# I've had enough of Hazel.



## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

So today I had my rats free ranging in my room as usual for a few hours. They usually hide behind my shelves as they have this gap at the bottom at the back. As usual I had to chase Rosie and Hazel around a bit. I got Rosie in and then tried to get Hazel. Well, she was not having any of it. Pressing her body right against the side so I could not get her. I left her for a bit and waited for her to run round and climb into the actual shelves. She went on the bottom one so I got her quickly with one hand knowing she would dart off. She was really tense and about to jump out of my hand so I put my other hand round her to hold her steady and safe as I was putting her back into the cage. She was wriggling really badly just cause she didn't want to go back in and squeaking at me, then started hissing a bit and bit right into my finger; not just a normal bite however.

She bit me below my nailbed on my finger, but with both her upper and lower jaws straight in there, not like frantic nipping. She began to sink her teeth straight into my finger! It felt really painful and tight and I could feel her teeth slowly going deeper into my finger it was ridiculous. I had to practically squeeze her neck so she would let go of me. I dropped her back into the cage and she ran into the savic house and has since stayed in there. What the frick happened?! She's always been a nervy rat since I had her and hates being held, has always been skittish, scared of any noises (and I mean anything) and just generally not very nice with humans because she's always so afraid of absolutely everything. I usually leave her to her own devices because no amount of socialisation has helped her at all. I feel terrible because I sensed that she's never truly liked me and she's Storm's sister so I had them together from a pet shop. I've had them for 5 months now and I thought she'd made massive improvement but obviously not. 

Luckily my girlfriend's two rats are accepted by mine and are like an extended pack so she said she'll be willing to take her on for me. I examined her and I can't feel anything bad and like I said, she's always been ridiculously skittish. Not a very good temperament for a pet rat at all! She doesn't react as badly with my girlfriend it seems but still is nervy as anything. I honestly don't know what to do because she's not a pleasure to have any more and it makes me so sad to feel that way about her... My girlfriend suggested having her in her pack and seeing if her temperament changes in a different pack with a new alpha. I just don't know.


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## Misfitdolly (Feb 16, 2013)

Many years ago I worked in a pet store and occasionally someone with a pet snake would return a rat that had been in the cage with their snake and the snake didn't eat it. Those rats would be so traumatized that they would be very skittish and would frequently try to bite humans. It almost sounds to me like maybe your rat could have been in that situation. In all the years I worked around rats (a couple years in a pet store and a couple for a vet) that has been the only situation in which I have seen rats who are skittish and bite. Did you get her from a breeder or from a pet store? I hope she does better with your girlfriend.


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

She's from a pet store, only her and her sister were left in the tank. I'm guessing there was a reason why they were left til last, or as you said maybe they were both brought back to the store by someone? Cause when I got them they were about 2 and a half months old. I will try her out with my girlfriend and perhaps she will have a permanent home with her.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

Misfitdolly said:


> Many years ago I worked in a pet store and occasionally someone with a pet snake would return a rat that had been in the cage with their snake and the snake didn't eat it. Those rats would be so traumatized that they would be very skittish and would frequently try to bite humans. It almost sounds to me like maybe your rat could have been in that situation. In all the years I worked around rats (a couple years in a pet store and a couple for a vet) that has been the only situation in which I have seen rats who are skittish and bite. Did you get her from a breeder or from a pet store? I hope she does better with your girlfriend.


Rats can be skiddish for many reasons, but my baby boy (who now belongs to my roommate for a variety of reasons) Fred was also purchased as snake food and I got him because, after THREE DAYS of living in the tank with the snake, the snake still didn't eat him. He would squeak and fear poop at any noise, or when shadows passed over his cage. I eventually calmed him down and socialized him by just having him out and with me for 3 + hours a day. At first he was only comfortable hiding behind my hair, which I hated because he pooped and peed the whole time, but he eventually got the the point where he'd climb around on me and would only poop or pee if I made a really quick movement or there was a loud noise near us. With my roommate he seems to have calmed down even more and is an absolute sweetheart. So she might come around with a lot of work and patience, but if you don't have the time/drive to work with her and your girlfriend thinks she might, AND you already know that Hazel will get along with your girlfriend's pack, I think it might be worth a try.


