First day home with the rats...?

Question

Alright I brought my rats home today.

4 Females: Ruthie, Lucy, Pheonix, and Whitley.

They were born June 13th.

I have a temp. cage set up. Smaller so I will be able to get to them. It has a cardboard box set up for them to hide in, a couple of wood blocks, a litter box, food, water, and a little ladder to play on for now.

My question: For today am I supposed to be taking them out and messing with them? Or am I supposed to be just letting them chill out and adjust (I know the car trip freaked them out and the noise from the dogs and cats).

Answer 1

Leave them alon for a day so they adjust.  They are scared because they just moved completley to a different place.  

They would like to be played with afterwards!

Have fun with your Rats!!

Answer 2

rats!

awesome choice. i had two; lisa and sally ..  but i gave them away to a family with two kids a few months ago because, i go to my cottage alot during the summer. haha, they thought that it was amazing that if you l**k your finger and put it infront of it's mouth it will l**k your finger. but, yeah they are amazing pets.

but anyway ..

for today i think you should just let them chill + adjust.

it's better for them, so that they know their surroundings.

make sure you up size the cage as soon as possible because, they'll need it !

good luck,

mal.

Answer 3

Let them get used to their cage in a quiet area, but maybe sit near their cage and read or do something on the computer.  It will help them to have you nearby and you don't have to worry about freaking them out by handling them too much.

You could even let them sniff/l**k your fingers through the cage bars, or crawl on your hand when it is in the cage.  You just have to make sure that it is them choosing to crawl on you.  If one of them happens to crawl out on your shoulder, great!  Obviously that one wants to be held and you have the green light to hold her until she seems like she wants to go back in (squirms, fidgets etc.)

Basically, hang out near them and give them the opportunity to explore you if they wish, but let them control the pace of things.  

Good luck, and I'm so happy to hear that you chose to get pet rats!

Answer 4

I would give them a little time to get acclimatized, then slowly start socializing. If possible, let them approach you on their own terms. Keep them in the room with you and let them see and hear you though.

Answer 5

I'd say this depends on how they were handled before. Did you get them from a breeder who handled them a lot? If so, just give them a few hours to a day to adjust and then start interacting with them. If you got them from a pet store, I would give them at least two days to settle in, because pet store rats aren't as used to change or people.

Congrats on your new additions! Rats make WONDERFUL pets. :]

Answer 6

let them adjust to there new place

Answer 7

Definitely leave them alone for 24-48 hrs so they can adjust to the scents & noises, along with feel comfortable in their new home.

Personally, I see no reason why they have to be in a smaller cage for now. If they have a larger cage that will actually be their home, then that's the cage they should be getting accustomed to, right now.

Anyways, just let them relax for now. Do not rush into taking them out & handling. They should trust your hand first, before it grabs at them. :)

Answer 8

If I were you, I'd let them adjust. Let them adjust to their surrounding, in the house, and in there cage. Let them adjust to there new home. Then, you can play with them.

Answer 9

I started handling my rats a bit the day they came home. Once they had a nap or something and started eating, I'd pet them in their cage a bit or offer them a treat from my hand. Then, I can pick them up and pet them softly, only short bits very often throughout the day.

A couple hours of getting used to the cage is just fine. Signs like eating, drinking, and napping are good indicators that they are getting settled in.

Answer 10

People usually recommend letting them chill out in their new surroundings for a day.  It's a bit stressful being moved into a new cage with new people.

After the first day, don't just grab around for them.  It's best if you can get them to come to you.  Start by trying to get them to eat from your hand.  Use healthy treats like frozen peas, cheerios, or grapes and see if you can accomplish that.  

Once they get used to you, you can start trying to get them to eat from the palm of your hand vs holding food out to them.  After they get used to that, try getting them to walk out on your hand from the cage door.

This can take many days to accomplish, but doing it this way is best.  They'll soon learn to trust you and associate you to good things.  It won't be long before they are all plastered to the cage walls when you walk by in hopes of getting a treat or a snuggle.

For further information check out:

http://www.ratguide.com

http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/home/

Good luck!

Answer 11

I would handle them a lot when they are small and the will be real lovers.

Answer 12

start interacting with them slowely but consistently