# Boring and bored rats



## Daniel (Jun 24, 2013)

I've had rats consistently since June, and now that I have a stable group, I've realized that I have boring ones. They don't like hammocks. They don't like chews. They have never liked any toys I have tried with them - ladders, chew logs, hangy bird toys (I don't have room for a wheel to try that), etc. I had a couple of older boys that I gave away in the last 2 weeks and they were even lazier. 

Anyone else get a group of boring rats like this? I like them either way, it's just that although they will fight like boys do and will run around when I let them out, they are otherwise sleeping and don't like any play thing I give them. They seem bored. Sometimes when I let them out, they will find a nook in the blankets and just sleep/sit there.


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## cassieb (Aug 6, 2013)

Every rat is different, just like people. They are probably more active at night. Did you really give the older boys away for being boring?


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## Minky (Apr 4, 2013)

I wish people would get over the idea that animals exist to serve or entertain humans. 

Try spending some time with your rats and find out what they respond to. You might be surprised.


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## Batman (Sep 11, 2013)

My boys hate to be bothered during they day unless they get treats but toward the evening they popcorn around and during free time in morning they are entertaining

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## xxTheRatChampion (Apr 18, 2013)

*My rats don't like to cuddle or play with me but there's still a variety of fun things you can do with your rats. Teach them tricks or plainly let them run around on your belly.*


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

Whats your cage set up like, plus whats there wieght like. I find that generally there is a reason for lack of activity in rats, and often its down to us as owners. Theres a lot you can do to spice up there life, and whilst you sound like youve tried a few things im sure theres more you havent tried yet.


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## Daniel (Jun 24, 2013)

Minky said:


> I wish people would get over the idea that animals exist to serve or entertain humans.


And I am insulted you thought that was the point of my post.

I think I am done with this website.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Daniel,

No one knows you personally and therefore no one knows how much time and love you give your rats. Someone simply responded to your remark that you rat are bored and you are bored with them and gave two older rats away. I sort of read more into the the fact that you bought your rats lots of toys and hammocks so you have been trying to make their life more exciting. 

Still, if you only read your post and knew nothing else about yourself, the way you put things might even get you concerned. Believe me, until most of the folks around here got to know me, some of the posts I made, when I was tired or otherwise didn't have time to explain, raised a few eyebrows too. 

So, when I say all of my rats have only every had a single toy, that sounds pretty cruel. It's a cat ball with a bell in it and each and every rat has found it somewhere in the house and rolled it to some secret place of their choosing and stashed it there. In fact it belonged to my daughter when she was less than a year old first.

That sounds awful... but my rats free range my house over 20 hours each day on many days, they constantly find stuff to play with and keep very busy. They climb stuff and burrow under stuff and build nests and steal stuff. And most of all two have been true shoulder rats shoulder rats and all go out to the safe site... And they have myself and an 8 year old little girl to play with and eat with... So what sounds gawd awful terrible really looks something like this...






















For the most part my rats are anything but bored and when they want excitement they usually have someone to play with... And sometimes they wake me out of a sound sleep at 5:00 AM and I will do my best to play with them for a little while before falling back to sleep.

So if all I posted is that my rats don't have toys in their cage it sounds pretty awful, but when I add that my rats rarely hang out in their cage and that they go to fireworks shows and entertain crowds of people and play with real live humans whenever they want, I'm thinking it sounds a little less boring.

And I might add that all of my rats receive hundreds of hours in play and patient training to become true shoulder rats, and that they were typically raised from pups and actually were bottle fed and slept under the blanket in bed with humans until they were nearly adults, I'm thinking they are actually pretty spoiled. 

Right now my rats are sleeping in their elaborate secret nests, and I could say that they are boring, but they are going to get up around 7:30 tonight and want to eat and play and then they won't be...

More depends on how I explain myself than on how I treat my rats when it comes to the kind of replies I'm likely to get to a post...

Daniel, don't take it personal... everyone on this board loves rats and just wants the best for them, sometime we all misunderstand each other... that's all...

Im sure no offense was intended against you personally.

As to your original question... I'm thinking my rat's lifestyle might be a little over the top for yours and training shoulder rats is serious business and a good way to get the wrong rats killed, but maybe you get some ideas from this post otherwise...

Best luck.


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## Gannyaan (Dec 7, 2012)

Daniel said:


> And I am insulted you thought that was the point of my post.
> 
> I think I am done with this website.


I don't think that's what you meant ... Geeze....I think the reason you're asking is because you care about them and WANT to find ways to play with them and allow them to have fun ...

I hope you're still around!

First, do you have boys ? They tend to be lazy ...

Also, as they get older they get a lot more calm , and it's harder to get them to play sometimes, unless something reallllyy stimulates them! 

My two girls (one is 1 yr old an the other is 2) were starting to be not so interested in playing , etc.... Then I got two young playful girls, and they are a lot more active now!

Also I realized my old girl is only active between very specific night hours...

Anyways the reason I think that they're becoming like that is because they're in a "routine" and haven't found stimulating things for their personalities . It may be hard, but try to find them  

Check out the toys sticky on this forum for ideas ! 


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Now maybe it's the type of rats I'm used to working with, but has anyone ever noticed that rats become action junkies up to a certain age doing ever crazier stuff until they reach a certain age and suddenly just mellow out?


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## hrl20100 (May 1, 2013)

Males tend to me nutoriously more lazy than females...

How old are they? The older they are, the more lazy they will get as well.
Its probably just their personality though.

Try giving them some new enrichment. So, new ropes, boxes and areas to hide in. Try getting a peice of string and threading it with sugar free cheerios, like a necklace. Attach it to the top of the cage so it hangs down. This will stimulate them and give them something new to do.

Try teaching them tricks.
Make them a digging box.

There are plenty of things you could do to try and get them to be more active, but please keep in mind that males are more lazy than females and that it could just be their personality. 

I mean, i'm not one for excersise either!


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

I'm not sure my male rats would agree they are lazier lol, saying that i make a point of encouraging activity from birth and it does pay off. They arent quite as agile but are very active and interesting.

Added to the above i would also recommend scatter and enrichment feeding, this is essentially hiding there food around the cage so they have to work to find and eat it. Its great for rats, a brilliant form of stimulation, it also seems to motivate even the laziest rats to get moving as they are often very food motivated.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Daniel did not give away the boys for being boring (one was aggressive, went to live with females instead of being lonely forever), and I don't think he is insinuating that rats exist to entertain him.


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## Batman (Sep 11, 2013)

I didn't think any of that and I know about aggressive rats my friend Jeff took gimchi fixed her now she's a happy rattie living with males. But some rats are just naturally lazy like my rat delrio before he passed I had a but load of toys however he never wanted to play just concerned with being loved. Rats are different 

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