# What to do with new rats when having to clean the cage?



## jempula (Feb 16, 2021)

Hello again!

I know I have too many questions right now but.. yeah, I just need some extra help being a new rat mom 😅

So the situation is that in two days I've had my babies for a week and they are not yet comfortable with me picking them up but I would soon have to do a full cage cleaning since it's soon been a week so.. what should I do?
I was planning on putting the babies in their carrier for the time while I clean but how do I even do that since I don't think I can just pick them up yet.. they are pretty comfortable coming on me on their own but if I try anything, they'll just bolt instantly, soooo any suggestions? 😅


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## MinkShadow (Mar 5, 2021)

Lure them into the carrier. Put it in the cage with some food in it or an item they really like


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## 511958 (Feb 11, 2019)

I agree with @MinkShadow, I would lure them into the carrier with food. If that doesn't work you could also try cleaning the cage while they're in there, you can block off a section for them or work around them. If they are really skittish they probably won't bother you


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## jempula (Feb 16, 2021)

MinkShadow said:


> Lure them into the carrier. Put it in the cage with some food in it or an item they really like


Thank you, I will try that!


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## MinkShadow (Mar 5, 2021)

jempula said:


> Thank you, I will try that!


It's what I do with my new rat Sage, she doesn't really like being picked up


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## jempula (Feb 16, 2021)

Willow&Whiskers said:


> I agree with @MinkShadow, I would lure them into the carrier with food. If that doesn't work you could also try cleaning the cage while they're in there, you can block off a section for them or work around them. If they are really skittish they probably won't bother you


Thank you! This is great, I think I'll first try if I could somehow lure them in the carrier since that would be the easiest for the cleaning but yeah if that doesn't work then I could possibly just get them to go to the upstairs or downstairs of the cage and block the hole so I can clean the other half! 😊


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## CorbinDallasMyMan (Feb 24, 2017)

I quickly and confidently scoop new rats up to bring them out of their cage. You may need some practice to do it confidently. I find that the more I pick up new nervous young rats, the more quickly they get comfortable with it and it's much easier to bond with them.


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## jempula (Feb 16, 2021)

CorbinDallasMyMan said:


> I quickly and confidently scoop new rats up to bring them out of their cage. You may need some practice to do it confidently. I find that the more I pick up new nervous young rats, the more quickly they get comfortable with it and it's much easier to bond with them.


Interesting! I wonder if I should try that or just wait for them to be really comfortable with it.. this is hard because I don't know which way would be the best and I don't want to scare the babies but I do want them to get comfortable with me


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## Rex the Rat (Apr 7, 2020)

I personally like to take the opposite approach to @CorbinDallasMyMan’s. I would rather the rats learn to associate me with positive things including respect of their boundaries (counter conditioning). While desensitising (in this case, lessening the rats’ sensitivity towards being handled through repeated exposure) works wonderfully, I don’t want to risk sensitizing (making the rats act sensitively to being handled) by flooding them with what they’re afraid of. But it’s up to you which approach you’d like to take.


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## TwilxghtRat (Nov 27, 2020)

I also recommend the pick up method, but you must be confident. If you feel like you might drop them, don’t do it and go for Rex the Rat’s method! Try picking them up NOT like a bird (Image shown of what NOT to do)








This method is good for rats that trust you, but will definitely spook unfamiliar rats!

This is the method I suggest:


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## Tinytoes (Dec 23, 2020)

TwilxghtRat said:


> I also recommend the pick up method, but you must be confident. If you feel like you might drop them, don’t do it and go for Rex the Rat’s method! Try picking them up NOT like a bird (Image shown of what NOT to do)
> View attachment 304023
> 
> This method is good for rats that trust you, but will definitely spook unfamiliar rats!
> ...


That's how I pick my older babies up, didn't know it had a name lol. I can't really get two hands in the cage to scoop them with all the hammocks and hide boxes and things to get behind. Even now in free roam, when they know it's time to go, I pick them up like a bird and quickly put them in the carrier. They are used to being handled and don't mind because I do it very quickly and hold them to my face for a quick whisper and kiss before putting them inside.


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## Tinytoes (Dec 23, 2020)

Of course with the babies, they will learn with the two-hand method that they are safe and secure. I always whisper their name and give kisses before they go to the next location. But for cage cleaning, I think just getting in there and working around them and making it a routine will help them to know you aren't coming in to eat them


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## jempula (Feb 16, 2021)

Rex the Rat said:


> I personally like to take the opposite approach to @CorbinDallasMyMan’s. I would rather the rats learn to associate me with positive things including respect of their boundaries (counter conditioning). While desensitising (in this case, lessening the rats’ sensitivity towards being handled through repeated exposure) works wonderfully, I don’t want to risk sensitizing (making the rats act sensitively to being handled) by flooding them with what they’re afraid of. But it’s up to you which approach you’d like to take.