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

Well all of my rats (other than my new young girl Ellie who's not being re-introduced til she's a bit older now) are completely comfortable with my girlfriend's girls. It's like having an extended pack really cause she brings them round a lot. They all respect her alpha Bella who's about a year and a half old, she's the "true" alpha as it were and my alpha Storm is below her. Hazel is always putting her head under Bella and following her so I think Hazel is an omega rat. They're similar sizes but Bella has always stood on top (she's not aggressive at all, in fact she's practically the perfect rat, has cuddles at any time, wags her tail when skritched and will be held and play around. She licks your lips too!). Hazel has always been massively skittish even though I've been socialising her for the past 5 months; it's in her nature and personality it seems but she's very hard work. Storm and Rosie are great and never get like this, and my new one Ellie is even better than them two (she's already having skritches and plays with your hand at 8 weeks). I'm going to let my girlfriend have her for a month or so and if she fits in I'd rather she lived with her pack; I will still see her often when my girlfriend brings her cage/rats to mine. I just wish she'd have changed her behaviour by now but I think it's permanent.

Edit: Also, don't see this as giving up, it's really not. She's just always had a dislike of me and last night was the last straw. I think she just has bad pet store genetics and would probably take at least half a year of constant expert socialisation but I don't have the time with studies and working in the next few months; I know she'll be better with my girlfriend's pack as she has more time for them. She hides at even the slightest noise, like a sheet of paper being crumpled up etc and I don't see why her past experiences would make her so bad; only if she was previously kept and returned to the shop and was badly cared for at first. However her sister Storm has a great temperament and isn't scared of any noises. I think she's just one of those problem rats


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## Muttlycrew (Dec 21, 2012)

I personally don't think one bite is enough to say that she's a horrible rat ... If you're going to own rats, you're going to get bit. It's just a fact of life. Some of them need more work to become accustomed to people and you've got to be willing to put that work in. 
If you're set on giving her up, then that's your decision, I just think it would be worth trying to fix the problem rather instead.
Also know that some rats during "free range" time get very spastic and almost wild like because they're running loose and that could've caused the bite as well. 
Do you have a picture of the bite? 


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

It's not just "one bite" that's lead me to this decision. It's her general temperament overall which is really, really hard work. Honestly she's nothing like the other rats at all; she's ridiculously skittish. It wasn't like a small nip she sunk her teeth in really deep and like I said, I had to basically squeeze her neck so she let go of my finger and all I was doing was picking her up. I'm surprised she hasn't bit before now and I'm pretty sure I've been on the edge of being bitten just from picking her up before. She is never non-skittish and I believe it's in her nature and I am finding it difficult to deal with; I simply don't have the time to give her constant one-on-one rehabilitation for her nerves and behaviour when I've got studying to do. And this is with having my rats out for at least 2+ hours daily. I've had her for 5 months and I thought she was a lot better recently but she's constantly back and forth with her behaviour. I have tried really hard for almost half a year now with her and yet she's hardly changing.

I think it'd be best for the both of us for her to trial with my girlfriend's pack for a couple of months seeing as they're already introduced and non-territorial to one another (she's looked after my rats for me before at her house on their territory and they're fine). I will see her at least once a week this way as well so she's not fully away from my current girls. It's not a permanent decision yet it's just a trial to decide what I really want to do.

Edit: I don't have a picture of the bite as my phone camera is terrible (I've had to have a replacement HTC phone and the camera is bad). My finger hurts when I bend it and stops halfway. It feels like when my girlfriend's rat Milly bit me when I separated her from attacking my new girl Ellie and this was her biting into me crazed as though I was Ellie; as if she was trying to kill her cause she's young. It was a purely aggressive bite from Hazel but hurt much more than when Milly bit me and definitely deeper.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

Whilst I dont think shes by anymeans unfixable as such, I do think that sometimes certain people and/or grouls are not right for each other. I think that given yojr feelings towarss her you are unlikley to be able to move forward with her until you get past that. Its is very hard to react in the right way with a rat you believe hates you, sometimes a break helps.

One thing I woildnt do though is split her from her sister and friend. I would trial all of them with your girlfriends group, at least for a month or so. This means that she doesnt loose her friends and her home all in one go, which is a lot for a nervous rat. Once shes integrated then you coukd potentially seperate off your rats, but I think its important to do whats best for her right now and not you.


