Bonding with a new rat/ introducing another rat?

Question

I got an adult rat yesterday named Sally. Her old owners told me she was really sweet and loved being held but she seems really uncomfortable when I hold her. When I put my hand in her cage she comes out of her hut just far enough so I can pet her head but she seems really afraid of me picking her up. Of course I don't expect her to be comfortable with me on the first day but I don't want this to last forever. What should I do to make her more comfortable around me? Should I get her out of her cage and pet her or just wait until she comes out on her own?

I'm planning on getting her a friend in about a week as well. Since Sally is an adult and has most likely always been by herself will it be hard to introduce a new rat to her? And I will probably get it from the pet store so is it okay if the new rat is young and Sally is older?

Answer 1

Talking to her, giving her treats, and things like that are the best.  She just needs to learn she can trust you.  Hopefully it happens quickly, but it can take a few weeks sometimes.  

If you take her out of the cage, you could try holding her in a knit hat or similar, so she can feel more secure then just being in your hands.

Girls usually can be pretty easy to introduce rats to, and most rats are really tolerant of young ones.  If you contact a rescue and explain the situation, they can probably help match you up with the proper rat or two. :)  Having a friend may make her feel more comfortable, too, but make sure you quarantine the other rat first (so it won't get her sick) and make sure to introduce on neutral ground.  Good luck!

Answer 2

The reason she is acting like this toward you is because she doesnt trust you. You are probably going to have to do a little bit of trust training with her. Debbie the rat lady has a very imformative article on this. Put in Rat fan club on the search engine. Click on it. Look to the left and click on rat info. Scroll down to behavior and under that are 3 things. Click on trust training for frightened rats. If I were you I would check into this. It has helped me more times than I can count.