I have been doing this now from the beginning and I'd say it's going pretty well, I mean I don't know if they should already be very very comfortable with me or not but at least two of them have visited my neck a couple of times on their own terms and the shyest one has gotten on my arm, almost shoulder once. They don't yet let me actually like pet them, at least at any other times than when they are just really sleepy and don't mind that much but yeah. And tomorrow I've had them for a week!


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## TwilxghtRat (Nov 27, 2020)

I also pick up my girls with the bird method! But I wouldn’t suggest it for younger babies who would be scared out of their tails 😂


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## jempula (Feb 16, 2021)

TwilxghtRat said:


> I also recommend the pick up method, but you must be confident. If you feel like you might drop them, don’t do it and go for Rex the Rat’s method! Try picking them up NOT like a bird (Image shown of what NOT to do)
> View attachment 304023
> 
> This method is good for rats that trust you, but will definitely spook unfamiliar rats!
> ...


Thank you so much, this is really helpful advice!! I do worry though that I couldn't do the proper picking up method fast enough since they literally yeet away anytime I try to approach them with my hand, they are only really fine with climbing on me and stuff when my hand is just still and they come to me but if I try to reach out for them, nope 😅


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## jempula (Feb 16, 2021)

Tinytoes said:


> Of course with the babies, they will learn with the two-hand method that they are safe and secure. I always whisper their name and give kisses before they go to the next location. But for cage cleaning, I think just getting in there and working around them and making it a routine will help them to know you aren't coming in to eat them


Yeah, I'll have to try the safe and secure method, I just feel like they'll just bolt away but we'll see 😅 But yeah, I think I'll either try to lure them into their carrier or if that doesn't work then I'll try to work around them 😅


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## buddy/sire (Jan 19, 2021)

l scoop them like ice cream


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## Rex the Rat (Apr 7, 2020)

jempula said:


> I'd say it's going pretty well, I mean I don't know if they should already be very very comfortable with me or not but at least two of them have visited my neck a couple of times on their own terms and the shyest one has gotten on my arm, almost shoulder once


That's great! A week isn't very long and those are big milestones!


jempula said:


> They don't yet let me actually like pet them, at least at any other times than when they are just really sleepy and don't mind that much but yeah.


If you do touch-treat sessions with them, they should learn to love being handled! Essentially, you continuously touch them in different areas then give a treat while gradually going from touching to stroking to petting to holding etc.


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## jempula (Feb 16, 2021)

Rex the Rat said:


> That's great! A week isn't very long and those are big milestones!
> 
> If you do touch-treat sessions with them, they should learn to love being handled! Essentially, you continuously touch them in different areas then give a treat while gradually going from touching to stroking to petting to holding etc.


Aww yay, thank you for that! I've been worrying a lot if we are making any progress or enough progress but I guess we are! 🥰 And thank you for the tip, I will have to try that out soon, hopefully it would help get them more comfortable with petting and my hands on them in general!


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## jempula (Feb 16, 2021)

Hey also, kind of somehow related to my first question-ish (in my mind at least)!!

So tomorrow my friend from another city would be coming over to our place and she is going to bring her dog with her. She is going to come semi early in the day and then leave the same day late at night. Our rat cage is in our living room and well that's usually where people hang out when people come to visit so the dog would also be in the living room. So I was wondering since I have a critter nation and it has wheels, that would it be too stressful for them if I'd move their cage to our bedroom for the time that my friend and her dog are here? Because I at least imagine that being in the same room with a dog would be more stressful than that, I think? But like.. do you think they'd be scared or stressed out in another room for almost a day, or would they be fine since they are still in their own safe cage? 
I want to find out the least stressful solution for them for tomorrow


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## a1phanine (Mar 27, 2018)

jempula said:


> Hey also, kind of somehow related to my first question-ish (in my mind at least)!!
> 
> So tomorrow my friend from another city would be coming over to our place and she is going to bring her dog with her. She is going to come semi early in the day and then leave the same day late at night. Our rat cage is in our living room and well that's usually where people hang out when people come to visit so the dog would also be in the living room. So I was wondering since I have a critter nation and it has wheels, that would it be too stressful for them if I'd move their cage to our bedroom for the time that my friend and her dog are here? Because I at least imagine that being in the same room with a dog would be more stressful than that, I think? But like.. do you think they'd be scared or stressed out in another room for almost a day, or would they be fine since they are still in their own safe cage?
> I want to find out the least stressful solution for them for tomorrow


My rats arent really bothered about dogs, theyre interested in each other and sniff through the bars
just make sure they dont bring fleas or mites into your home..


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## Enne (Dec 12, 2020)

I doubt they'd care much about being moved into a different room, while still being in their own cage. But they probably won't care about the dog either as long as the dog isn't trying to break into the cage or otherwise bother them.


