# First time rat owner, trust training



## Nickel (Jun 25, 2012)

I adopted my two ratties about two weeks ago and have been working on trust training. I'm hitting kind of a frustrating block with them. At first it was going really well, it didnt take too long to get them willing to come out of the cage and sit with me, take food out of my hands. One of them runs up and down my leg pretty comfortably. The other is a little more timid but she has climbed onto me a couple times and she'll definitely climb over my leg if she wants to get to the other side! They sniff my fingers when I have my hands in the cage and I haven't had a problem with them being hostile... one is a little nippy but I think it's just because she wants treats and after playing with them for a while I'm sure my fingers smell like cheerios.

The problem is, they don't like me touching them at all them at all! They both run away when I try to pick them up and even if I do manage to get them, it's like the end of the world. Even just petting them, they get super skittery and run away, usually I only get to stroke them once or twice before they freak out and run away. I really want to train them to trust me and be affectionate, I haven't gotten either of them on my shoulders yet. What should I do? I hate to corner them and pick them up even though they clearly hate it, but I don't know how else to get them used to it. Even when I do try, I rarely manage to pick them up because they're so quick to scurry away. Should I be more forceful about cornering them and handling them? I don't want to be too scary but I also know they need to be handled. What do you think?


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## Raturday (May 26, 2012)

How are you picking them up? The best way is to use both hands and scoop them up from underneath. They especially don't like it if you pick them up from above with claw like hands - it looks like a predator coming to snatch them. It's not a good idea to corner them to pick them up, though. You should get them used to your hands first, by just placing them in their cage and letting them sniff. Then you can start handing them treats, then place the treat in your hand, and then try putting yogurt on your fingers and let them lick it off. Eventually you can then start picking them up when they don't fear your hands.

Something that has worked for me as far as skittish rats is "forced socialization". Read more about it here: http://www.joinrats.com/PAGES/Force...ion-Page-2/9381658_EiT3V#!i=628105469&k=hioaX


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## Nickel (Jun 25, 2012)

Thanks for the advice  They will take treats from my hands but they like run away right after, so I'll try the yogurt thing next! And I think I was trying to pick them up more like a claw so I'll modify that and hopefully it will make a difference. I've only had them for a couple weeks so I haven't tried forced socialization yet, but maybe in the future if it doesn't start going better. I think I'm going to try sitting with them in the tub. A couple people advised me to sit with them in a plush chair but my girls are skittish little daredevils so I'm afraid they'll jump right off!


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## Nickel (Jun 25, 2012)

I have a question about the forced socialization, though... how do you force them to let you touch them for twenty minutes? I feel like my girls would just spend the whole time trying to squirm away and if I put them on my shoulders or anything like that, they would just jump off!


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## mzunderstood09 (Feb 22, 2012)

I have two new girls myself and an older male who I have had for almost a year. What I have done since they run away even if I am just petting the male is I just open the cage doors ( I have one top and one bottom) and I rest the bottom cage door on my knees (I usually sit in front of the cage to clean or play) and I hold up the top cage door with one hand and hover my chin above it and I just sit really still or play with the male and they can explore me at random and if they feel scared can immediately run back into the cage and not feel like they dont have a safe haven. It has done wonders, they come out more easily I can put my hand in and pet them at will, and they have even recently started to climb on my shoulders and let me walk around the room with them for short bursts of time. Maybe that would help you too.


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## Raturday (May 26, 2012)

Nickel said:


> I have a question about the forced socialization, though... how do you force them to let you touch them for twenty minutes? I feel like my girls would just spend the whole time trying to squirm away and if I put them on my shoulders or anything like that, they would just jump off!


Rats are intelligent and won't jump off if they have nowhere to land safely. I usually stand up and hold them so they can't jump off onto anything. You can try wearing a zipped up jacket so they can have a pocket area to sit in if they're not used to being on shoulders. I try making a shelf with my arms close to my body for them to walk on and then pet them as much as possible.


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## Nickel (Jun 25, 2012)

Thanks for the tips! The girls let me pet them a few times last night after I had them in the bathtub with me so that was improvement, but I'm going to try these tips too! I want to let them on the bed too, hopefully its too high for them to try to jump off!


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## shawnalaufer (Aug 21, 2011)

Here is my method, step by step:
http://ratwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/06/q-trust-training.html


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