# Free range time.



## AdequateRat (Mar 12, 2015)

Currently, I'm sitting in my bathroom with 8 rats who are only slightly curious. They tend to stick near me and wander off from time to time only briefly..

Does anyone else experience needy rats?









This is what I'm looking at... all my rats are on me or hiding behind me.

I threw treats on the floor to entice them to be more adventurous, but that only works briefly. 

My big boys have been in my bathroom many times, but they've always been codependent. Have I been coddling my rat children?!


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## Cj001 (Apr 20, 2015)

Are they fearful or do they just seem to prefer to be near you? I think it's sweet they all love you so much  If they're scared maybe try setting the bathroom up with fun familiar things (and treats) to find and explore before you bring them in.


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## AdequateRat (Mar 12, 2015)

Cj001 said:


> Are they fearful or do they just seem to prefer to be near you? I think it's sweet they all love you so much  If they're scared maybe try setting the bathroom up with fun familiar things (and treats) to find and explore before you bring them in.



Haha. :3 Thanks for the reply.

I have 8 ratties, the 4 big boys are not fearful.. You should've seen Bear and Gandalf.. They were just sitting on my shoulder for the most part.
I think their behaviour improved. After a little while... when I kept throwing cheerios down they would go get them.. But they would come back and eat them behind me.

I guess I just have needy rats. 

I don't like to put anything in there because my guys are so lazy.. If I put a box in, they'd just chill in there and waste free range time.

I like to keep them out in the open, with no hidey places because they would honestly just be fat and lazy the entire time.

I guess maybe I've turned them into lazier rat-beings (They're my gaming bros, they'll sit with me on my recliner whilst I PC game. hahaha)


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

LOL, we keep girl rats, as soon as they hit the floor their feet engage and they are off exploring... When they get tired, they find some dark place drag together some stuff, build a nest and snuggle in for a nap so they can extend free range time when they wake up later...

If you ask our rats, they will gladly tell you that their cage is boring and I'm boring and life is all about skulking around in the dark after everyone has gone to sleep. And if that get's boring, at around 5:00 AM Max would slip under my covers by my feet while Amelia would climb onto my face and start prying my mouth open. In certain ways those of you with lazy boy rats have it easy at least you know where your rats are most of the time.


I once thought I had a girl rat that would sleep next to me... I'd take Fuzzy Rat along when I'd take a nap and she would snuggle up next to me and when I woke up she was right there... Then one evening something woke me up unexpectedly and I hear rat feet scurrying across the kitchen, then there was a tug on the blanket that draped to the floor and the pounding of little rat hooves across my king size bed, then swoosh something furry ran up along my side under my blanket and as I opened my eyes a tiny black head appeared right in front of my eyes from under my blanket. She shut her eyes and lay there motionless, head on my pillow and body under the covers, like she had been there all along... When she realized my eyes were open and I was awake, she even yawned and stretched. Yes, I know I should have know better than to think a girl rat wouldn't take advantage of an opportunity to explore, or ever underestimate just how sneaky she was.

Girls can be such a handful, sometimes I envy how easy you guys with lazy boys have it.


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## Marie5656 (Jun 1, 2014)

When I have my girls out they usually run around, but they both find their way back to my lap at some point during their play time. Some days more often than others. I think it depends on their moods.


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## AdequateRat (Mar 12, 2015)

Rat Daddy said:


> Girls can be such a handful, sometimes I envy how easy you guys with lazy boys have it.



Hahaha, I love your stories. x) 

It's funny how boys are. They are SO needy. They stay close to me at all times, they're too freaked out to go off too far.

Example: I got a harness today and decided to take Neil outside this morning!... He stayed put under the lawn chair and went I went toward him, he ran up instantly my leg and tried to get into my shirt. 

I love males and even though I've never had a female rat, I'm going to be biased and say I prefer them because they match my lazy personality. 
They will sit with me all night on my recliner whilst I watch Netflix and prowl the Interweb. 

It just bugs me that they are SUPER lazy and when I want them to go adventure, they're clingy.

GO BE INDEPENDENT!


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## Rhonwen (Dec 29, 2014)

My Alfie is pretty timid... It's a battle to pull him out of his cage, and the entire time he's out, he's trying to get back to his cage. If I take him into the bathroom, he picks a spot (sometimes on me, sometimes on the floor) and hunkers down to wait me out. I think that's in large part due to the ceiling fan - it comes on automatically with the light, and it's loud. Houdini wants to explore some, and then cuddle, and Blue is usually alll over the place. Including up my pant leg.


