# very embarrassing, but i need help



## rattyandseekersmum (Sep 29, 2012)

so, without too many details, i have an embarrasing problem. well both me and my partner do. over the last week or so, our older rat, who is 6 months, has started to act strangely. lately he has been escaping from his cage at night and coming into our room and snuggling up, which was ok. but now its whenever my partner and i decide we want 'alone' time, he bolts into our room, and sits on my partner where he shouldnt, and just wont move. if i try to pick him up, he hisses, and if my partner picks him up, he clings onto my partners chest, and starts grooming his nipples :/
how do we stop our older rat from ruining things, and prevent the other one doing the same?


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

My suggestion would be to put them in their cage any time such activity is going to take place, that way you won't have to worry about it. It means scheduling your private time a little more carefully, but, well..... I don't know if anyone else is going to have any better alternatives.


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## rattyandseekersmum (Sep 29, 2012)

problem is, they ARE in their cage in another room. but we had to buy the 2 best escape artists in the rat world :/


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

What's the spacing on the bars of the cage? If they're young, they may be able to fit in between bars that would work for an adult male. Anything larger than 1/2" is probably not going to hold them.


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## rattyandseekersmum (Sep 29, 2012)

the one we have trouble with is a very large, fat adult male. no way he can fit between the bars, but he can open the doors, even when they are tied shut he manages to undo it and open them -_-


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## CrazyRatLady (Oct 20, 2012)

What a smart rat xD What kind of cage do you have that allows him to be able to open it? 
At least when he escapes he comes and finds you (even if it's not at the best times lol).


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## rattyandseekersmum (Sep 29, 2012)

its sort of like your pet manors and what not, i think. the doors generally just clip onto the rung above. is there anyway i can try and train it not to interrupt at the wrong times? plus when it grooms my partners nipples, he starts tugging on his chest hair too, which i think would be painful. means my partner makes funny faces though


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## CrazyRatLady (Oct 20, 2012)

Lol! It's probably not as funny to your partner as it is to you.. though I'd probably laugh too.
All of the cages that I've had (& currently have) are the same with the door clipping onto the bar above.. I really can't think of any solution short of pad-locking the cage shut.. But that seems like overkill. Maybe you could clip a carabiner keychain to the door and onto the cage after shutting the cage just to make sure he can't open it. 
Rats are generally curious and nosey creatures, so as far as training him to not interrupt at the "wrong times" I don't think there's much you can do. If your rat wants to be with you he doesn't care or understand that it's not the best time to come around.


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## riotfox (Apr 16, 2010)

i would reccomend fixing the cage or getting a new one, even apart from this specific problem, there may be times when he needs to be locked up for safety reasons and you have to have somewhere to put hin which is secure. i dont think training would really be an option. it would probably be too much for him to understand, that he needs to go away on command or otherwise, and stay away for a time, then that they are allowed to come back at other time. i think maybe you could train him not to come in the bed at all but it would take a lot of effort and mightnt be what you want. otherwise, why not just shut to door to the room, with him on the other side?


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## rattyandseekersmum (Sep 29, 2012)

are carabiner clips like the attachment at the top of hanging food kebab things, where the piece has to be twisted to shut the hole? if so, tried and failed. he sat there for over 2 hours to get it undone, and now has figured out how to undo it fast. can undo it far quicker than me. also, is there a reason he only does it to my partner, and if i try to remove him, he gets grumpy with me? because the rest of the time, the rat spends it all with me and cuddles me, and ignores my partner, until we want to be alone -_-


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## Phoebe_22 (Aug 8, 2012)

My rat used to be able to open her cage too, so I used a claw type hair clip to close over the cage door clip, she was a genius but never figured that out


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

It sounds like it may be something triggered by... er, well, pheromones given off during private time, for lack of a better word.


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## rattyandseekersmum (Sep 29, 2012)

so do we have to cover my partner in perfume or something? :/


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## IOVERATS (Aug 25, 2012)

Well, I'm no expert but it isn't really something you can cover up I don't think, but I'm not really sure what to suggest apart from that you could maybe get some chicken wire to cover up the cage whilst your with your partner during 'private time' this should stop any escaping but if that doesn't work then I'm at a loss, I'm sure this isn't a pleasant experience for you or your partner, this needs to be stopped before the rat becomes aggressive towards you or your partner. It seems your bad ratty is rather enjoying this, I'm hoping someone can help you more than me, as I said earlier, I'm no expert nor am I trying to be one, but I was just wondering if any of this would work, it does seem strange to me about the dirty things your rat is doing.


A wise t-shirt once said 'my rats think your gross too!' directed at all you rat haters out there!


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## trematode (Sep 8, 2012)

Is it possible to move the rat cage and have it in a room where a door can be shut?


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## gal5150 (Aug 14, 2012)

If you want the door to stay shut buy a small padlock, hardware store, a few bucks. Problem of escape solved.


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## Drowsy (Oct 23, 2012)

I use clips from old dog leashes on my cage's doors. I have three of them.
Works like a charm.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

If you're certain that you've tried everything, your only option is to get a new cage. They really need to have a secure cage for their safety.


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## rattyandseekersmum (Sep 29, 2012)

happened again last night. off this morning to buy a new cage, padlocks and more clips. we ended up with both of them. too bad they wont be able to do it again, if i have my way


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## riotfox (Apr 16, 2010)

this is a carabiner clip: http://www.australianexplorer.com/shop/products/371.phpi was also going to suggest a padlock. and dog lead-type clips would work great! you could also try a putting a small keyring on the door.


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## Willieboo (Oct 22, 2012)

Not sure if I'm getting the cage door description right or not, but if you have a door that clips into the other bars above, bigger rats especially can be strong enough to unclip it of course (I try to avoid those types of cages because I have had wicked escape artists too before.) I would recommend (if you can) getting some type of cage with a spring-loaded door. My cage is metal wire and the clip that holds the door is also metal wire, but it's a super-firm spring-loaded hook-type clip that's virtually impossible for a rat to undo (I myself have a hard time getting it open because it holds so firm). As far as I've heard from other sources too, spring loaded door hooks are the best option to foil an escape artist in the works. However all rats are different. The spring loaded hook has been effective for foiling my rats but may not be for others. So it just takes a little experimentation to see what will work I suppose. And carabiner clips may work too, as long as your rat can't figure them out. I have heard of people putting padlocks on cages too unfortunately, if they have extreme escapees that just won't be foiled so easily.


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