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## buddy/sire (Jan 19, 2021)

Ye my doggo is scared of my rattos


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## jempula (Feb 16, 2021)

a1phanine said:


> My rats arent really bothered about dogs, theyre interested in each other and sniff through the bars
> just make sure they dont bring fleas or mites into your home..


Okay thank you!! I don't know all that much about fleas and mites in animals but the owner of the dog would probably know if the dog had those, I think??


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## jempula (Feb 16, 2021)

Enne said:


> I doubt they'd care much about being moved into a different room, while still being in their own cage. But they probably won't care about the dog either as long as the dog isn't trying to break into the cage or otherwise bother them.


Thank you!! I asked my friend what she thinks her dog might act like and she said that he might be a bit too excited about the rats and possibly bother them so I'm going to move them in our bedroom (literally just on the other side of the wall) and keep the door closed while the dog is here and then move them right back to their spot when the dog leaves!


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## jempula (Feb 16, 2021)

buddy/sire said:


> Ye my doggo is scared of my rattos


Haha, oh nooo 😂


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## buddy/sire (Jan 19, 2021)

wow ur in finland thats far 
what do finland rattos look like


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## 511958 (Feb 11, 2019)

buddy/sire said:


> wow ur in finland thats far
> what do finland rattos look like


Probably just normal ratties


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## buddy/sire (Jan 19, 2021)

ha LOL l was joking LOL 
they are prob just as cute too!!


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## jempula (Feb 16, 2021)

buddy/sire said:


> wow ur in finland thats far
> what do finland rattos look like


Haha! They look something like this here, these are two of my three girls 🥰 Awesome Finland rattos


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## TwilxghtRat (Nov 27, 2020)

Aww! They’re so cute 😍


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## jempula (Feb 16, 2021)

TwilxghtRat said:


> Aww! They’re so cute 😍


Aaww thank youuuu! 🥰


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## Lellibelle (Feb 20, 2021)

Although I would love to do this with ours that are 4 months old. They have already been re- homed a couple of times and will not let us pick them up. They go to the top of the cage and cling there so can't get them out. They are scared. One also bites. So how do you suggest we get them in their cleaning cage. We have had so much difficulty. We've had them a month and really taking it slow with them as they are scared. They will have hands in cage. Only one eats from hand but no pick up. Any suggestions for me please.


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## Rex the Rat (Apr 7, 2020)

What have you done to bond so far? To get them used to being picked up you can do a touch-treat session. You touch then give a treat, gradually going from a touch to petting to being picked up. Meanwhile, you can use a [transport box] to move them during cage cleaning.


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## Lellibelle (Feb 20, 2021)

We've tried stroking the 2 that cling to the cage and 1 of them bites. The third 1 will take food from our hand but is reluctant to be stroked, she shies away & hides from our hands. We have managed to lift 1 of the clingers for a cuddle but she wasn't too happy about it so she had to go back in the cage. The biter won't be lifted at all and neither will the feeder. The clingers won't take anything from our hands because they're too busy clinging to the cage


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## Rex the Rat (Apr 7, 2020)

Allow them to hide if they need to. Respecting their boundaries is another way for them to associate you positively. Let them come to you _then_ reward them. When they choose to come despite their fear and get rewarded for doing so, it sticks in their brain and teaches them confidence. Especially when working with biting rats. Rats bite to defend themselves; if you can slowly have your biter (and clingers) associate touch with yummy treats rather then fear, you'll have much happier rats!


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## Lellie (Feb 19, 2021)

Rex the Rat said:


> Allow them to hide if they need to. Respecting their boundaries is another way for them to associate you positively. Let them come to you _then_ reward them. When they choose to come despite their fear and get rewarded for doing so, it sticks in their brain and teaches them confidence. Especially when working with biting rats. Rats bite to defend themselves; if you can slowly have your biter (and clingers) associate touch with yummy treats rather then fear, you'll have much happier rats!


Well we have done this and are making very slow progress but how do we get them into another smaller cage to clean them if we are still the handling is a work in progress. Thank you so much for your valid advice.


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## Lellie (Feb 19, 2021)

Lellie said:


> Well we have done this and are making very slow progress but how do we get them into another smaller cage to clean them if we are still the handling is a work in progress. Thank you so much for your valid advice.


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## jempula (Feb 16, 2021)

Also hi! If anyone cares for an update on how I eventually dealt with these things with new rats, here's how:
-The cleaning: I tried to get my rats to their carrier with treats and they went in there but also came right out, sometimes they were there longer too and didn't seem to mind it, but if I moved it at all, they bolted out. So since that didn't work, I "locked" them in the downstairs of their critter nation (they were upset with me down there even though I gave them treats in there and stuff to do but anyway) and cleaned the upstairs and then vice versa.
-The dog visit: I just rolled their cage in our bedroom and rolled it back out in the evening, they were fine!


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