# How long does it take for new rats to warm up to you?



## BigEasy (Jun 28, 2015)

I picked up my boys on Wednesday. When I got home it took me an hour to coax them out of the dog carrier and into their cage and then they ran and hid in a box by the water bottles and didn't come out so I went to bed. In the morning I swept up their poop and they came out to see what I was doing. One kept pulling one of his poops out the dustpan and I guess wanted to keep it as a prize? Or was mad at me for taking his property. 

Thursday night after work they were both running around the cage even with me in the room so I guess they were more comfortable. But they still didn't really care much for me. I've been bribing them with blackberries and raspberries and other tasty treats. Yesterday they started coming to the front of the cage when I come in the room (probably expecting more treats) and sniff at me through the wires but when I open the cage they kind of back up and don't want anything to do with me. 

I tried picking them both up today and both reacted similarly (kept trying to get back in the cage, one actually leaped from my arms into the cage it was frightening). So they still don't really care for me I guess which is weird b/c when I picked them up from the lady they both seemed to love me. One was shaking and grinding his teeth and his eyeballs looked like they were popping out and the lady said that was a good sign. 

I know it's going to take some time for them to trust me but just wondering if there's anything I can do to get them to like me other than giving them treats.


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## Jess <3 (Jan 23, 2014)

If you look at this situation from the rat's perspective, they're in a new environment with a human whose intentions they're unsure of. Personally, I ignore the 'leave your rat in their cage for 24-48 hours' rule and get the new additions out in a free ranging area as soon as i get them home. Take them somewhere away from the cage and then handle them gently but firmly and repetitively. In doing this you show them that you won't hurt them and that there's no advantage to hiding in the back of their cage. 
Generally, if you allow rats to avoid your hands when the reach in to get them from their cage, the situation only gets worse until you're both nervous around one another.


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## FallDeere (Sep 29, 2011)

It depends on the rat, honestly. I've had some try to ride on my shoulder the first day and others freeze in fear when they see me. With my socializing strategy, my rats have never taken longer than a day or two to warm up to me.

For my rats, I don't let them hide from me. I don't free range them the first day, but I keep my hand in their cage or, if I feel they're up for it and won't jump away and get loose, carry them around. I don't give them boxes to hide in or anything. Last time I did this was with my two extremely skittish girls Mu and Daisy who are very afraid of... everything. They just have jumpy temperaments. Despite that, after a day of interacting with them and showing them I wasn't going to hurt them, they started riding on my shoulder and cuddling in my jacket. They're still afraid of the world, but they soon learned I would protect them from the world. 

If they freeze in fear in their cage, I would just pet them. I remember one of my young boys from a few years ago was sooooooo afraid of me, he would run at the slightest hint of movement. When he was still, though, I just pet him and spoke softly to him... and after a few minutes, he relaxed and then suddenly wanted to interact with me. He even climbed up my sister's arm to her shoulder. It was like he became a different rat.

Best of luck with your new boys. I'm sure they'll warm up to you eventually.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

When you picked your rats up their former human was there to comfort them and reassure them, she's gone and I'm sure that concerns your rats. Check out the immersion guide for a quicker method for bonding with your new furry friends. 

Best luck.


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## Kuildeous (Dec 26, 2014)

That's a good point about the former human no longer being around so this is all new to the rats. What makes you so special? Well, you'll just have to show them that you are special and that you'll always be there for them. 

I do like having some sort of hiding place so they can feel comfortable, but it should be something you can easily remove so you can get at the rats. The igloo is nice for that. Lift up the igloo, and there are rats! A habitat where you can't pull them out easily can be frustrating. For example, I removed my Sputnik when the rats would hide up there and couldn't be removed without pulling it down and dismantling it (or dumping them but that's got to be upsetting). 

