not suitable for those who have no experience with these animals and require a great deal of patience and experience to be able to be socialized. Rats used as food for other animals are often not socialized, like some rats from pet stores.
Step 2. Give the rats a food they are crazy about and teach them to take it from your hand, as described above for semi-socialized rats
Here are some thoughts on unsocialized rats:
- If you have been trying for a long time and the rat still does not take food from your hand, you can try to delay one of its usual meals and wait until it is hungry. you have to feed the rat). Do not leave the rat without food for too long: it could be extremely stressful. The rats may also get nervous, which would defeat your efforts to encourage them to trust you. (You should NEVER, absolutely, use this system with puppies or very young dogs, as they are still too fragile.) In this way, it is possible for rats to accept food from your hand.
- Also, frequently bring your empty hand closer to let them sniff it, so they don't assume you have food every time you put your hand in the cage. Otherwise they may start biting your hand thinking it's food.
- Hopefully, rats may learn to take food from your hand, and when that happens, enjoy this important moment, because it's a huge step in the socialization process. Approach the cage often and give them a treat or two each time; talking softly to let them know you're getting closer is a good idea.
Step 3. Start having them come to the cage door to get the treat
Again, this may take some time. Only feed them if they come to you. Do not give him prizes in any other case. Use a signal, such as "come" or shake the food container, so they will learn to come when you call them. Say the rat's name when you give it the prize so they will learn to recognize it.
Step 4. Lure them out of the cage
Unsocialized rats must learn that the world outside the cage is not the dangerous and scary place they think it is.
- When the rats start making their way to the prize window right away, turn this food into mush. Use the milk cap or other container and fill it with delicious crushed food. They must go crazy for this food, as well as for prizes. First give it to him when they are in the cage, then start making them come to the door to get it. Mash food forces rats to sit next to your hand to eat, because they can't grab it and run and hide.
- Rat-proof the place you have chosen to be with the animal, a safe place where you can start teaching it to get out of the cage. The bathroom is fine because it is small and enclosed, so if the rat gets scared it cannot run elsewhere, get hurt or get lost. Bring the rat cage (or put them in a travel cage) in this place for at least half an hour or an hour a day, or more. Nothing is more useful than spending a lot of time with them.
- Spread an old blanket or two on the floor. A blanket is a great tool in the socialization process. Rats feel more reassured and confident when they are hidden. He'll love being able to get under the blanket when they start exploring the room. They will also have more desire to climb up on you, hidden under the blanket, so lay it on your lap and lap to encourage them to explore you.
- Take the rats in a cage (or travel cage) to the bathroom and close the door. Try to have only one night lamp that lights up the room. Rats feel more comfortable in the dark. By placing them in a small, quiet, dimly lit room with you and staying quiet and avoiding annoying them, you show them that you are not a threat and that being with you can be a positive experience. Your aim is for the rats to get out of the cage and explore the room and maybe you too, but at least at the beginning let it all run at their own pace. Let them feel they are in complete control of the situation. Don't force them out of the cage. The following steps can occur in a single day or instead take many months. Be patient. Move to the next step only when the rats are ready.
- Place the rat cage on one side of the room, open the door and put some treats on the floor of the cage, making sure the rats see you doing it. Then go sit on the opposite side of the room. You've moved them to a new place, so for the first few days they might be too scared to eat the treats. Give it time.
- After the rats have eaten the food with you in the room, repeat the procedure, but this time sit halfway between the cage and the other side of the room.
- After the rats have eaten their food with you in this position, repeat the procedure but this time sit next to the cage.
- After the rats have confidently eaten their food with you sitting next to the cage, open the door, put your hand in the cage and offer them treats from your hand. If you can, try to feed them right out of the cage. Hopefully, they will now have gotten used to the new room.
- Once the rats steal the treats from your hand and eat them, replace the treats with crushed food, to force them to stay close to the hand and take the food from there.
- When rats do it quietly, make sure they have to get to the door to eat.
- When they do, have them take a few steps out of the cage to eat.
- Continuing in this way, move the food further and further away from the cage, until you can sit on the opposite side of the room from the cage and the rats come out and come to you to eat.
- If at any time a rat decides to go out and explore the room, let it do so freely. Don't move and don't try to stop him. Sit quietly with food in hand and let it explore. If he comes to you and takes food, let him. If it climbs on you, let it go and don't move. Your goal is to make him understand that you are in no way a threat.
- Let the rats return to the cage whenever they want. Remember this is a safe area for them. Your goal is for them to feel safe and have the situation under control. It is possible that they become brave enough to come and explore you simply to understand who you are. Don't interfere, even if they climb all over you. Stand still and let them get used to your scent.
- Also remember to visit the rats when they are caged during the day. Talk to him, open the door and put your hand in the cage to let him smell it, perhaps giving him a quick pat on the head. They need to spend as much time with you as possible. Make sure they are aware of your presence before touching them. Now only give rats treats when you are in the room where you tame them.
Step 5. Once the rats have achieved a certain degree of confidence in you (they are lively and freely explore you and want to eat while being held), you will need to start interacting with them
- Start with a few quick strokes, then take them briefly and put them down. Finally, you can pick them up and cuddle them.
- At first, the rat will probably not like being picked up or stroked. This is normal, because he is not used to it. You will have to force him a little, in short and frequent intervals of time, to show him that it is a safe and very beautiful experience. Give it a treat every time you pick it up or stroke it, as a reward.
