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.
hi admin,thanks for all the tips youve given , i am thinking of getting a trio of dumbo rats,and i am getting all the advice and tips i can,and i think you answer most of the questions i had and some i didnt,it will be a few more months till i take the plunge so i will keep on gathering info and when i do take on the responsability i will be well informed thanks to you.
You’re welcome - I only started this website for fun - but it feels good to know other people might find it useful or interesting.
Thanks for your comment,
Julie
I have been given a male rat, Timmy, he is about 11 weeks and very shy he has not been handled I got him as a companion for my other rat, Pooky, who is about the same age and quite tame ive had pooky since he was about 4 weeks old I bought pooky alone as the pet shop owner could not tell me which were bucks and does. Timmy bites not hard but im afraid he wont tame and I want to introduce them, they are in cages side by side Im worried that they will both be hormonal by the time Timmy is tame. Whenever I try to handle Timmy he squash’s himself flat and if I stroke him more than a few times times he tries to bite me. I dont know what to do for the best I dont want them living alone
Hi Lisa,
That’s a tricky situation. I would suggest introducing them first on neutral ground and worry about taming Timmy after - the older they get the harder will be for them to make friends - especially two males. I can’t emphasise enough it MUST be neutral ground - somewhere neither of them normally go - like the bath or a table where you can reach them easily in case of fighting. Wear gloves just in case - the chances are they will get on just fine - but be prepared that it might not work out. You have to do this as often as you can until you’re sure they are getting on, only then can you put them together in a cage that is completely clean (so doesn’t smell of either rat’s territory). Here’s some links on Introduction techniques:
http://www.ratz.co.uk/ratintro.html
http://ratguide.com/care/behavior/introducing_rats.php
http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/information/guides.php?subject=introductions
If they get on fine Pooky might show Timmy he trusts you and that might help. Don’t even try stroking Timmy yet - try offering treats - like yoghurt on a spoon and let him come to you first. I found a table a good place- where the rat can’t go too far from you and let your hand rest near so he can smell you - no sudden movements.He will need a box or somewhere to hide. If you are patient he’ll come round. If you want to pick him up I suggest at first using a pouch or soft hat for him to run into - it’s less threatening than a big human hand! Some rats don’t like being picked up or fussed, but will enjoy sitting on your lap or shoulder and being with you.
I hope some of this is helpful to you and your little ratties…
Julie
Thank you for the great advice, i will try to introduce them and then continue to tame timmy at the moment he wont even take treats from me! and I have had him for nearly 3 weeks i chat to him and put my hand in his cage but i will stop stroking him as he obviously is not liking that. I also show him me holding pooky and he seems interested when I am playing with pooky. When I got Timmy rescue said If things do not work out then I can return him, though I and my children are already attached to the little fellow so really want things to work out.
Another thing to try is to see if he will crawl into something soft like a hat or a blanket which you can lift and put on your lap and keep your hand in it beside him. When he gets less nervous, begin to try stroking him again. Do it in short bursts if he gets too upset. That’s what I used to do when my rescue rats were little (they hadn’t been handled much either). They all came round eventually and would climb on me and let me pick them up - and they were so scared at first I thought they would never be tame!
Keep trying with food - fresh is best - and try different foods - eg scrambled egg is a firm favourite!
Also never chase him to pick him up - let him crawl into a box/bed/hat or something and retrieve him in that. Does that make sense?
Hope it all goes well -best of luck
Julie
Hi again i thought id let u know what happened. Timmy attacked pooky several times so after discussing things with the rescue we decided it was best to return him sadly. We then got a little 12 week old male he and timmy are getting on great after only 3 introductions they snuggled up together and fell asleep ! i couldn’t believe it, so i think they will be moving in together soon im happy and Timmy likes his new little brother. Its so sad this happened. that not handling raties when they are young makes them so fearful.
Oops I ment the new ratty is getting on with pooky.. not timmy sorry! Lisa
It’s a shame about Timmy, but hopefully he’ll find another home soon. It’s better to get a companion for Pooky that he can live happily with, than to have two rats living alone. Glad Pooky and the new boy are getting along fine, I’m sure you’ll have lots of fun watching them play together!