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## AdequateRat (Mar 12, 2015)

Rhonwen said:


> My Alfie is pretty timid... It's a battle to pull him out of his cage, and the entire time he's out, he's trying to get back to his cage. If I take him into the bathroom, he picks a spot (sometimes on me, sometimes on the floor) and hunkers down to wait me out. I think that's in large part due to the ceiling fan - it comes on automatically with the light, and it's loud. Houdini wants to explore some, and then cuddle, and Blue is usually alll over the place. Including up my pant leg.



I find it super weird. My guys love going behind the toilet so I try to block it off... They'll stay there for hours.
When I block it off, they'll be crawling all over me in the bathroom.

The only time they're super outgoing is when I let them free range on my dresser because it's right next to their cage OR when I have the play pen set up in my bedroom. They'll try to escape and crawl around in my bedroom. It's probably because they feel the safest.

When I brought the makeshift play pen out onto my deck they just stayed inside their box and chilled. (Probably because they heard so many birds.)

However, Gandalf and Neil LOVE to sit on my lap, wrapped in a blanket outside.

I guess I need to admit that I've coddled them.

Hashtag NOREGRETS. xP


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## Rhonwen (Dec 29, 2014)

YES!!! What is it about the space behind the toilet that is so dang attractive - other than the fact that it doesn't get cleaned as well as the front?


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## Tedology (Mar 3, 2015)

I long for the day when my boys are lazy. Right now they scamper and scurry and while they like being on/near me, I'm more a play structure than anything!


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## AdequateRat (Mar 12, 2015)

Rhonwen said:


> YES!!! What is it about the space behind the toilet that is so dang attractive - other than the fact that it doesn't get cleaned as well as the front?


RIGHT? It must be a conspiracy! It's sooo irritating getting the rat poops from behind the bowl. lol


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## AdequateRat (Mar 12, 2015)

Tedology said:


> I long for the day when my boys are lazy. Right now they scamper and scurry and while they like being on/near me, I'm more a play structure than anything!


My favourite part of the day, is when I come home after a long day of work...
I set them on my recliner and sit down with them. I'll have 8 rats, crawling over me.. Licking/grooming/bruxing.

Winston (Got him on Friday! He's so tiny.) Has already started licking my lips.. It's sooo cute.


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## AdequateRat (Mar 12, 2015)

Cj001 said:


> Are they fearful or do they just seem to prefer to be near you? I think it's sweet they all love you so much  If they're scared maybe try setting the bathroom up with fun familiar things (and treats) to find and explore before you bring them in.


My guys are anything but scared. (Maybe the littler ones because it was only their second time going in.)

But my big boys, they've been in there dozens of times. 
It's hilarious, I'll run across the bathroom floor... and they will allow follow me like ducklings. I can do this all day and they will follow.


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## Tao.and.Laughter (Jan 24, 2015)

Lol! My boys only get lazy after about an hour of playtime. Then they find a spot to curl up in for a quick nap before they're back to their hijinks


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## Tiny_Tails (Apr 29, 2015)

I have four girls who love the living room and will hardly come in and check on me when they are out and about. In the bathroom is a whole different story, and because of that, I like to go there to get some close time. I'll take a little pillow, some rat toys (tunnel, ball with treats, etc), and my phone into the bathroom and just lay right down on the bathmat and prop my head up. I used to bring a blanket to cover my feet with, but I found they would never leave from under the blanket. Anyway, I lay there, they'll play around by running over me, down my legs, into my hair, then finally be off to groom themselves in the corner and poo behind the toilet. Sometimes I take them in for shower time. They don't like the shower, but they'll come lick some fresh water from under the curtain every now and again or pop their head around to say hi, then run off to play. I think yours just love you lots!!


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## AdequateRat (Mar 12, 2015)

I think maybe when my mischief reduces over time, my next batch of ratties may possibly be female.. But I feel like I would be so annoyed by them. Haha.
I love my manly rat pack. I'm surrounded by cuddlers on my recliner whenever I'm home and it's lovely.

At least they match the personality type of norm male rats. haha.


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## raindear (Mar 3, 2015)

The first day I had Petey in the bathroom with me he spent much of the time in one corner frozen in fear staring at me to be sure I wasn't moving in his direction. I look forward to seeing what you see in your free range time. Just a bit of a different perspective on our situations.


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## AdequateRat (Mar 12, 2015)

raindear said:


> The first day I had Petey in the bathroom with me he spent much of the time in one corner frozen in fear staring at me to be sure I wasn't moving in his direction. I look forward to seeing what you see in your free range time. Just a bit of a different perspective on our situations.


I so hope you do, too. 
You seem so caring and patient. You two will be best of friends in no time. 

I'm really excited to hear more updates!


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