# Socializing a Litter of Babies?



## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

How do you go about socializing a litter of babies? I've 13 and have been free ranging with them and handling them but I can't tell if it is enough. 
At this point, they will crawl all over me hide under me or in my clothes and will eat out of my hand. They don't dtruggle to be picked up though sometimes I have to chase them. None of them really want to be sit and pet except for a few of the lazier ones. 
I can't tell if this is where we are supposed to be and they are just energetic. They are 28 days on Monday. I've been trying to handle them all but many of them look a like and sometimes it gets confusing. 

I want them to be well socialized for going home but I'm not sure what my expectations should be. 

Also, for the babies I'll be keeping, does one need to go through immersion with them?


----------



## TexasRatties (Jun 2, 2013)

It sounds like you are doing a good job to me . Maybe hold each one a few minutes individually.


----------



## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

I've been trying to hold them and flip them and such to make sure they are used to inspections such as a vet would do, but all the silver ones (4 of them) look alike and the black ones (4 of them...) look alike as well. I'll set up the spare cage again so I can handle and separate lol.


----------



## Finnebon (Jul 15, 2013)

For my babies, I've been holding them a lot, leaving my hand in the cage for them to chew/lick/sniff/climb on, giving them treats, holding them still and attacking them with pets, skritches and kisses, baby talking to them and telling them how cute and nice they are, holding them in weird positions (like on their backs) for a few seconds so they're more used to being handled oddly, letting them look at different parts of the house, letting them play in water and try pea fishing, intentionally getting them a bit wet so they're not as scared of water, carrying them around when walking around the house to get a snack or get something from the other room, playing with them by wrestling with them with my hands, and I've also been taking them with me when I visit back home so that's about an hour's car ride twice a week. They've seen and smelled other rats (our boys who are just in a separate cage across the room), rabbits, cats, dogs, different humans..

I'm trying to make sure they're exposed to lots of different everyday type things so that they're not scared by it later on. They seem to be doing well and nothing has really scared them at all except sudden loud noises.

I realize that's just a bit daunting with 13 babies though!! I'm sure they'll be just fine, they already sound like they're really used to people and don't mind climbing around on everything and exploring


----------



## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

I've been vacuuming to get them used to it, but my parakeets do a great job to desensitizing even the most skittish rats to constant loud noises ._.

I hadn't thought of playing with water. I'll have to try that. It's pretty hard to find an activity everyone enjoys with such a vast array of personalities and with so many rats running around. Usually they split into groups, one to snuggle, one to explore, and one to play. The groups are always changing
I can't really handle them much though as they are always wiggling to get somewhere else. I just didn't know if the wiggliness was because they are essentially energized cottonballs or if it meant they weren't accustomed to humans appropriately. They don't show fear of my hand and usually mob it in the cage to nibble and lick and climb on. It's just really hard to pet or scratch them when my finger is as wide as their body :\

I put the babies in with daddy rat after intros went well and everyone seems to love it they snuggled and wrestle with him -- he won't wrestle them, I think he understands that they are too small. They are learning what big rats will and won't tolerate though. They also have met my dogs via stare offs through the wire -- mama communicated pretty well that they were predators and got her babies to hide. It was interesting to watch, but I think taught them not to approach dogs too haphazardly.


----------