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

Isamurat said:


> Whilst I dont think shes by anymeans unfixable as such, I do think that sometimes certain people and/or grouls are not right for each other. I think that given yojr feelings towarss her you are unlikley to be able to move forward with her until you get past that. Its is very hard to react in the right way with a rat you believe hates you, sometimes a break helps.
> 
> One thing I woildnt do though is split her from her sister and friend. I would trial all of them with your girlfriends group, at least for a month or so. This means that she doesnt loose her friends and her home all in one go, which is a lot for a nervous rat. Once shes integrated then you coukd potentially seperate off your rats, but I think its important to do whats best for her right now and not you.


It's a really horrible thing for me to be wanting to separate her but really she would see her pack a fair amount. My girlfriend is around mine at least 4/7 days a week and she's basically integrated into her pack; they've all stayed together before and they sleep next to each other etc. Like I said it's just a temporary measure right now, so if she's with the other pack as regularly as mine she will adjust I'm sure. They don't fight at all. It's incredibly hard trying to keep a rat as a pet that's just so difficult to change to be comfortable. I will give it a go with my girlfriend's pack for a bit as they are really comfortable together. When I gave my rats to my girlfriend to look after for a week, they came back and Hazel was so much more relaxed than at my place. It can get pretty noisy here at times and it puts her on edge; I'm certain she'd have a more comfortable life with my girlfriend and her rats. I shall see.


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## Hephaestion (Jan 27, 2013)

I totally understand your frustration. However, I also think that when it comes to people and pets, sometimes a compromise is required.

Personalities can clash, frustrations rise and then the inevitable disillusionment follows. But, that doesn't have to be the end. Let's assume that Hazel will always be a skittish girl who seems not to be your biggest fan and may never like skritches and cuddles. Is there a way that you can accommodate her needs in your mischief? If transport to and from the free range area is an issue, you could train her to use a 'transport box'. Simply associate the box with nice things, allow her to explore it in the cage, use it to bring her to and from her free range area. After introducing the box as a safe place, you will eventually just have to offer the box to move her around. As a skittish rat, she may just take to it and you can avoid the hassle and trauma (for both of you) of having to always pick her up.


Free range can also be confined for a while. Possibly just you, hazel and the transport box in a bathroom or some other small space. Giving a skittish rat free access to many hiding places is a disaster waiting to happen (I have had to move book shelfs so many times now in order to scoop up skittish girls). The persistent one-on-one may not have her adoring you but at least associates you with safety and a means of getting to and from fun and interesting adventures. 


I get that you are peed off, but do you really want to give her away? I am not suggesting that this is your style but too often people get pets to satisfy their own needs and desires. When the pet is not what they thought they signed up for, they abandon it, neglect it, ignore it or just dump it. Having animals is a life-sharing experiment of sorts. Yes, hazel sometimes has to buck up and accept that there are things she can and cannot do. But likewise, you perhaps have to respect that their are things she is just not ready for yet. One step forward and three steps back is sometimes the only way.


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## Jenzie (Dec 26, 2012)

I'm not really understanding why people are acting like you're just giving Hazel away... You said you'd see how she does with your girlfriend and her mischief, who you say Hazel is already comfortable with. Since you're giving her to your girlfriend and not some stranger I'd assume you'd still see Hazel pretty often. Sometimes, for some reason, animals just do better with certain people than others. I say you might as well try letting your girlfriend take care of Hazel, the change could be good for both of you. Good luck!


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

I think people are taking the defensive option because they just see it as me "giving up and giving a rat away" as though she's interchangeable. Not at all. I see my girlfriend regularly the majority of the time and she always brings her rats along (we're not like some teenage couple I'm 21). It's not like I'm giving her up for adoption it's like I said; I don't have the time to fully train her to be completely calm and my girlfriend isn't in work at the moment so she always has lots of time for the rats. I think Hazel would be in a better situation with her for a while (as a test) to see if helps to adjust her behaviour. I noticed a difference in her behaviour when she was away for literally just a week; she was much calmer, didn't tense up when I picked her up etc. Believe me this is the last thing I want to do and I'm not even considering giving her up for adoption to some stranger... I hate when people abandon animals, they deserve as good a life as any other creature on this planet. I just think from what I've seen personally with her behaviour she'd be better off spending the majority of the time there and still being round mine when my girlfriend visits.

