# Are my rats unique? Or is this normal?



## Piperstar (Apr 8, 2013)

I never thought about it much until I saw other rattie parents talking about shoulder training their rats. My one rat squirt never really sat on my shoulder until I put him up there once. Now its his favorite spot. He always climbs up to my shoulder. No training needed. Normal or Unique?

The second question is about vacuums. I have seen people talking about their rats being afraid of vacuums. I wasn't worried about that being a problem so I just started vacuuming around them. They actually come closer to the bars when they hear it. Normal or Unique?

Okay last question. This on involves cats. Everyone was so wary when I first brought rats into a cats home. They became friends right away. The rats purposefully get closer to the bars when the cats are there. I think the cats are more afraid of the rats then the rats are of them actually. Normal or Unique?


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## Batman (Sep 11, 2013)

My ratties are very curious so when I run the sweaper they come closer if I do anything around their cage they hop on the bars to see what is going on. My Kane loves being on my shoulder he automatically goes there 

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## melissa35246 (Aug 22, 2013)

My smallest rat, Kaya, for some reason is always trying to get on my shoulder. It's like her ultimate destination all the time. So that is probably pretty normal. But my other three rats don't get on my shoulder much. My boys are just too big to sit comfortably on my shoulder.

My males are afraid of the vacuum cleaner, but my females get really excited and freak out and hop around everywhere. I would think maybe they just like the loud noise, but my boy Remmy is afraid of the vacuum even though he gets excited over loud music. So I don't know what's up with that.

The one rat-cat experience I had was when I had Remmy on my lab outside and my outside cat was around. At one point her tail accidentally touched Remmy and he lost it trying to escape. He was absolutely terrified, but the cat didn't even know he was there. But all of my rats like my dog and vice versa. I have a large dog, though. So even though they always want to play, they can't interact much together because Damien would get too excited and hurt them on accident. So, if your rats and cats get along, that may be unique.


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## zombiesrkewl (Nov 28, 2013)

I got a new hairless boy on Saturday who will almost always end up on my shoulder during free range time. I can get up and walk around, cook, do chores, and he'll just sit there happy as can be (I have a suspicion that his foster mom was training him to be a shoulder rat). Pandora, my heart rat, will sit on my shoulder quite calmly if I put her there, but tries to get off if I get up. Sophie will have none of this shoulder riding business XD I think she's too high energy to stay in one place that long. 

The girls seem curious about the vacuum, but once they've come to the bars and watched for a little while, they loose interest.

I don't have a cat, so I can't weigh in on that issue. :/


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## gelarphoenix (Dec 12, 2013)

I can't say about the vaccuum thing because it's wooden floor where my babies are housed but whenever I put the aircon or the fan on they get up and start waving their heads and jumping up at the cage like they know it'll cool them down. As for the shoulder thing me and my partner were stuck as to training them to sit on our shoulders as treats don't interest them outside the cage but a fellow rat owner came over to look at them and just picked them up and plopped them on our shoulders and they've been happy there ever since, just crawling across and around and grinding their teeth. Cloud even went to put his head in my ear. I kinda love free range time now because they've sort of trained themselves not to go potty when they're out and as soon as they go back its poop time.


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## AlanF (Aug 11, 2011)

Our rats have all liked shoulders, though two of them preferred sleeves. Inside the sleeves.

As to cats, our guy is generally indifferent to the rats, unless they come to annoy him. If the rats are in the cage, the cat will sniff at them a little, but if they're running loose, he takes off. In this video, he can't get out of the room, so he jumps up on a box to get away:
http://youtu.be/n2FR1BeCgGI
(that's NOT the rat cage on the floor - only their travel box).


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## Leraine (Feb 21, 2014)

My new girl loves to climb on my shoulder! She will climb up there on her own accord from her cage, or from my lap, and stay up there for hours even though she is able to climb down. 


I don't have a vacuum cleaner, but I do have a loud blow dryer. She doesn't seem to mind when I blow dry my hair while she's on my lap. 


I have heard of rats being friendly with cats. I've also heard of rats terrorizing cats! I read once that a rat owner's cats became scared of the rats because when the cats would climb on the rat cage, the rats would nip at the cat's paws. When the rats were let out to play, the cats would avoid them. But I've also seen pictures of cats and rats snuggling and sleeping together. It may just boil down to the personalities of the animals.


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## veimar (Feb 19, 2014)

My rats LOVE to climb and sit on my shoulder! So there is a competition between them and my parrot who also loves my shoulder.  Mine were never afraid of a vacuum - they first were sort of wary of it, and now they just ignore it. I don't have cats, but with my parrot they sort of ignore each other - when they get too close to him he tries to bite them.


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## Juliah456 (Mar 12, 2014)

My Gus loves sitting on my shoulders, as does Willow. I guess some just like it c: And Gus also LOVES my cat. The feelings aren't requited, but Gussy sure does try, lol. He just wants to be friends with everyone ^_^


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## ratty_milkshake (Feb 24, 2014)

I think its natural for them to want to sit on your shoulder. Mine also do it automatically. The training refers to training them to go outside on your shoulder in a safe way - this includes recall training in case of an emergency outside etc. My rats always come to the bars when i am using my hairdryer. I also thought they would be afraid but they are actually curious.


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