I have a female rat called Maggie i got her on 25th April 2005 when she was 6 weeks old. Since then i have never been able to tame her as soon as i pick her up she jumps out of my hand. She lets me pick her up and put her into a smaller tank while i clean her out . I would love to be able to take her out of he cage and hold her. I have lots of patience so if anyone has got any usefull tips on how to tame her i would be very grateful.
Taming A Rat
- Thread starter Lil
- Start date
RandomWiktor
Rabid Betta Activist
Hi Lil =)
When working with rodents, the first thing you have to remember is that grabbing is not the way to go, because for them, it is eerily reminiscent of having an eagle, snake, or fox grab them. Being picked up and held is an aquired taste for most rodents; it requires very slow, patient steps, but the ends result is def. worth it!
I would suggest putting some serious one on one time into the rat, not in the form of holding, but in the form of stroking, hand-feeding, and simply letting the animal become aquainted with your hands. Hands are a scary thing for most animals; until they know that hands are positive things, they tend to think of them as just another dangerous thing coming to get them.
Once your animal is more comfortable with your hands, practice gently scooping the rat into your hands, and holding her just an inch or two over the bottom of the cage. She will be able to leave at any time, and that is the point; she needs to learn hands are not about control and confinment, but rather someplace she can choose to come at her own free will. As she gradually spends more and more time on your hands, try lifting her out of the aquarium and holding her. Praise her gently and calmly with stroking and a soft voice, and give her treats so she associates handling with positive things. If she gets uncomfortable and wants to run away, put her back so she isn't being held against her will, something that can be very scary for rodents as it sparks up instincts of being attacked by predators.
Over time, she should start warming up to the idea of being held. It will take a good deal of time and patience, but will leave you with a friendly companion. Good luck!
When working with rodents, the first thing you have to remember is that grabbing is not the way to go, because for them, it is eerily reminiscent of having an eagle, snake, or fox grab them. Being picked up and held is an aquired taste for most rodents; it requires very slow, patient steps, but the ends result is def. worth it!
I would suggest putting some serious one on one time into the rat, not in the form of holding, but in the form of stroking, hand-feeding, and simply letting the animal become aquainted with your hands. Hands are a scary thing for most animals; until they know that hands are positive things, they tend to think of them as just another dangerous thing coming to get them.
Once your animal is more comfortable with your hands, practice gently scooping the rat into your hands, and holding her just an inch or two over the bottom of the cage. She will be able to leave at any time, and that is the point; she needs to learn hands are not about control and confinment, but rather someplace she can choose to come at her own free will. As she gradually spends more and more time on your hands, try lifting her out of the aquarium and holding her. Praise her gently and calmly with stroking and a soft voice, and give her treats so she associates handling with positive things. If she gets uncomfortable and wants to run away, put her back so she isn't being held against her will, something that can be very scary for rodents as it sparks up instincts of being attacked by predators.
Over time, she should start warming up to the idea of being held. It will take a good deal of time and patience, but will leave you with a friendly companion. Good luck!
kimbowee
Fish Crazy
Female rats are also more of the explorer than males. They aren't as cuddly and are more interested in seeing what they can get into. 
You may also want to try just letting her come to explore you and your hands. Lie on the bed and let her crawl on you while leaving your hands open for her to explore. Make sure they don't smell like food also or she may try to nibble. You can also try sitting on the couch and letting her crawl on your lap and shoulders while you gently pet her. Since rats do not have very good eyesight try not to sneek up on her from behind. When lifting her from her cage place your hand in front of her before you lift her. As RW said, when grabbing them from above or behind they think its a predator attacking them, and are more than likely going to try to escape.
Just remember, rats are very social animals. They require at least a couple of hours a day of playtime and socialization. Best of luck!
You may also want to try just letting her come to explore you and your hands. Lie on the bed and let her crawl on you while leaving your hands open for her to explore. Make sure they don't smell like food also or she may try to nibble. You can also try sitting on the couch and letting her crawl on your lap and shoulders while you gently pet her. Since rats do not have very good eyesight try not to sneek up on her from behind. When lifting her from her cage place your hand in front of her before you lift her. As RW said, when grabbing them from above or behind they think its a predator attacking them, and are more than likely going to try to escape.
Just remember, rats are very social animals. They require at least a couple of hours a day of playtime and socialization. Best of luck!
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