- If your rats don't let themselves be picked up, you'll need to seize the moment and put them on the spot. However, do it in the quietest and most gentle way possible. Being picked up doesn't have to be a scary experience. Again, once you've got them, give them a good tidbit and put them back down.
- Start forcing the rats a little to put up with being picked up and cuddled a little longer and at longer intervals of time as time passes. They won't like it, but you have to do it, so they get used to it. Some resistance is predictable and okay, but if the rat gets terrified and squeaks loudly, it goes back to the previous steps of less interaction.
Method 4 of 4: Method 4: Forced Socialization
Step 1. The above methods force rats to stay close to you, in the hope that they will come to feel safe and curious
Another method is to force the rat to stand on you until it is no longer afraid. You can do this in addition to or instead of the method described above.
Step 2. Arrange the rat cage so that it is easy for you to catch the animals
They still need to have a den of some kind to sleep in, but you need to make sure there is no area in the cage where you can't get them. The rat must understand that no matter what it is doing: it cannot get away from you.
Step 3. When the cage is ready, choose a specific time of day and take the rat out
The best time is in the middle of the day, when you are most tired. Take it out and hold it for about 20 minutes. Check the time: it is important that you keep it at least 20 minutes. You don't have to squeeze it, but don't let it get away. You can let it walk on your hands and even climb onto your shoulders. The only rule is that the rat has to stand on you, in contact, and you have to touch and handle it for 20 minutes. It can fit on your shoulder, on your lap, under your shirt, as long as it stays on you. At first it will probably squeak and wriggle trying to escape. Don't let it go. If you are concerned about it biting you, wear gloves.
Step 4. Do this for 20 minutes every day for a couple of weeks
In theory, he shouldn't be afraid of you for any longer than this and, feeling dominated, but without getting hurt, he should come to accept you.
Advice
- Rats sense your mood. Try to be cheerful, positive, and calm when interacting with them and talk to them in a low, cheerful tone.
- In general, all rats are afraid of sudden movements. The more calm and quiet you stay when you are with them, the more they will trust.
- If a rat squeaks loudly when you try to catch it, let it go and give it some time to recover. Never force a screaming rat. A little loud squeak is sometimes okay.
- The more time you spend with rats each day, the faster and more deeply they will bond with you.
- Never punish a rat or any pet. Punishment only teaches that you are unpredictable.
- If a rat wags its tail, don't touch it - it will bite you. It is a sign of great stress or aggression.
- Females and cubs wriggle more when you try to catch them, especially in the beginning. The little ones are full of energy and love to play and run; they often don't want to sit still to be touched and pampered. Females behave like puppies for most of their lives. Males, on the other hand, tend to mellow and calm down as they grow up and learn to appreciate cuddling. (These are the most common cases, but the reverse can also happen.)
- Petting is okay and you should try to give it often, even if the pet is not interested. Most males as they grow up learn to appreciate cuddling if it is caressed constantly and even some females will begin to like it.
- Each rat you try to bond with will be different. The time it takes each rat to trust you will vary greatly depending on the subject.
- It can be difficult, but try never to put the animal down if it struggles to escape. If you do, you teach him that to wriggle out is right, because it allows him to go free. Instead, try to wait until the rat calms down for even a moment, then put it down. Timing is crucial. You have to put it down as soon as it calms down. Over time, as you become more attached to the rat, you may want to require it to stay calm for an increasingly longer period of time before putting it down.
- Rats living in sufficiently large cages are less likely to become territorial and aggressive with other rats and with people.
- Two or more rats will bond with you faster than a single rat. Rats feel braver if there are a lot of them, and an unsocialized rat can learn a lot by seeing socialized rats interacting with you.
- On the first day, always leave the newly arrived rat alone so that it gets used to its new home.
- Keep the cage in a medium-frequented area of the house, away from noisy appliances but where it can often see people.
- Be patient. You need to give the rats time to trust you. Before you start thinking about how to train it, you need to have an idea of how dangerous it can be.
- Short meetings are better than long meetings. A rat that you touch briefly 10 times a day will tame faster than one that is taken out of the cage and kept out for an hour once a day.
- Some dominant specimens will never want to be touched, but will gladly go out and play if you put them in a safe play area.
- Males who can smell females (even if they live in separate cages) can become hyperactive and very aggressive, fight each other and bite.
Warnings
- Keep all other animals away from the rat during the taming process, as this may make it more frightening.
- Don't touch rats with dirty hands - they can taste salty, delicious to more sociable rats, and if they're used to eating from your hand, they may mistakenly mistake your salty fingers for food!
- Before you get close to a rat you have to be absolutely certain that he is completely healthy; in particular, wild rats can transmit many diseases. A visit to the vet is not very expensive and can save you a trip to the hospital.
- Use low-fat, low-calorie treats such as grains or puffed rice to prevent rats from becoming obese.
- These tips probably won't work with wild rats. These should never be taken as pets, as they were not bred for temperament. Hybrid puppies raised in captivity are also likely to bite hard.
- Some rats bite your hand even if you have gloves on. Rubber gloves are tempting even for sociable rats, who easily bite through them. Some rats also bite a bandaged or bandaged finger, but never the bare hand.
