Any ideas on how to train a pet rat?

Question

About a month ago, my sister got me a black and white male fancy rat. He was tiny when we got him, about 2 months old, and I could pick him up and put him on my shoulder. One day, about three weeks ago, me and my boyfriend let him run in a small area of my room. He went under my dresser and he wouldn't come out. It took us an hour to get him out; I finally had to resort to tricking him into a Hollister shopping bag and then in his cage. Now, he wont let me touch him or anything (unless he's eating and his mouth is full). He tries to bite me everytime I stick my hand in the cage. I've had rats before, but they were either already comfortable with humans or they were born when I accidentally bought a pregnant female. But this one...geeze! Help?

Answer 1

http://www.gomestic.com/Pets/Unusual-Pet...

more treats when he is out with you.. more time out of the cage, if they are in the cage too much it becomes their "safe place"

Answer 2

Make sure the train stops moving first, or the rat could get hurt.

But, rats are fairly industrious animals, so he will probably figure it out.

Answer 3

Food is the best motivator.  Make the same noise, ike clcking or something, when you give the rat bits of food from your hand.  Eventually, it will come to associate this noise with food and come when it hears it.  I had a pet rat and she was so smart and sweet!  I loved her a lot.

Answer 4

Spend as much free time as you can with him, obviously he was traumatised by what happened, so you have to rebuild his trust.Try lying on your bed with him, letting him run around for a while, make it fun by making a little assault course with a few toys, eg tunnels made from cardboard , empty boxes, etc, talk to him gently, and if he'll allow you, stroke him gently.Perhaps offer him a little treat, like a couple of little yogurt drops, food is a great training aid.This way he associate free time out of his cage with you as being fun.

Also, try gettting him a male cagemate, rats are very sociable creatures and should be kept in pairs or groups.