# How Long Do Rats Need To Settle In?



## TheBlizz (May 20, 2017)

Hello! I am getting my rats from a reputable breeder and they are very well socialized with people of all kinds prior to coming home.

Of course, letting them have a chance to settle into their new home is completely reasonable and, although I am extremely excited to interact with them, I will allow them a little while to learn about and explore their new surroundings and the way my home works, the people that are in it, etc.

However, I've heard some conflicting things on the topic. Some people say to wait two days before handling your rats. Others say a few hours is enough, or if you're getting them later in the day, overnight. 

For the amount of socialization my girls have had, I'm assuming that it wouldn't cause a substantial amount of stress if I only provided them with a few hours to explore and learn the basics of their new environment. Lots of the places that are supportive of letting your rats wait for a couple days seem to be describing ones that are skittish or untame. I was thinking that I'd let them rest overnight and I'd begin handling in the morning. 

Sorry for the long spiel, haha, I just want to know your thoughts/views on this topic before I get my girls. Thanks!


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## Shadow <3 (Jan 25, 2017)

Hehe, I let my new rats explore the cage for 15-30 minutes (depends if I have to put away anything else) before starting to socialize  In my opinion, they'll be stressed no matter what, so why not start the taming process as soon as possible? If my new rats are really shy, I'll take out all but one hide and place lots of hammocks in the cage. I'll then judge how they react to being given a solid treat, and go on from there. My confident rats are absolutely fine coming out from the start, and my shy ones usually take a few days to warm up to me, but starting early and spending LOTS of time with them really helps. I also take my rats out to a small free-range area (think a foot or so bigger than a person sitting cross legged in it) on day one to start socilization, and they usually adjust super fast. Basically, the more time you spend with them, the faster they'll adjust (although good treats definitely help!)

All my girls have been from pet shops or Craigslist, and all but one of my rats have tamed within hours or days (that one rat was very skittish and I didn't really take the initiative and socialize with her. She eventually tamed down, but her personality was generally very skittish and something she never fully overcame). I just like getting a head start, and while many people may not agree with my method, I find that it works the fastest at socializing any rats.

Plus I'm WAY too impatient to wait a few days lol


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## TheBlizz (May 20, 2017)

Thanks again for the advice!


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## Coffeebean (Jan 6, 2017)

I don't give more than an hour after they get home to settle in before spending all the time I can with them. The times I let rats settle in for even just a couple days made them more reclusive so I begin socializing almost instantly.


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## Cara (Jul 5, 2017)

When I got my two boys, I got them from a pet shop and I was visiting them (and the rest of the rats) at least once a week for a few weeks before I got them. I was lucky since I lived around the corner from the pet store. So, I like to think they had a general idea of who I was beforehand . Even then, the minute they got home, I was patting them, and snuggling them, and giving them treats. Now they run to me if something scares them during free range time. ^-^


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## Basiltheplant (Jan 2, 2017)

I decide on the amount of time to let them adjust based on their level of socialization.
My first 2 girls I gave about 24 hours to adjust
My boy I gave about 4 hours to adjust he was fully socialized with humans but not rats (got that fixed after he was neutered)
And my batch of five girls I gave about one week to adjust because they weren't sociallized or handled at all


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