# Free Roaming Failing



## samdameron309 (Feb 22, 2021)

Hey guys I’m having the worst time getting my rats to like me/trust me. They are so back and forth about if they trust me or not. But the real issue I want to talk about is free roaming. My girls HATE it. I built them a maze with treats, gave them a large area to scope out, and sat in there with them. They just went and hid in one box and shaked for a good 20 minutes. Finally they came out and took some treats and explored a little but then went right back to being terrified when I left the play pen area to give them more space. Also please don’t say to use treats, 95% of the time they will not take or eat treats outside of the cage, this includes yogurt and baby food. Today is the first time they took treats from me and ate them in the free roam pen. I just don’t know what to do to ease their anxiety about being away from the cage. My room (where the cage is) is too small to free roam so I usually set the pen up in the living room and the cage is too bulky to move into the living room. 
I don’t want to make them free roam if they don’t like it but I know they need stimulation outside of the cage for at least an hour each day.
I know some rats will not be cuddly (especially pet store rats like these girls) but they just seem so terrified of me even when I’m giving them treats. 
please help I just want them to have a good life where they aren’t scared all the time.


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## ratmom! (Mar 11, 2021)

Try to have bonding time. Where did you get your rats? Also, if the playpen is huge with wide open space, your rats might be a little scared. Rats are prey animals and it would scary for them to run in a wide open spot. give them more things to hide on and let them crawl on you and know they are safe with you. Get some toilet paper and rub it on your arms to get your scent on it and put it in their cage. This will help them get to know your scent.


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## Enne (Dec 12, 2020)

They'll most likely warm up to the idea, eventually. My boys didn't willingly come out for playtime for a few months. Now I can open the cage door and they'll come out on their own. It just takes time.

Sometimes, rats just don't want to be picked up or handled that much. It's normal for some to be that way, so keep that in mind. They'll probably calm down over time though, so don't give up trying to bond with them! It can take a while for them to warm up to people. Especially when they're pet store stock. Not really bred to be super tame.


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## samdameron309 (Feb 22, 2021)

samdameron309 said:


> Hey guys I’m having the worst time getting my rats to like me/trust me. They are so back and forth about if they trust me or not. But the real issue I want to talk about is free roaming. My girls HATE it. I built them a maze with treats, gave them a large area to scope out, and sat in there with them. They just went and hid in one box and shaked for a good 20 minutes. Finally they came out and took some treats and explored a little but then went right back to being terrified when I left the play pen area to give them more space. Also please don’t say to use treats, 95% of the time they will not take or eat treats outside of the cage, this includes yogurt and baby food. Today is the first time they took treats from me and ate them in the free roam pen. I just don’t know what to do to ease their anxiety about being away from the cage. My room (where the cage is) is too small to free roam so I usually set the pen up in the living room and the cage is too bulky to move into the living room.
> I don’t want to make them free roam if they don’t like it but I know they need stimulation outside of the cage for at least an hour each day.
> I know some rats will not be cuddly (especially pet store rats like these girls) but they just seem so terrified of me even when I’m giving them treats.
> please help I just want them to have a good life where they aren’t scared all the time.


They are pet store rats. My partner tried to find a breeder but I think he got a little impatient. What do you do for bonding time? I try to put them in a hoodie and let them sleep on me at least 2 times a week. They are very familiar with my scent as we’ve been doing that for a few months now. I also have given paper towels with my scent on it before. I’ve given them a minimum of 5 boxes to run and hide through in the free roam area and yet they still just hide in one of the boxes and shake for the whole time.


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## ratmom! (Mar 11, 2021)

oh they are from a petstore? pet store rats arent held often and they are very timid. next time it would be so so much better to get from a rescue or breeder. it looks like you are doing everything right and keep doing that. like @Enne said, it just takes time.


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## samdameron309 (Feb 22, 2021)

Thanks so much guys. 🥺🥺🥺 I just want them to be happy and get all the excitement and exercise they need to be happy and healthy rats. I just hate seeing them be so upset.