Edit: Also the complete extended pack of 5 rats have already established their places in dominance. Hazel is forever putting her head under Bella and following her everywhere when she's here, they're completely comfortable. As I said I will see her at least ONCE a week and if her behaviour is better my girlfriend isn't going to mind me having her back. Don't think of it as me ditching her on somebody else cause it isn't; in fact my girlfriend offered to look after her I didn't ask. I just think she's in a better position to help to change her temperament than I am right now. I do have the time to look after all my rats appropriately but not the hours I need of intense socialisation and trust training to change her round. It's like you can see the fear in her eyes and I feel terrible for her being so nervous.


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## Jenzie (Dec 26, 2012)

For sure, and if it doesn't work out at all Hazel can come back with you anyway, no harm done. Not like she's gone for good with some stranger. I'd say go for it, hope it all works out!


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

That's the plan yeah. It's the best solution I can think of right now!


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## Jokerfest (Sep 25, 2012)

I can understand why you're tired of her. My boy Romeo actually does the same thing everytime he's out I have to literally chase him for 30 mins to get him and put him back in. He's bit me like your Hazel has twice, all the way to the bone, and I gushed blood everywhere.
He was recently neutered but I'm not sure that'll fix his issues with being put up.
But I'm used to being bitten I've had all kinds of rodents since I was a small child and I've had many aggressive hamsters, gerbils, and guniea pigs from abusive situations who bit me often.
So a bite doesn't really hurt me as much as it would someone who isn't used to it.
Not everyone can deal with something they love and took in out of the goodness of their heart attacking them for something like picking them up.

I think you're being very rational about the situation and that you made the right decision.
Much better for you to give her to someone who can handle her and that she will likely listen to instead of driving yourself crazy with her.
Some people will likely disagree but I don't think a person should keep a animal if it's causing them stress and discomfort. Not only for the persons sake but the animal can feel the persons stress and it makes them even more stressed.
I applaud you for caring enough about her to give her to your girlfriend instead of dumping or killing her like a lot of people do everyday with less than perfect animals.


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

I'm glad you understand my reasons for doing this Jokerfest. I think it's easy for people to judge when they haven't been through the situation themselves; people just saying "You need to work harder." isn't helpful. I'm well aware of the effort required and I have tried the best I can for the near part of half a year. My girlfriend is having her from me tomorrow afternoon and we're going to give it a go with her living with her for a while.


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## XoMONSTERoX (Oct 24, 2012)

I think that its a good decision and I can see you care a lot about her. To me it definitely seems you are putting her best interests first not your own. And its not just getting rid of a problem. I see it like a vacation with extended family. Lol. I wish you and her the best and hope it all works out for you all.  your lucky to have someone so close who has an extended part of your mischief to be able to do this for her.


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## cervine (Oct 14, 2012)

I think you're doing the right thing too. Unfortunately as mentioned before, certain people and certain animals sometimes just aren't a good fit. I adopted my first pair of rats from a local rescue, after hours and hours of research and hundreds of dollars spent on the best cage, the best food, etc. I was told that they had never shown any aggression, just a bit skittish. However, as soon as I brought them home (not only was one suffering from pnuemonia when he was adopted out to me, but that's another story.), one of them became extremely aggressive. In 4 weeks, he had bitten me even though my hand was outside of the cage, my boyfriend, my roommate, and the vet who was trying to examine him. These weren't nips either-- each one made an impressive gash. I worked hours each day trying to get him used to me and coaxing him out of the cage, taking baby steps and careful not to push him too far. Keep in mind that these were my first rats, my first pets after moving out, too. Unfortunately the rescue agency and I agreed it was in everyone's interest that I bring them back because he was so agressive that I could not get him out of the cage to clean it, which for an already very sick rat is obviously not a good thing.

I hope everything works out for you and Hazel. I don't think you are abandoning her at all, like I said, sometimes despite our best efforts, things don't quite work out.


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## RomyRose (Dec 1, 2012)

I think seeing how she goes with your girlfriend is a great idea. I bought a girl rat from a pet store and she was not hand reared and was so skittish. After 7 months of handling her one on one she is less scared but still hesitant. She has never bitten me however.

Do whatever you feel is right  you will know what is good for her and you.

Hope your finger is okay!


