# Rat that doesn't like to be petted?



## Skypie (Mar 31, 2008)

Every time I try to rub, pet, or scratch my girl Mia, she acts as if she doesn't enjoy it. She basically just continues exploring or runs away. We've had her for a little more than a month now and she has seemed to open up to us a lot. Do you think that she still is not completely used to me or she just does not like to be messed with?

The only reason I ask this is because I've browsed through many posts and see people who speak of their rat enjoying a good "rub" or what not.


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## AlxBlack17 (Dec 3, 2007)

Mine very rarely want to sit still and be pet. The only time I really can is through the cage bars when they are sleeping. From what I have seen and read, girls are hyper, curious and are constantly wanting to explore while boys are far more likely to sit with you and enjoy being pet. I know my housemate's boy is perfectly willing to sit in my lap and be scratched while my girls are always trying to get away.


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## Caity (Apr 1, 2008)

Especially if she is a young rat you'll have this. Girls are more energetic while boys are more likely to sit around and take affection. My boys are still pretty young and run around a lot. As they get older they tend to become more laid back.


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## SweetLittleDelilah (May 13, 2008)

Yup, my girl is like that too. She NEVER sits still unless she is eating grooming sleeping or, well...you know. xD


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## phaidraft (Apr 9, 2008)

SweetLittleDelilah said:


> Yup, my girl is like that too. She NEVER sits still unless she is eating grooming sleeping or, well...you know. xD


There's my answer. LOL


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## Skypie (Mar 31, 2008)

Thanks! I guess it's a combination of her being young and a female.  One thing that annoys me, though is that she lets my sister rub her sometimes and not me. 

Another thing I wanted to ask about is her being so jumpy. If she hears any type of loud noise she skedaddles to the nearest hiding spot. Are all rats like this?


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## SweetLittleDelilah (May 13, 2008)

Mine isn't, but my friend's male rat, Apollo, is afraid of EVERYTHING.
I think it may depend on how much they were handled and exposed to different types of things when they were babies, though I'm not completely sure on that.


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## AlxBlack17 (Dec 3, 2007)

She's just on the nervous side. One of my girls is scared of just about everything. Any sudden movements or loud/unexpected noises and she freaks out. She normally calms back down in a few seconds though. 

I think with your rat, it is probably partly that she is just nervous and partly that she is young and doesn't have a lot of experience or confidence yet. She will probably calm as she ages, I know mine is starting to.


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## Skypie (Mar 31, 2008)

Since she is from Petsmart, I'll assume that she wasn't handled a whole lot as a baby. She is also young, so both of these things tie together to make her a nervous rattie I guess.


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## amandahoney (May 14, 2007)

all personalities are different. i have two girls from the same litter, olive and matilda- olive's my totally fearless escape artist acrobat rat, and matilda's shy and skittish, and she squeaks and runs under things when someone tries to pet her. they were both born and raised in a friend's home (accident litter) by hand, so i think it's really just a matter of personality.

i figure as long as there's nothing physically wrong with her, and as long as she still has the other girls to cuddle and play with, i'll just let her do her thing and not bother her much, unless she wants me to. and it's slowly improving- the other day, a loud noise made her run to ME, into MY lap, instead of under a box. she's been here a year, and it's slow going. but there is hope.


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## Neverstrayed (Jun 16, 2008)

Both my girls are always on the move. I put it down to them just being hyper girls, they are a bit on the jumpy side but it has improved an awful lot and i get the odd 30second behind the ears scratch. I found that because at first i was always wary about moving too quick or being too loud that i'd make them jump and i think me thinking this made them worse because they have a sixth sense. Just relax and eventually your rat will get used to your movements and noise (whether it's your voice or the noise of you coughing etc). That's my theory anyway and it seems to have improved a lot.

Just try not to be scared of scaring them.


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## Skypie (Mar 31, 2008)

Thanks for the advice!

I've been working with her and she sometimes lets me get in that, "thirty second behind the ears scratch," like Neverstrayed said. 

I think it's kind of weird how girls are the hyper ones and boys are the lap rats. Isn't it usually opposite?


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## lovinmyworm (Feb 18, 2008)

My female rat loves to sit and be pet, but then again she's kind of an old lady and is really lazy even for a girl. My boys on the other hand are on a spectrum.... Mr. Frumples loves to sit and be pet, but let one thing catch his eye and he's off! He's a daredevil and a bit of a spaz. Goo is like his name says... you pick him up and he becomes a pile of goo in your hands. He loves to be held, cuddled, pet and will fall asleep anywhere on you even your shoulder and then fall off. His litter mate Capitan Morgan though doesn't like to be pet, he would actually rather you didn't even think of touching him let alone pick him up and pet him. He is wild, crazy, and hyper! He hasn't changed a bit since I got him. He tolerates me holding him, but after about 30 seconds he wants to be let go and wants to run around and get into trouble. He is who he is, he doesn't bite, doesn't protest too much to being picked up so I don't try to change his behavior. 

So yeah it really varies depending on the rat. I'd try working with your rat and see if they can come to enjoy being pet, but if all else fails she might just be like my Capitan.


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## radlations (May 24, 2008)

My girl when I first got her was really laid back and would sit on my chest and let me pet her all the time. Then she got sick and I gave her to petco for 2 weeks of medication.

When I got her back she was scared of EVERY thing.

Then after a few weeks she calmed down a little bit. Shes used to me being there and lets me pet her when she sticks her nose between the bars. I also play-wrestle with her. She does the funniest thing. She'll hop around and run back in her hut for 3 seconds and then come out really fast. And sometimes she'll pick up the ferret ball and bring it around the cage. Idk why she does this. :roll: 

She never sits still long enough for me to pet her except when shes sleeping.


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