# Bonding and handling tips?



## rattiemom4life (Jan 5, 2018)

I need some bonding and handling tips.

I just got two new boys (in addition to my older 4 month old rats) and I need advice on bonding for all of them. I don't have any issues with behavior or anything (they have never tried to bite or anything). I just need advice for idea on how to bond better with them. 

Thanks!


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## Shadow <3 (Jan 25, 2017)

Do you mean you’d like tips on bonding them together or bonding them with you? 

Because for intros, I always recommend the carrier method because I find it to be safest and quickest at bonding the new and old rats together.


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## rattiemom4life (Jan 5, 2018)

I meant tips on bonding with me 


Shadow <3 said:


> Do you mean you’d like tips on bonding them together or bonding them with you?
> 
> Because for intros, I always recommend the carrier method because I find it to be safest and quickest at bonding the new and old rats together.


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## Shadow <3 (Jan 25, 2017)

I’d recommend liquid treats then. Meat baby food to be specific.

In my experience, just about every rat is OBSESSED with meat baby food, and they will do just about anything for it. Assuming that you can already handle the rats, I recommend combing the two (and even if they dislike handling, combining it with meat baby food is a great way to make it a more positive experience).

Basically, pick up the rat, then feed meat baby food of your fingers. (As a note, be sure to feed the meat baby food off a metal spoon first, to teach the rats to lick it up instead of biting it.) You can also work on lure them into your hand to eat it, or pairing touch with it.


The way I’ve always tamed and bonded with my rats has been outside the cage in a safe space, so you could also try that. I have a small and large cardboard playpen I build to free-range my rats, as my room is unsafe for them to roam around in. While taming, I set up my smallest playpen (just larger than me sitting cross legged), take my rats out, then sit in the empty playpen with either a blanket or hoody on. I also bring sling meat baby food to help cement this area as a good experience.

This way, the rats get to explore the area and learn to treat me as a safe spot. I’ll also practice scooping up the rats, giving them a lick of meat baby food, then immediately letting them go. This way they learn that being picked up leads to good things, and not to scary things like being restrained for long periods of time. 


After my rats learn to tolerate and then enjoy handling, I switch to the large playpen. I add lots of toys and hides, and essentially just let the rats explore. After a while, they’ll end up near me again, at which point I’ll offer some treats. And after that, the rest is just repetition to accustomthem to my routine.


I’m also a big advocate of training small pets, and I train my rats daily. Spin, fetch, agility, weave walking, you name it! They love to train, and it’s a good way to bond with the less human oriented rats (and basically any rat in general). Each rat learns to communicate with me better, and overall they learn to trust that being around me and the play area is safe and fun!


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## Fefe4life (Nov 30, 2021)

Shadow <3 said:


> I’d recommend liquid treats then. Meat baby food to be specific.
> 
> In my experience, just about every rat is OBSESSED with meat baby food, and they will do just about anything for it. Assuming that you can already handle the rats, I recommend combing the two (and even if they dislike handling, combining it with meat baby food is a great way to make it a more positive experience).
> 
> ...


Hey I’m really interested in bonding/training my pet rat Fefe. I love the idea for bonding u described above. Do you have and tips for training? Fefe is an older rat I’m assuming. I don’t know much about her to be honest. I think she may be pregnant


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## Ratsarebeautiful (Jan 7, 2022)

Hi I’m a having trouble with bonding with one of my rats his name is dewie he’s a red eyed Siamese mix and always avoids me only come out for treats but when I try to pet just leans away or shoves with his nose for me to go away but both of his brothers are super friendly little dudes berry is a dwarf and is a baby so he’s the size of a mouse and figgy is a lot bigger than berry but is a double Rex and is a sweet boy and my 3 other rats are sweet big chunks who’s birthdays are coming soon July 1 yaya 1 year old rattie rats kinda worrying tho what I’m say is the are al sweet chunks and I really want dewie to be a sweet chunk


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## Ratsarebeautiful (Jan 7, 2022)




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## Seblett (6 mo ago)

Shadow <3 said:


> I’d recommend liquid treats then. Meat baby food to be specific.
> 
> In my experience, just about every rat is OBSESSED with meat baby food, and they will do just about anything for it. Assuming that you can already handle the rats, I recommend combing the two (and even if they dislike handling, combining it with meat baby food is a great way to make it a more positive experience).
> 
> ...


Hi Shadow! Cool to see you on here. I know this is an old thread but giving this a shot. I have 4 girls, 2 who have been with me a few months and 2 who are new and will soon be introduced to my existing pair. My 2 "old girls" (they're not old - about 7/8 months - Don't know for sure because I got them from a pet shop) are Filo and Sophie and we've come a long way from the first days  Filo is such a loving, gentle rat - She likes to be held, she comes looking for attention, she is totally relaxed with being picked up, even by strangers. Sofie, on the other hand, is like a tightly wound spring with ADHD. she runs everywhere, she spends HOURS on her wheel, jumps at noises and really HATES being touched or picked up. In fact, picking up is very tricky with her - she'll almost always run away, or she'll freeze up and sometimes allow herself to be picked up (I find if I'm firmer it's better) or once I start picking her up she'll let out a terrifying rat shriek and scramble away (shredding my hands in the process with her claws). She never bites, just tries to get away as fast as she can. We started with the liquid treats but I just couldn't get her to let me touch her - maybe I was too impatient - but now she is quite wary of me (unless I have treats, then she'll run up to me, see what I have, eat it, and then dash off again - all the while it keeping one eye on me (so to speak)) I tried using the small pen technique (I've only done this a few times and not consistently - so that might be a big part of the problem) and lots of wet treats and when she realised the game plan was to try and touch her/potentially pick her up she was not having it. She just wanted to get out of the pen. She even developed super rat abilities and manage to jump higher than I've ever seen - getting out of the pen. A 10 minute rat chase ensued. She wasn't terrified, she just didn't want to me to touch her - I know because when she found a hiding spot, she would come and eat treats, but just wouldn't come out enough for me to get her. In the end luring her into a tunnel worked. I do feel she's made SOME progress from when i first got her. A big thing is she'll climb on me quite happily but only to get to other places to explore. She uses me as a ladder, or a bridge and occassionally she might stop on my lap to chew my pants or something!  I mean, I don't think she's scared of me, she just doesn't trust me... And hates any kind of hands. Sometimes, when she's on her wheel, I'll reach in slowly and gently touch her. She'll lift her paw up and lean away, seemingly appalled. I'll speak softly and try gentle circular motions, but she doesn't enjoy it. When i move my hand away she immediately runs away. 

I'm not sure if the issue is just that I haven't been consistent enough. Or do you think she is just that kind of rat who will never really come round to handling. (In fairness, it has only been just over 3 months I've had them both). Do you think if I persevered with the small pen method she'd eventually come round, or would she just come to associate that time with being very uncomfortable, and unpleasant? I just don't want to push her or traumatise her.

PS: The two new girls are from a breeder - they're 8 weeks and 10 weeks. I've had them for 4 days and they are clearly much more comforatble with handling already.Interestingly one is slightly more comfortable with handling, and the other is slightly more skittish - but not to Sophie's levels!


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