Pet Rat questions, please answer!?

Question

I recently bought 2 female pet rats from petco about 3 weeks ago. I'm having some problems getting them to like me. Every time I take them out of the cage they poo excessively all over because they are really scared. I had hoped that by now they would have gotten used to me? If I come near their cage they run and hide usually unless I have cheese or fruit then they will snatch it and hide. If I have them out they are constantly moving trying to get away from me. I have never done anything to hurt them and I have a quiet safe home wiht no other pets, they should have no reason to be scared. I only get the hold them about 30 mins - 1 hour a day so maybe it takes longer? What are some things I can do to teach them to trust and like me?

Also is it healthy for them to get pieces of fruit and veggies or very small ammounts of cheese?

Answer 1

The more you play with them the better it will be. When you first take them out, put them in a plastic tub or something so they can get all the poo out of their system. Maybe they are cuddlers so you could cuddle them in the crook of your arm or they could sit on your shoulder/back of your neck under your hair.

Fruit and veggies are healthiest for them, they also like Cheerios. Just remember never to give them gaseous foods or carbonated drinks; they can't burp.

Answer 2

I just got two male rats recently, you might try this- it worked for me! Every so often throughout the day, just lay your hand in their cage, make sure everthing is quiet, and be prepaired to wait ( I usually did this about 5 minutes at a time). This gets them used to your presence and your smell, eventually they will come out to look your hand over and may start to climb on you. Another note- do they have red eyes? If so, their eyesite is next to nil. This could have a part in them being skittish, but I dougt it's the whole problem. Also- try not to ever pick them up by the tail- it terrifies them!It takes patience and time, but they will probably come around, mine did. As for the fruits and veggies- no citrus if they're males (it causes cancer) Otherwise in small amounts it's fine. Hope this helps, and good luck! Try not to lose patience.

Answer 3

i had 2 female rats as well,they were pretty much tamed by the petsmart staff - they had been handled alot.but - i would put them somewhere where you can lie down with them but them not get away like on the bed,put an old sheet on it for the poo and let them run around you getting your scent and possibly climbing in your shirt or something(mine loved to do that) good treats are boiled beans - mostly just give them a rat food mix because fruit and other foods can give them the poo's. google pet rats and you can find a list of real food treats that are acceptable. they should be handled as much as possible,and made to feel safe - snuggled close to you.they are sweet wonderful intelligent pets,the only downfall is that they need early socialization,and have a short lifespan.also they have a tendency to develop tumors,so watch them carefully for external bulges.also a rat disease like pneumonia called micoplasmosis - they are very sensitive to dust and smells. good luck

Answer 4

If your rats are young, they naturally want to explore and not to be held. It's best to try to hold young rats when they are sleepy. If they are still not being cooperative, then your rats have not been socialized properly by the store. You will have to do this yourself. The best way is by using food (like you been doing) to let them know your a good person to be around with. But instead of solid food, us baby food or yogurt in a spoon. That way the rats wont just grab the food and run like they been doing. Use the spoon as a reward. (The closer the rat gets to you, the more food it gets). It takes patients, but it will eventually work.

Answer 5

I had a rat for almost 3 years its quite natural for your rats to hide when they get food and it is healthy to have pieces of fruit and veggies, cheese you should give them small amounts. Try spending more time with them they should get used to you soon

Answer 6

ok ...first of all think about it it might not be u... at petco or any pet shop there are kids running around taping on the glass...i would be afraid..they don't get over harrasment very wee...chees is not good for them at all..cheerios are great and so are baby food...baby food is a great trick..they love it try putting it on ure hands and put ure hand in the cage and just leave it there...don't grab the rat from its cage..let it come to you..it will take a while... but after words they will relize they have nothing to fear from you

Answer 7

i once had a female rat. she was very social. never ran away to hide.
i think perhaps your rats still need still time to get adjusted to you and the new home.
are you being gentle when you pick them out of the cage?
you could lay a cloth on your lap, when you first hold your rats. it is comfy for them, and it keeps poo off your clothes.

my rat really loved running along my arms, and hiding in the crook of my arm. so you can try holding your rat in our arms.

i never fed my rat manufactured foods. (therefore, i never gave her cheese, or cheerios , etc).
so i never fed her cooked foods.
I fed her natural things from the produce aisle at the super market, like fruits (apples, pears, etc) and veggies (brocolli, carrots).
and i gave her rat pellet food.

Answer 8

try yougurt on your fingers or even a small amount of cream cheese. if you are only spending a short amount of time with them each day it will take longer. when i got my first male he was the same way. i finally got so frustrated that i spent a whole day with him out of the cage and not allowing him to go back other than to eat or drink.

Answer 9

PLain and simple..they are SCARED, no one has probably handled them in their entire short lives other then dumoing them into a shipping container and then dumping them into a tank at petco. Please visit the link i have sent to you. Shaz

Answer 10

They may also poop just because they are out of
the cage and they generally don't like hanging around
their own poop if they can avoid it (most animals avoid
it).

Let the animal poop itself out and THEN pick it up.