And there are plenty of good stories of quick bondings, but I'll point out that it could take as long as a month to get a rat truly comfortable. It depends on the rat, as mentioned earlier. I had one rat take to us right away; she jumped back toward her cage a couple of times but that didn't last long. Another rat took a couple of months to become fully comfortable. So hopefully you can bond with the rats within days, but don't be dismayed if it takes much longer.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

What makes rats so special is that they are really learning animals. They are constantly trying to understand their environment and their humans. They also suffer from fear and loneliness and most of the same emotions we do. Imagine you just adopted a couple of kids that don't speak English,  You went to their house and met them and then took them away from their mom and their family and they haven't a clue what's going on. That's the situation your rats find themselves in now. 

If they were little kids and they were afraid, what would you do? You don't speak rat and you can't explain it to them... how would you explain what is going on to the kids or how would you gain their trust and friendship... Even though you don't speak rat, it still boils down to communication.. Put yourself into their shoes, and ask yourself if you were alone and afraid in a strange place how would you react and what would you want from your new adopted parents?

The first step to bonding is to start understanding what's going on yourself and then to show your rats that they are in a better home with a family that really loves and appreciates them. The immersion guide should give you a few ideas, but much depends on your own parenting style. Remember these aren't stupid instinctual little animals they are metacognative learning beings with feelings and emotions. What works with kids usually works pretty well with rats. I know that sounds just a little bit simplistic, but it really works.

Like most people, I started out not understanding. Then I finally got it. Once I understood what and who I was dealing with and found ways to understand our rats and be understood by them, everything changed. I asked, what are they trying to tell me? And I worked on strategies for being understood. When I was in doubt, I'd think to myself, what if this were a puppy or better yet a kid? And then my choices suddenly became clear. What surprised me the most was how much our rats had to communicate with us and how hard they would try, once they realized that we could understand them too. 

Building an amazing relationship starts with creating a mindset in your own thinking that will promote communication and understanding. Once you have the right mindset, the conversation can begin. You wanted intelligent social pets that can actually be your friends, most likely that's why you chose rats. Now you have them and the fun begins.

Best luck.


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## VeronicaJ3 (May 11, 2015)

My first rat only took 2 1/2 days to warm up to me. The second one I have is starting to warm up, but slowly. I've had him over a week. He's not as comfortable with me like the other rat is yet.


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## MaddyManko (Jul 11, 2015)

I got my first 2 boys at the beginning of the month and I found myself in a similar situation. I didn't realize that it would take a bit of time for them to adjust.

The first day the boys hid out in their litter box and only left to grab food and run back to the box and drink water. I have them in my living room and tried to be around them as much as I could the first few days. I would talk to them and when they seemed to be more awake, I would put my hand into the cage palm up and let them sniff and check me out and I would touch them as much as they would tolerate. The first couple of days I would put treats directly in the cage and after a while I would have them come up and take them from me. Each day I saw them becoming more brave and leaving the box for longer periods of time and becoming more comfortable. It took 3 days for them to fully explore their multi-level cage after being raised in a tank.

Needless to say this was a huuuge adjustment for them, my place is a completely different environment and set-up compared to what they were used to. Eventually they realized I just want to love on them, play with them and give them yummy food lol. Every day I saw more of an improvement and now they run around and play everywhere in their cage, no problem, have stopped hanging out and sleeping in the litter box and are so sweet and friendly. I take them out of their cage and let them hang out with me on the couch or in my hallway at least once a day for about an hour, sometimes more than that, and I take them out and let them play on my shoulders a few times a day and talk to them all of the time. I tried as much as I could to take cues from them and not push them into doing anything they weren't comfortable with. They are both used to being picked up and pet now but if they're playing and don't seem to want to come out, I leave them be and try another time. When they first came home, my black rat Pickles was always a little more brave and outgoing, Toki the more reserved one. Now they show they same level of interest and comfort with all of us, it's awesome!

I'm still seeing improvements in them and everyday seems to be better for them. I'm also a stay at home mom and it's easy for me to spend a lot of time with them. I'm sure everyone will tell you something different and have their own methods, but have plenty of patience, I'm sure they'll warm up to you soon!


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