# My new Rat naps on my lap.... is this normal?ch



## Mattsrats (Feb 24, 2014)

I have had rats for almost 20 years but this is the first time I have had males.

When I put my new Himalayan boy on my lap he explores, bruxes, grooms me, takes/eats treats offered, and then curls up and falls asleep. He will snuggle up to my arm or curl up on his own in the open and doze off. I don't think I have ever had a rat this tame before as most of mine took a week min to even take treats from me.

I have only had him for around 7hrs so the sleeping part had worried me like a new parent LMAO!

He IS a bit skittish at times when I pet him, sometimes he squawks at me when I pick him up, and if I hold him wrong he licks my hands in protest....... and now he is pop-corning on my lap WTF lol?

He sure has quite the personality!

I woke him up a bit in this pic when I grabbed my cell but check it out lol:


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## brundlefly (Mar 27, 2014)

One of my new boys did the same thing. It's normal, and it means you got lucky with a very socialized and calm rat


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## Mattsrats (Feb 24, 2014)

He gets little sudden bursts of energy and pop-corns a bit but for the most part he is super calm.

If he is indeed from the breeder whom I know, they hold them from birth practically even helping if a momma rat is having complications.

P.S. I love your Rat names brundlefly!


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

Welcome to the wonderful world of male ratties. =)

Having had both sexes of rats over the years, a well-socialized male rat beats it all.


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## Mattsrats (Feb 24, 2014)

Well thank you cagedbird !

It didn't even take him 2hrs of being at my apt before he dozed off and seeing as my girls NEVER did that, I was worried/freaked out. I was thinking OMG WTF is wrong with him and poked him a couple times. He would look up at me a squint eyed, chatter his teeth a bit, yawn, and pass out again lol.

I never experienced or fully understood what the forum rank "Squishy Lap Rat" meant until now.

Originally I was planning to house 4 of each sex in my DCN in August but now I am leaning more towards 3 girls and 5 boys.

What is the youngest you can safely adopt a rat pup? 5 weeks? I wanna adopt them as early as I can so I can socialize them properly.


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## shelbygrace97 (Oct 2, 2013)

Yesss! Totally normal. Both of my boys do it. Granted they don't do it NEAR as long as I would like. I'd love to read a book or take a little nap with them, but after a few minutes of snuggling they get rather bored and move off to find another warm place to snuggle up.


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## Mattsrats (Feb 24, 2014)

I am lucky then cause my little fella will nap as long as I let him!


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## brundlefly (Mar 27, 2014)

Mattsrats said:


> P.S. I love your Rat names brundlefly!


Thank you!!


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## brundlefly (Mar 27, 2014)

Also yes, I believe 5 weeks is the time to pick up the rats. I got Brisby Anakin and Scabbers at exactly 5 weeks old. Ghost and Indy are younger, estimated 3 or 4 weeks :/ I got those two from a rescue that had an overabundance of rats. I had no clue how young they were until I picked up the 3 boys the next day and saw the difference in ball size... Either way, seeing as I have two sets of different ages, by 5 weeks they are still energetic but calmer than the younger boys.


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## CJMoore (Jul 30, 2013)

I have a new rat that acts like this two. On the first day she was already taking food from me, stepping out of the cage onto my hand, eating in my hands and grooming me. The whole litter was like that. The litter was dumped at an animal shelter but who ever had them held them a lot. She also gets into these spaz modes where she just runs around really fast and even circles around my other rats.


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## portkeytonowhere (Dec 24, 2007)

My 4 week old boy Dobby (didnt realize he was 3 weeks when I got him) he absolutely loves to cuddle with me and he will pass out for naps usually. Its really nice because I can read a book and hes completely calm and I handle him lots so he is used to being handled now. I agree the younger you get them the better it is for them and you can socialize them and hopefully get a squishy lap rat 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## SneakyLord (Mar 22, 2014)

My rats are 3 months and they don't even do that. Wish they did. But can I ask, do you have at least one other rat? You probably know the 2+ rat rule! but just checking.


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## Mattsrats (Feb 24, 2014)

SneakyLord said:


> My rats are 3 months and they don't even do that. Wish they did. But can I ask, do you have at least one other rat? You probably know the 2+ rat rule! but just checking.


I do have more than one, I have 3 boys and 2 girls and soon to be joined by 3 more girls.

I have been a rat owner off and on since 1996.


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## littlefoot (Mar 10, 2014)

Pretty much all my new baby boys are like this. Three of them have no problem flinging themselves at me for attention, literally they jump out of their playpen on to me...for cuddles. I was honestly shocked how quickly they came around and warmed up to me, because they are rescues and were not handled much at all before they came home. They are five to seven weeks old right now, and I've had them since last Tuesday. Your new boy is super cute!


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## ratswithfoxandbear (Feb 12, 2014)

You are making me want to enter this "wonderful world" of male rats. I cannot expand my pack anytime soon... but I am going to remember this for the further-off future. Male ratties sound so sweet!


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