# Young rat jumping on floor, please help I am at my last straw!



## courtney+ella (Jan 7, 2014)

Sophie my female rat, of 3-4 months old keeps jumping on the floor from my bed, i have a metal bed frame and she climbs under the mattress and jumps on to the floor from the slates, I have tried putting my bed on bed risers and blocking her favourite corner with a book, I have put peppermint oil down the bed legs, I don't know what else to do to stop her, it takes me 30mins to catch her after she jumps on the floor and it's making me not let her out as often because it's just exhausting please give me some advice this is my first rat to behave like this


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## ksaxton (Apr 20, 2014)

Most rats like to free range an entire room. Mine soon got bored on the bed and learned to get down on the floor. Full free range for Sophie might be a good idea and she will enjoy it more


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

The first command I teach a rat is "come" once they get that down, they can pretty much free range anywhere as I know I can get them back.

Also once your rat gets used to free ranging the room it will be less forbidden fruit and therefore less tasty which helps your recall command work better.

I've never had a girl rat that would stay on a bed or sofa for very long. Three hops and they are gone... Wild rats free range entire neighborhoods... imagine how boring a bed must feel.

Best luck.


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## Grotesque (Mar 19, 2014)

You might want to try a small harness with a leash. I know someone on here sells them. It would be a safe way to let her climb down while knowing she is within a leash length. You could also let her free range in the bathroom. It is easy to rat proof.


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## new_rattie_mommy (Aug 24, 2014)

Honestly I could never get my girl to stay on my bed either. Within 3 seconds she was on the floor and she was only 5 weeks old. They want to explore! It's not worth it all the drama you would go through trying to keep her up there cuz she's just gonna try and try to get down until she gets what she wants lol. All of my rats free roam my bedroom and it was very easy to ratproof. Just had to put some cardboard down on the bottom of my dresser so they couldn't get under there and make sure cords are taped down and limited to only the necessary ones. And honestly for the most part my rats have learned to leave the cords alone, it's only a problem at first so you have to keep the cords in sight and watch and correct them when you see it. The duct tape thing really helps though cuz then they cant get to the cords. Honestly that was all I had to do in my room and behaviorally my rats were a little naughty for the first month learning boundaries of what they are allowed to do while playing in my room but with correction I now hardly ever have to yell at them. Rats can learn pretty easily right and wrong and what behavior is acceptable. And trust me right now she is so into exploring your room that it is hard to catch her but it isn't like that forever. Just at first. I catch my rats right away at the end ofplaytime. They know better than to run from me. You also learn where they nap or hide to find them. Also your baby probably is afraid of you if you just got her so you do need to do immersion with her or she will definitely not want to be caught by you or bond with you and it's hard to bond in as big of a space as a bedroom cuz she won't be forced to come by you. I took my girl in my closet and shut the door at first for immersion since she won't stay on the bed. The bathroom is great too.

If you aren't comfortable with free range in your bedroom at all, you could use the bathroom permanently. My parents didn't allow them in my bedroom when I lived at home so i used the front entryway to my house which was small and tiled, kind of like a bathroom, so it was perfect. Think of a space like that where she can run and explore, small enough that she has to bond with you, at least for the immersion portion, and she can't escape like jumping off a bed cuz trust me they will do everything they can to explore beyond where you want them to! lol


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