# How long does it take your rat to learn something?



## Golden Girls (Apr 20, 2010)

Just kind of curious. My rats are little babies and haven't really learned anything yet except for that they trust me more. It was great to see my little babies hop up on my lap, especially my little timid one. I've got them eating smooshed peas off my finger. I'm trying to pet them as they lick away but they just inspect that hand for more treats. 

I'm trying to get them to learn their names, but I think anytime they come when I call them, it's coincidental as I call them constantly until they come. I'm doing it correctly, right? I call their name until they come to me and give them a treat, followed by my key noise. I suppose I'm being impatient as it's only been a week and a half, but everyone I talk to says their rats learn their names right away. Are my rats slow or just stubborn? 

And how about everyone! How quickly do your ratties catch on?


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

Mine don't know their names lol.


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## flox (Apr 12, 2010)

A week is a lifetime when you're trying to get babies tame  It's been three weeks with mine and it feels forever. Is that one of yours in your avatar? Adorable!

Mine learned how to use the litter tray the moment I got them home. I actually saw one back up into it, and they'd never seen one before.

Of course they poop everywhere else, and like to tip the litter tray upside down, or chew off the fastenings and carry it around - but they USED IT! 

(Only one of mine (probably) has a name, so they certainly don't know them! I they did, I wish they'd tell me...)


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## Golden Girls (Apr 20, 2010)

Yep that's little Peaches in my avatar, thanks ;D What do you put in their litter box as far as little goes and what do you use as substrate?


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## Capistrono (Apr 12, 2010)

I've been trying to litter train mine for over a week now and they don't get it at all. Maybe it just depends on the rat?


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## VictorianVanity (Mar 18, 2010)

None of my kids are litter box trained, and it's been ages. The babies will use it sometimes, I think, but the girls poop wherever they please. : Some rats may never be litter box trained.


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## ema-leigh (Jan 24, 2010)

If your having a hard time litter training your rat. Get a box with higher sides. Also try using cat litter. Some can be dusty, but let it settle outside and take it out if you see them eating it. Ive used it with my rats before, with no problems and the one I get isnt dusty. Its just clay lumps.


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## VictorianVanity (Mar 18, 2010)

I think the dishes we got are all right. Heavy enough they can't tip them but maybe they aren't tall enough. And I'll have to pick up some cat litter after everyone is healthy again and not having any more respiratory problems. I don't want to change anything and irritate their systems until I'm sure they're well again.


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## Capistrono (Apr 12, 2010)

I put rocks in mine so they can't tip it but I had to take the car litter out after seeing them eating it. They pretty much never go out of their cage, they know that much, so I'm gonna get aspen for their cage and put the bedding they have now in a litter box and see if they use that.


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## Lea (May 15, 2009)

Regular (clay) cat litter is not recommended because of dust and possibly ingesting it. I use Yesterday's News cat litter (made of paper). I've also seen it packaged as Ferret litter with a higher price but it looked like the same stuff. Lucky for me they were already totally tame and litter-trained when I got them so I didn't have to figure that out.

I think you're doing it right and it will just take a while. There are some training videos on Youtube for teaching them to come to you and do other tricks. Mine finally seem to have learned their names, or at least they respond to the 3 names even if they don't know which name is whose, lol. The two younger ones only took a few days to learn the "spin" trick, but the older one does not deign to beg for treats.


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