# lady at pet store grabbed my rats by the tail should i take them back?



## travis1121 (May 10, 2009)

Okay, so i went to PetCo and got two new rats(i didnt know a thing about them at the time). The lady who was getting the rats out of their cage grabbed them by their tails and she said it was okay to do this. I knew she was wrong after researching rats on the internet more and, i read the rats probably wont trust humans again. It has been i week since i got them and they are very scared of me. I have had to forcefully pick them up for their cage cleaning. And recently one bit at me. will my rats ever trust me? Or should i take them back?
I need help i really dont want to take them back!


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## ATez (May 5, 2009)

Hmm... when I baught mine from the pet store the lady who put my rats in a box shock them out of their hiding place. They were running all over in panic! Right now my babies still don't like to be picked up all that much but they are coming out to explore on their own a bit more.

I've had them for a week.

The first thing I did every morning _before _ I refill their food was feed them little pieces of carrots, celery leaves, some cheerios and I let them lick water off of my fingers. Just keep a bowl near you with water and they should come licking at them. One time after I ate my cereals they came running for me after I gave them a lick of my fingers with some milk. :-X I didn't give them too much tho.

I also fed them some pumkin seeds but not whole. I open it myself and break the seed in smaller pieces so they don't eat too much nuts. This is also a food they usually don't find lying around in the cage so they will like it.  Let them have a sniff at the seeds untill they seem to go "Hey! I want some!" Once they're at the door give them a piece. Leave the cage of the door open and everytime one of them pokes his head out and sniffles the air give them a little piece.

It might take a little while before they realize you're not evil but keep trying! Mine are still scared of loud noizes like me opening a package of food.  And they still don't like the idea of being picked up!

Whenever they're brave and face the unknown they get a little something for it! 

Also if you didn't already give them a little house! Cut a hole or two at the bottom of a cereal box where they can hide while scared. But yes this will give you a harder time to get them outta there but hey! Rats will be rats! They'll never resist the smell of food! Sometimes Pickle seems to forget he's scared and when he suddently remembers he runs off in his cage like a rocket. lol

The first few times I cleaned they're cage I had to take off the top and of course it freaked them out! But whenever they got back in everything was back to normal and they had new food. The next few times I took them out I lured them out with a food they really like and really don't get often! One of those forbidden treats! Oh my! Now I just go them. Crank is more docile and will let me but Pickle is reeeeally scared to get picked up. He goes into a small panic but once he's back home he's okay. I think he just really doesn't like it! But oh well. He'll have to get over it someday! 

I try and pick them up a few times during the day but not over and over.
They're scared but making big progress! If you have the time spend a few hours next to them with your fingers near the entrence.
Remember treats or some water on your fingers. Mine like that I dunno why.

Good luck!


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## xxzz6760 (May 1, 2009)

Also, please don't take them back! They will just be subjected to more abuse - they need a good home like yours.


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## travis1121 (May 10, 2009)

oh thank you!! and my rats will take treats from me they love plain cheerios (but i dont give them many i dont wanna mess up their diet)


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

Don't give up, they'll warm up to you with time. Some rats just take longer than others to get used to people.

Did the employee pick the rats up as near to the base of the tail as possible? If so, that's ok if just to move them a short distance (which I'm assuming was into a box). The same applies to mice. If to move them a longer distance they should be supported. I've picked the odd one up by the tail where I'm doing work experience, but most are fine to pick up with my hand over their shoulders. There's no need to pick pet rats up by the tail though.


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## travis1121 (May 10, 2009)

ive never picked them up by the tail... i was afraid to, the worker grabbed them by the tip of their tail and it looked very painful to the rats i remember one of them like trying to climb up its tail, she couldve at least put it in her hands D: ive also heard that large pet stores just sell rats for snake food and really dont care for them too much and this really ticks me off D:<


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## marshmallowfriend (Apr 16, 2009)

Stace87 said:


> Don't give up, they'll warm up to you with time. Some rats just take longer than others to get used to people.


I agree. It may take a little while since they are not used to proper handling. A rat should only be picked up by the *base* of its tail in emergency situations (about to run away etc).


