# How to gain the trust of rats who won't take treats



## Electric (Jan 6, 2016)

I've had my rats for just over a week, and they still seem to be petrified of me.

They're from a pet shop (I know it's not ideal, but the only local breeders I could find were for "snake food"), and the guy working there pretty much told me to expect them to be quite wild, as they had never really been handled.
He had a really hard time trying to catch them for me, as they ran away to hid as soon as he came anywhere near them.

Since they've been living with me, I've tried to talk to them as much as possible, and have been sitting next to the cage offering them treats. At first they would hide as soon as I approached them, but they seem to be a bit more comfortable now. The slightly braver one has even climbed onto my hand and up to my shoulder a couple of times.
The shyest one, however, still hides sometimes when I open the cage, and freezes if I put my hand anywhere near her. 

Even though I keep offering them treats multiple times a day, neither of them seem to be at all interested. The braver one will sniff the treats sometimes, but the shy one just stands there completely motionless until I go away. If I leave the treats in the cage, they will eat them after I've gone.

How can I get to the point where my rats will eat the treats that I offer them? I'm worried that they'll always be afraid of me


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## InuLing (Dec 26, 2015)

Have you ever left those treats in the cage for them to taste? Since they can't throw up rats are naturally distrustful of foods they haven't seen before, so it may be the food they don't trust instead of you. Usually when they encounter a new food they'll take a bite or two and if it doesn't make them feel sick they come back to finish it later. Whenever I give my girls a new treat I leave them a sample in their cage right before I go to bed so they can taste it at their leisure. If it's gone in the morning then I know they liked it so I'll start hand-feeding it to them next time.


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## Electric (Jan 6, 2016)

For the first couple of days they were here, I left various treats in their cage to see what they like. They loved the Cheerios that I gave them, so that's what I've been using now to try to win them over, but they're just not interested if I'm offering them.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

Have you got places for them to hide away in in the cage? If so I would remove these, they encourage rats to hide away and not realise that what they are scared of isn’t scary at all. Have a read of this it may help http://www.isamurats.co.uk/starting-out-with-rats.


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## Electric (Jan 6, 2016)

thanks for the tip about removing the hidey holes. I had thought about that, but was worried that it was the wrong thing to do.

They don't always hide in their little house or nest, though. One of them always sits in the corner, and is just completely unresponsive. I sit there until my arm starts to hurt (the opening of the cage is a bit awkward) but she still ignores me


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## DVirginiana (Jan 6, 2016)

Don't know if this would help, but I've worked with wild and feral animals before, and always had good luck leaving something of mine in or around the cage. Like a sock or something with my smell on it. Always figured that having my scent around when they're relaxing and doing their own thing made positive associations.
(Rat veterans please correct me if this wouldn't be a good idea for rats)


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

It sounds like she's flooded when she does that. Next time instead of leaving her in the cage take her out and put her in a pouch or under your jumper or similar, keep your hand next to her and settle down to watch tv. You want her to get passed the point where she's frozen, so keep her out until she starts moving and sniffing. It can take 20-30 mins in most cases, possibly longer if she's really terrified. The problem is when they are flooded they cant lear your safe, they kind of aren't there (retreat into themselves) so you've got to give them time to move passed that stage. Once she's responsive keep her out for 10-15 mins so she can see your safe, then back in with some yummy food in the cage (where she will appreciate it). She may need that bit of one on one attention to move on


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## Electric (Jan 6, 2016)

Update: one rat started taking treats from me today! I think it's because they'd already picked out all the yummy bits from their mixed food.
The one who kept freezing is currently snuggled up in my jumper. I'm trying the pouch idea, and it seems to be working.


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