# My rats are afraid of me!



## samuelemilone (Sep 3, 2020)

Hi everyone! I'm a new member on this forum!
I've two male rats, they're 2 months, they live with me from two weeks.
I don't know why, but.. they're afraid of me! If I put my hands in the cage they rarely come up on the hand. If I try to get them, they run away.. Is it normal? How can i do?
I watch a lot of video where the rats go to the master, on the hand.. they aren't scared.


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## Rex the Rat (Apr 7, 2020)

What have you been trying so far?
The best bonding methods are to give your rats a positive feeling for being near you or being handled by you. So, if you haven't tried this so far, a great method to use is to put a licking treat (like plain yogurt or baby food) on your hand and have your rats come to you, this will force your rats to stay close to you while also getting rewarded for it. Other things you can do include giving treats when you pass the cage and spending time near the cage moving and making noise while rewarding if they come out of a hiding spot. Once your rats are confident with you near and with you touching and handling them, you can move bonding to a bed, bathroom, or free roam area.


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## _dizzy_ (Mar 28, 2018)

If you got your rats from someone who breeds them as feeders then it makes sense that they're hesitant. I got two rats from a breeder who handled his rats roughly. It may take them a long time to find that you're a good person if they came from that background. Another bonding thing you can do with them is lay out treats(preferably something saucy on a dish) in front of the cage door. If your rats are more interested in food rather than freedom then let the cage door remain open while you sit in front of the door. You should always try several bonding methods and the previous post is a great method.


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## Rex the Rat (Apr 7, 2020)

_dizzy_ said:


> Another bonding thing you can do with them is lay out treats(preferably something saucy on a dish) in front of the cage door. If your rats are more interested in food rather than freedom then let the cage door remain open while you sit in front of the door.


Great idea!


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## Verucasdad (Aug 31, 2015)

With difficult rats, I have put something in the cage of mine that I don't mind being destroyed. I wore an old t-shirt for a couple of days and then put that in the cage. They first peed on it and then snuggled in it. Eventually, after putting my arm in the cage for 15 minute rotations and the t-shirt, they warmed up. I also used the baby food method so they couldn't run off with the treat. Putting it on the palm of your hand sometimes makes them have to touch you.


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## Ratbbq (Sep 8, 2020)

I am kind of in the same boat as this gentleman. I know my rats were meant to be food and I watched how they were handled by the tails. In hindsight I should have known there were forums for rats lol. Thank you guys for the insight. I have a question about how far back will it set bonding when you need to move them for cage cleaning and the like. I have one that is very food oriented but skiddish and the other does not seem to care to much about treats but is more chill. Please excuse my ignorance but is there any situation where a rat may become more tame just from gentle persistence in the way of holding or touching? If one of my rats tolerates being touched through the bars should I keep doing it?


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## CorbinDallasMyMan (Feb 24, 2017)

Ratbbq said:


> have a question about how far back will it set bonding when you need to move them for cage cleaning and the like.


Personally, I don't believe handling skittish rats will set you back at all. I believe picking your rats up often will help them bond with you more quickly.

I usually give new rats anywhere from a couple hours to a couple days to get settled into their new home. After that, I start gently/confidently scooping them up and bringing them out of their cage every day. Some rats don't like getting picked up but they quickly learn that it's not so scary after all. I scoop them up with two hands, bring them close to my chest, carry them to where I need them to be, then set them down. As they're running around, I'll randomly lift them up just off the ground and set them back down again to further help them get used to my hands.


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## Ratbbq (Sep 8, 2020)

Thanks for the advice! It makes me feel a little better knowing I can touch them. They are getting really good about letting me pet them when they are sleepy in their hammock.


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## Rex the Rat (Apr 7, 2020)

I personally advocate for positive reinforcement methods to bond with rats, this means giving your rats a positive experience when being confronted with something it is afraid of. These methods reward your rat for being confident and curious. By only rewarding the rat when he chooses to come to you may take more time an patience but I believe that by allowing the rat to choose to come to you it can create less stress for the rat and stick in their brain more. If your rat tolerates being touched that should be greatly encouraged and rewarded.


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## Ratbbq (Sep 8, 2020)

I always treat the rats with any interaction. I spend a lot of time just talking to them as well. Thank you for the tips!


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## Rex the Rat (Apr 7, 2020)

Good luck!


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