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## Rats4All (Feb 4, 2021)

You could try maybe putting a blanket in a bathtub??? Then the space is smaller. Also, WEAR LONG BAGGY CLOTHS.


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## CorbinDallasMyMan (Feb 24, 2017)

I'd continue to scoop them up out of their cage every day and spend an hour or so in their playpen. Rats can be timid in new situations and environments. Once they become familiar with their playpen, they'll be a lot more confident. The only way for them to become familiar is for it to become a part of their routine. 

Don't worry about picking up your rats and spending time with them in their playpen. It won't harm your bond, it will actually allow them to bond with you more quickly.


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## Tinytoes (Dec 23, 2020)

Rats4All said:


> You could try maybe putting a blanket in a bathtub??? Then the space is smaller. Also, WEAR LONG BAGGY CLOTHS.


Yup, smaller area, quiet, dark, get yerself a Rat-robe, something they can hide in. Try the bathtub (I ALWAYS start babies in the tub lol) or the bed. Beds work pretty good too. Don't give them things to hide in, just you and a treat like cream of wheat you can feed with your fingers. Then you sit...and sit...and talk quietly and wait for them to come out on their own. Could take a week of this every day before they decide it's not such a bad thing. Pic of me in the bath tub with 8 week old babies lol

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## a1phanine (Mar 27, 2018)

Get under a blanket on your bed with them, do that daily and they'll soon be super close with you


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## Tinytoes (Dec 23, 2020)

a1phanine said:


> Get under a blanket on your bed with them, do that daily and they'll soon be super close with you


That's a great idea!! It's like my rat-robe tent. They feel safe and trust you when enclosed with you. Cuz you kinda give them no choice, so they bond with you as their protector.


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## Funkypinkpat (Mar 8, 2021)

Small space with you there. Just let them be. It took my boys a few weeks to really warm up to me. I did the bed with towels and a bunch of hiding places. It's where I give them their treats too. They learn to trust me and now move all over me. It took me about a month of doing this every night. 
Bonding sometimes takes time


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## samdameron309 (Feb 22, 2021)

Tinytoes said:


> Yup, smaller area, quiet, dark, get yerself a Rat-robe, something they can hide in. Try the bathtub (I ALWAYS start babies in the tub lol) or the bed. Beds work pretty good too. Don't give them things to hide in, just you and a treat like cream of wheat you can feed with your fingers. Then you sit...and sit...and talk quietly and wait for them to come out on their own. Could take a week of this every day before they decide it's not such a bad thing. Pic of me in the bath tub with 8 week old babies lol
> View attachment 304330


OMG BABIES SO CUTE!!! I wish I could do a bathtub but one of my girls is an amazing jumper and will jump out of it. Also my tub has mold that won’t stop growing. ((( 



a1phanine said:


> Get under a blanket on your bed with them, do that daily and they'll soon be super close with you


Unfortunately my bed is too low to the ground and they just jump off of it and run away.

thank you so much for all the answers guys. I’m going to keep working on the free roam area everyday and hopefully they will get used to it and be less scared. I’m sorry if it seems like I’m shooting down all your answers! I’m not! I have just also tried a lot of the suggestions or they don’t work for my set up. And maybe I just need to accept that they won’t be as cuddly as I’d love them to be. I really appreciate all of your help from the bottom of my heart. I never expected to fall so in love with my boyfriends rats but they just have so much personality and they are so smart and funny. I’ve spent hours just sitting next to their cage watching them run around and play.


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## KimmyKim (Mar 30, 2021)

Hey! Can you give an update on how it’s going? I have pet store rats too and I’m struggling to get them feeling comfortable with free roam time too. I have started sliding my bed against the cage and putting a ladder from the cage to my bed. I’ve got two (out of three) of them to successfully exit the cage onto my bed for explore time! 🎉 They stay on the bed and run from the bed to the cage any time they hear a noise but baby steps..


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