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## iHayleyNorris (Jul 28, 2012)

I recently had to re-home one of my babies because he was the alpha in a big cage of 4 and he would beat up on one of my little hairless boys. Not aggressively, but during dominance wrestles, he would forget that the other guy was hairless and would bite or claw hard enough to draw a little blood. My hairless baby was always covered in scabs; it was so sad. 
So, I took the alpha rat, Algernon, to my friend who I had gotten him from when he was a baby. My friend's female had had a litter and I had gotten both Remmy and Algernon from her at the same time. My friend has 4 older boys around 2 years old, and Algernon really wasn't sure what to make of them. He is big for his age, but he is still only 6 months old. But anyway, my friend's mischief accepted Algernon and now he is definitely a beta rat. Lol. He has taken on the more submissive role very easily and my friend's much bigger boys keep him in line. He actually seems much happier now than he did as alpha; almost like it was a stressful job for him. Lol. He snuggles and grooms with all my friend's boys and they're a really cute group. 

So, maybe give it a try with re-homing your rattie and see how it works out. Maybe your rat will even be happier without the stress? 


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

Thanks for the support guys, at first I felt like I was being made out to be some kind of rat abandoner haha. My girlfriend is coming round tomorrow evening and she's going to bring her two rats and cage, so when she goes at night she'll take Hazel with her for a week. If it goes well we'll try another week, probably up to a month to see if it all goes well with her in the new pack. I'll keep you updated!


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## Muttlycrew (Dec 21, 2012)

I don't think you're a rat abandoner really. What I stated was simply my opinion/ what I would do in that situation. That being said, I've worked on "hard case" dogs for the animal shelter where I live and have always taken a fancy in rehabiliting/retraining animals.. This includes rats. I saw in one comment you said people haven't been in your situation. I absolutely do not know if this was pointed toward me or toward the general audience, but I have been in that situation with rats many times. (Just clearing it up in case you did mean me, lol!) I respect each an every person's opinions and ways of doing things and won't judge you at all for whatever you choose to do. I simply hope the best for you and Hazel.
This comment is simply to make sure there are no hard feelings, haha. 
Best of luck with your decisions! 


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

Haha it wasn't directed at any particular in general, it was just to clear up my feelings on the situation. I know it's easy for people to completely side with the animal with animal abuse and the like being such a horrible thing. You've got a lot of experience dealing with this kind of thing so it's possible for you to know how to handle with this situation in comparison to me, owning my first set of rats. I've found the best option I could find for the time being and that's one in which Hazel will get more hours to spend with a human (who she actually is calmer with) and living in an "open cage room" (the rat cage door is mostly always open at my girlfriend's). In this case it means she should become calmer in an environment better suited to her needs with being so nervous. I wasn't insinuating that anyone was being directly aggressive or anything; by no means! Just that a few people made me feel as if I wasn't treating her right or doing what was best for her. Knowing how she behaves with me personally and how my other rats are so relaxed with me allows me to make the best judgement of the situation and to see her actual behaviour in reality, but I wanted a public opinion on the matter that's all. Thanks for the advice Muttlycrew, also the rat in your picture looks proper nice haha!


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

Just thought I'd post an update on this thread. Hazel is currently at my girlfriend's and she is acting like a completely different rat apparently; not scared of noises, being held and actually having cuddle time. I'm really happy for her and I think she may have found herself a new home! Also, here is a picture of the bite I took after it happened. It's still not fully healed yet!


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## Muttlycrew (Dec 21, 2012)

Bites take a while to hear. Glad that one wasn't really severe though. My last problem rat made my friend get stitches! 

It's good to hear that she is doing well. Do you ever get pics of her? Also, do you ever plan on putting her back in with her friend?
Another question, does that mean your one rat is all alone? 

I hope it only gets better. 


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

I know haha I got bitten by my girlfriend's rat separating a fight a couple weeks before this, and those only just healed. Hazel is with 2 rats named Bella and Milly, Bella whom is the main alpha of all the rats because they're like an extended family. I'll be seeing her this weekend I believe so she can play with her now ex-cagemates Storm and Rosie. At the moment I have three rats, and my third is a young girl called Ellie who's only around 9 weeks old and is not being accepted by Storm and Rosie. There's a thread about my introductions just below this one haha!