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## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

It may take months but eventually they do come around and the reward will be awesome.
Just imagine what kind of picture they have of humans right now......


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## insomniac (Jan 31, 2009)

They did that to my rats too, one of them still isn't a fan of being picked up but the younger one loves to be picked up. 

In fact I pick her up by the tail every once in a while and she thinks it's a game and flips over to lick my face.

It all depends on the rat I guess.


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## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

insomniac said:


> T
> In fact I pick her up by the tail every once in a while and she thinks it's a game and flips over to lick my face.
> 
> It all depends on the rat I guess.


Why would you do that? It is dangerous! If a rat flips over it can also mean:"stop!" (submission)


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

begoodtoanimals said:


> insomniac said:
> 
> 
> > T
> ...


By which part of the tail do you pick her up? I don't really see why you would do that, especially if the rat isn't aggressive and is used to being handled.


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## travis1121 (May 10, 2009)

Well, the rats are terrified of us and they are showin no signs of trust.


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

They are new, irrespective of how they have been held by in the petstore, they will require time and gentle encouragement. Some rats are just very scared initially. You've had them just over a week, right? This isn't an uncommon situation, don't worry. 

Perhaps if you outline what activities/actions you are taking with them. Their reactions to those etc ... we could advise where you could benefit from some trust training exercises


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## ATez (May 5, 2009)

Don't despair! I've had my rats for two weeks now and even tho they're improving they ARE still scared a bit. 
Is your ratty okay with you if you put your hand in the cage?

Mine will most likely come and smell me for a treat now. But every now and then I see one of them balled
up and looking really scared. When that happens I stick my arm in the cage and wiggle my fingers at him.
I do that when I'm about to give them a treat so he'll come and smell me and realise "Oh right! She's no danger!"
then goes on being a normal rat! 

I also recently baught them a monster cage that's 8 times bigger!
Since then they seem way more comfy with having me and my boyfriend around.
They'll even play if I tickle their nose with a feather! So cute!

It's been a week and you say your lilttle babies are still scared of you but have they been less scared?
If you know they're making progress, no matter how slow it is, you know the first step has been made.
Keep doing what you're doing and it'll be a matter of time.

Question! How much time a day do you spend with them?
I spend from 1 to 2 hours with them every morning and every night and every once inna while I poke my hand
in there if I see they're awake and offer them a little treat or two.

I've had some days when I thought "Yay! They like us!" Because they were coming out and running around
and the next day they seemed scared again... and then they were fine with us again.


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## travis1121 (May 10, 2009)

Well now ive held both my rats like 2 times..but the other day i put my hand in the cage and my bigger rat ran up and bit me and it wasnt a"i think your finger is food" bite it was a"leave me alone !!!!" bite D: maybe hey will never trust me T^T


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## ATez (May 5, 2009)

There's someone here who mentioned you should describe exactly how you're trying to get your rats to like you.
I haven't really been picking mine up all that much (except when the cage needs cleaning) and tomorrow i'm gonna
freak them out a big with a trip to the vet so I'm expecting them to be suspicious of me for a few days after.

When you put your hand in there:

Are you waking them up? - If so make sure it's nice and slow.

Are you trying to pick them up over and over but they keep squirming out of your hand in fright? - If so after 2 or 3 tries stop trying. If a ratty is already scared and you're trying to grab them over and over they might be regarding you as a predator who's there to hurt them.

Do you offer them food they usually don't get on a daily basis? - I bought yogourt drops and they love it! But you can't give them too many per day. If they already take treats from you or if you get them too try and give them different food they've never had before. I gave them brocoli for the first them and they went crazy for it. 

BTW how big is their cage? At first I was supposed to get mice so I got a hamster cage which they lived in for a week untill I could get a bigger one. Now they live in a cage 8x bigger and it's a lot easier to play with them and not have them feel in a corner. they're happier.

Explain to people exactly what you're doing with them.
Do you have younger brothers or sisters who might be freaking them out while you're not around?


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## ATez (May 5, 2009)

I just came across this and it made me think of your problem 
http://www.ratfanclub.org/trust.html
You might wanna read that second part it sounds a lot like your rat, no?


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