More Baby Rat Pictures
Posted on July 16th, 2008 by admin
Here’s a few more pics of the new little boys. Also a big huddle of the older bucks with Hannah.
As you can see the new ones are black hooded dumbo rats. Dublin has a longer “hood” and a stripe widening at the tail, while Jinx is smaller and has black mottling on his back. Jinx has white on his chin, and two strands of white fur on his head, which distinguishes him from his brother.
Today my lovely rats have been mostly eating bread in Lactol
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hi I have 2 cute rats they have lived for 3 years and are still fit and healthy! I love them and I love your website 2! keep your rats cute 2 and please say hi to your rats for me I’m from nsw
Thanks I will. 3 years and still going strong - that’s good going! I hope my rats do so well. I’m thinking of adding an area where people can post pictures of their own rats, but I don’t know how to do it yet.
hi I’ve just got a baby rat from the pet shop do you have any good suggestions on introducing myself and handling for the first time?
Danni
Hi Danni
It’s so nice to get real comments rather than spam! Here’s my advice: rats are very sociable animals, and really need the company of other rats. The pet shop staff should have sold you a pair of rats, instead of a lone rat. If your baby rat is only 6-8 weeks it might be an idea to buy it a friend, perhaps another sibling? I understand it is an extra cost, and your cage may not be big enough for two rats. Just a thought. A single rat will need lots of extra play time with you and cuddles and will probably bond very well with you anyway.
I’d start getting your rat used to you by putting your hand in his/her cage and letting it sniff you. Try not to overfill the cage with accessories where the rat might try and hide. You want to let him/her know that you are not a threat. Make slow movements with your hands and always let him sniff you first before picking the rat up. To pick your rat out of the cage try to use both hands at first and gently scoop him up. If he/she is very skittish and runs away, try a pouch or woolly hat or something he can run into, so that you can get him out of the cage with minimum stress. Nervous rats don’t like to be chased it terrifies them! NEVER pick him/her up by the tail, always be gentle and firm - see my post in Handling and Taming: “Handling Rats”. You probably knew that any way, it’s common sense.
Over the next few days or weeks, take your rat out of the cage and try to keep him with you (in your top, on your shoulder, lap etc) for at least twenty minutes a day, the more often the better. I kept Dublin and Jinx in a large box next to me, and always kept my hand in the box where they could sniff me and learn to trust my smell, and encouraged them to run up my arms, onto my lap etc. I did not let them run around the room at this stage, so that they wouldn’t run away and hide somewhere. This is very important keep the area your rat is allowed to run about in (at first) quite small, so that he/she maintains contact with you. Good places for this are a table, large box, bed etc. As he/she begins to trust you, you can let her explore a bit further.
Another tip for socialising rats is TREATS, treats and more treats! Scrambled egg is irresistible to rats and they will munch it straight out of your hand in no time! Also sunflower seeds are good, and yoghurt which your can coax the baby to eat off a spoon or your finger even! My six rats have never bitten me while being offered food and they have become much tamer since. Never offer food through the bars of his/her cage.
I hope that helps.
i have two rats and have had the for 3months now wen ever i try to get them out they keep running upder the sofa the keep finding ways to get around me blockades is the any way i can get the tamer they take food frm me bt wenever i me the dart away under the sofa,and the hate being picked up.
Hi Tery
Why not try putting your rats on a bed (with you on it) or a table or kitchen top so that they can’t hide from you. They don’t normally try jumping off. Have a blanket or box they can return to if they feel nervous. Let them sniff your hands and get used to your hands being near to them before picking them up. Some ratties are more shy than others, so try to be patient - they will come around. My older rats prefer to run up on to me rather than me picking them up, but they tolerate it and will keep still for me now, when they were babies they would wriggle and try to run off too. It just takes time, and keep trying - the more contact you have with your rats, the more they will learn to trust you.