# Will they want my kids?



## Snake eye 3 (Mar 21, 2014)

I got the rats for my kids who wanted a pet, 3 and 6 year old boys. So far the rats are still too skittish for them to hold. Although they will climb onto their hands for a treat. I handle them a lot (they are becoming my pets, but I won't tell my kids that) they seem to like me. Initially I was just handling them all the time so they would be tame enough for my kids to hold. Now I'm getting pretty fond of them. Anyway.... I don't want the rats to like me better, and not want to be held by their true owners. For example, we took them into the bathroom (only safe spot for free range) and my 6 yo sat quietly on the floor and when I put the rats on him they kept running back onto my shoulder. Eventually we put some fleece down in my sons criss cross legs, and they were content eating treats from him there for awhile, but then came back to me again. Any suggestions? Also, how do you know your rats like you and not just treats?


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## Perocore (Jan 6, 2014)

Young children tend to be very excitable and jumpy, so it could be the rats are a little startled by that. While my boys know that I'm their daddy and prefer my company over anyone else's, they absolutely adore my little sister and mother and will jump onto their shoulders, kiss them in greeting, and play with them. The rats are simply more comfortable with you right now since you picked them out, brought them home, and do most of the care and handling. Feeding is very important, I would encourage your kids (maybe just the older one for now) to feed the rats (fill up food bowl) and interact with them whenever possible, and always under your supervision. Three years old seems awfully young to be handling small animals to me, as little ones tend to squeeze things too tightly and no rat will enjoy that. However, so long as you keep up with letting the rats get to know your sons then they should grow comfortable with them. Chances are they will always see you as their primary person, but it might be best that way in case the kids lose interest. 

And you can tell if the rats actually like you simply by approaching them _without_ treats in hand- just you! Instead of being disinterested they'll probably groom or at least interact with you and want your attention. If they don't seem interested then you should just bug them- pet them, tickle them, just bother them until they pay attention to you, haha. 

Good luck with the ratties! They're great additions to the family, and if you're careful probably will do great with the kids! I worked a lot over the past two summers with young children and small animals, and as long as the kids were interested then the animals tend to be as well.


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## Snake eye 3 (Mar 21, 2014)

Wow, great answers! Thanks so much for that. I agree the younger son is too young to really hold him himself. But my older son is very good at being quiet and slow. (I don't even let my 3 yo in the bathroom for the rat free time, because I know he would get super excited to see them run about outside the cage) My older son already seems to be loosing interest because they don't want him to hold him, and they don't run on the wheel. (Apparently this was one of the main reason he wanted a rodent, to see them run on the wheel..lol) I think I'll just keep having him feed them, and when they get better with us he might be more interested again.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

The most important thing here to remember is that, even though you can tell your children that they are their pets, the true owner is YOU. Rats are way too intelligent to be told otherwise. Additionally, rats are so much like young children themselves that there is no way to make them like someone that they simply don't prefer.

If you are loving the rats, that is great. It sounds like your son would really be more interested in a hamster or mouse, though. I am definitely far from the first to recommend those as pets for children above rats, but you have to go by what the child wants in the pet.


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## Snake eye 3 (Mar 21, 2014)

I don't think the other rodents would be good, because he wants to hold them. And teach them tricks...we watched a ton of youtube videos before we got them. But I could see how the wheel thing is more of a hamster toy. We saw the rats at the pet store running on the wheel, so I think he got his heart set on it. I think he just thought they would automatically like him and want to play with him. I was thinking they were like dogs, and would bond with the person who spent the most time with them.....and since that is me, I didn't want to take that from him. I fully understand the attention they need, and that will be met if not by my son then by me. Probably both once he can handle them.


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## LeStan82 (Dec 31, 2013)

I originally bought all of our rats for my 13 yr old daughter. But since I take care of them and spend most of the time with them they are more use to me than her. They will let her pet them and pick them up but they are more comfortable with me. So essentially they are my rats(but I dont let her know that...lol that will be the ratties and I secret). I think your boys just need to spend more time with them. The more time they spend with them the more comfortable your rats will feel around them.Any animal will become more attached to the actual care taker


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## sachaaa (Mar 17, 2014)

My brother is 13, and the rats were originally purchased as a companion for him, and my sister and I purchased rats as well just so his wasn't alone. I did the same thing you did by handling his rat a lot hoping that he would be friendly toward my somewhat rambunctious but overly cautious brother. He definitely comes to me first, but he's learned to enjoy my brother for certain things. My brother means play time, treats, and fun. I mean safety, care and attention, so if he's looking for those things he seeks me out. When he's hyper and playful, he's happiest with my brother. To be quite honest, I would probably prefer to be in your position if I had young children. Also, there are tons of activities other than running on a wheel that are fun for kids to watch! My brother and his younger friends make box houses and put them in the cage, then watch the rats play in the boxes. They'd tuff toilet paper tubes with treats and tissue paper, and they take egg cartons and put little treats inside then watch the rats play tug of war (it's hilarious!) What we've noticed, in comparison to the multiple hamsters we've owned, is that rats don't run on wheels (or at least ours don't) but they are incredibly exciting to watch as they respond to new things. Also, a paper lunch bag or paper grocery bag with the opening of the bag rolled to keep the bag open is a favourite toy of our rats, and it's quite the show watching them play in the crinkling bag. At their age, I might just continue to let them have controlled snuggle times, maybes it your sons in your lap or in front of you and play with the rats together. Doing 'rat activity times' by making rat toys and watching the rats play with them after might keep them more interested


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## Snake eye 3 (Mar 21, 2014)

Very helpful! Thanks for those great ideas. I am going to have my son make him a treat toy and watch them play with it, that would probably get him happy to be more involved, and get him excited about doing more stuff like that. We had made a box house with holes and another box on top, cardboard ladder inside, etc. The rats didn't want anything to do with it. I think that is part of the problem, it takes time and kids are not patient.


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## KreoCrisis (Jan 9, 2014)

My girl Vitchki loves chasing my four year old nephew around the living room. She's the only one of the four I have that seems to understand that he's a kid and not likely to treat her gently. So, she simply doesn't let him pick her up, but will crawl into his lap if he's sitting down, or allow him to carry her around in a box. But tag is her favorite game and it's great for wearing him out before bedtime. He loves it. It's a pity he's allergic to rats, he wants some of his own so bad.


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## Snake eye 3 (Mar 21, 2014)

Aww that's so cute! I can't wait till our rats are more fun like that.


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