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

Posting an update: Hazel is settling in with Bella and Milly and is still acting like a completely different rat. Apparently she's loving the constant free roaming and loves running around the place at my girlfriend's. Likelihood is she'll be permanently rehomed with her now! I've also noticed that since Hazel isn't with my rats there are few dominance struggles between my 2 girls and Rosie is acting less nervy now she's sharing only Storm's confident behaviour.


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## Jenzie (Dec 26, 2012)

That's great! Sounds like that's definitely the best solution for you and your rats then.


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## ratchet (Sep 27, 2012)

Hephaestion.. I was about to type a lengthy reply when I saw yours -- and I have to say, I couldn't have worded it better myself! 

To the OP, definitely agree with Hephaestion - sometimes a compromise is needed! I have a rescue PEW myself who is not a cuddler or skritch lover.. It is often hard enough to encourage her to leave her cage -- however, I've learned that what I expect out of her isn't fair -- and in return, on rare occasions she will look to me for pets or scratches on her head. I've learned to enjoy her company and I've also learned that her way of being happy/comfortable is NOT my ideal pet - but nothing will change that and in the end I am happy with the progress she has allowed me to make thus far.


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

I don't see why you've found the need to comment on this as it's now a resolved issue and both Hazel and myself are in better situations now? Not meaning to sound rude. I did try for the better part of half a year to help her and socialise but it just wasn't working - it also wasn't fair confining her to a smaller area to roam when the other rats could run around. You'd have to see how skittish she is before assessing her behaviour and ways to work with her. She's the kind of rat who will jump back at any kind of sound, even just patting on the bed or something changing volume on television. Just the other day she was on my bed with my girlfriend and we went to put her back into her cage, and she arched her back and made a noise which was signalling an imminent bite, so she had to let her go. If both myself and the rat are in better situations now for the both of us I don't see how people can look at me so critically still, when the proof is right there... I don't have great experience changing nervy temperaments and this was the best solution, it wasn't a hand me over. I don't see animals in that way.


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## ratchet (Sep 27, 2012)

ratclaws said:


> I don't see why you've found the need to comment on this as it's now a resolved issue and both Hazel and myself are in better situations now? Not meaning to sound rude. I did try for the better part of half a year to help her and socialise but it just wasn't working - it also wasn't fair confining her to a smaller area to roam when the other rats could run around. You'd have to see how skittish she is before assessing her behaviour and ways to work with her. She's the kind of rat who will jump back at any kind of sound, even just patting on the bed or something changing volume on television. Just the other day she was on my bed with my girlfriend and we went to put her back into her cage, and she arched her back and made a noise which was signalling an imminent bite, so she had to let her go. If both myself and the rat are in better situations now for the both of us I don't see how people can look at me so critically still, when the proof is right there... I don't have great experience changing nervy temperaments and this was the best solution, it wasn't a hand me over. I don't see animals in that way.


My apologies, I view this forum on my phone without the APP and didn't see this thread had a second (or third) page. Last post my phone registered was Hephaestion's!


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

Ahhhh okay then, it's okay haha. I'll request a lock for this anyway


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## trematode (Sep 8, 2012)

I was just browsing the thread. I am happy Hazel is adjusting well to her new home. It can be really hard to admit that you feel like you cannot take care of a rat like that now and I think you made the responsible choice of seeing how she acts with your girlfriend's rat. I do have a random question: you mention that you and your GF's rats live in separate homes but interact with each other. Are rats typically good on situations like that? The reason why I am asking is because I am friend's with the woman who gave me my rats. She has a sister and the mother of my two girls. My girls were the last to leave at 3 months of age. If I took my girls over to her place for a visit, do you think it would be a good idea? Or is it more complex than that?


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

Thanks! Well the thing about my rats and my girlfriend's is that they were introduced to them when both groups were just about under a year old. To be honest if it weren't for her alpha Bella being so accepting and nice it probably wouldn't have worked well; she's the main alpha rat and they all know they're under her. She doesn't act aggressively with them at all, she only jumps at them when they pester her too much and keep chasing her constantly but then she just flips them over and doesn't act harmfully. If they're introduced well however they will remember each other when they come visit and should get along fine. We were lucky they just gelled together.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

The issue in this thread has been resolved and the thread will be closed as per the request of the original poster to avoid bumping and causing unnecessary confusion.

Thank you and feel free to PM me with any concerns!


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