I just got a new rat...can anyone help me with all my questions?

Question

I know rats are intelligent, but i want to kno how i can train Trixi (my rat) so that she'll come when i call her by her name. Is it possible for her to be let free in a certain area after training her? My family is afraid of her, except me and my brother. Could i train her to run free in my room at times, with certain toys set out and set around the room for her to discover? What other type of tricks can i teach her? What types of home made foods can i feed her? Are there common household foods that i can use as treats for her? Please don't direct me to a website. i would appreciate it if you would tell me the answers to these questions and any other things u can tell me about rats would be much appreciated.

Answer 1

Ive never had a rat but ive had hamsters and ive trained them to come when they're called and they arent the brightest spot of rodents either

The rewards systems works wonders, seriously reward the rat when it does something that u like, the first couple times of teaching it to come guide  it along, while saying its name, then give it a treat, like strawberry drops.  Guide the animal through everything u want it to do for the first couple times until it gets it, rewarding it when it does something right, have patience it will take time.

Any fruits like apples or cearal nothing sugar coated though

I no rats disire alot of attention, so talk to it when ur in the room with it. and pet it occasionally just keep in contact with it

If it gets out don't freak, set out a bucket with food in it over night and have a ramp leading to the edge of a bucket that way it'll fall in and wont be able to get back out and u dont have to trap it or anything

Answer 2

The first thing I'd tell you is that it's pretty important to get rats in pairs. If you got Trixi at a pet store it would be a really good idea to go back and get one of her same-s*x cagemates to keep her company. It will do WONDERS for her mood and she will even bond to you better.

Training her to learn her name is just like training a dog! Repeat, repeat, repeat! :P Call her by her name every time you talk to her, and she'll eventually figure it out. Say her name, hold out a treat, and when she comes over give it to her. You may even eventually be able to make her come when called using this.

You can absolutely let her roam your room, in fact, it's a necessity! Rats NEED at least an hour a day out of the cage to run and play. You just need to cover up any wires or small spaces she can get into, put down some cardboard boxes or fun toys and treats and let her play. :] The best way to train her to run free.. is to let her!

Rats love treats like cheerios, bananas, grapes, popcorn, hard boiled eggs (those are my rats' favorites), Kix, peanut butter... They can eat *almost* anything, and will! Just make sure treats are given in moderation, because rats love to eat, and will stuff themselves! ;P

Answer 3

To teach her how to come when you call her name, use it whenever you come to her cage, hold her, or set her down to play. You can also further this technique by sitting a few feet away from her, holding a treat, and calling her.

You can keep her in a free area as long as you have it "rat-proofed"; you should make sure all electrical devices, wires, and anything you wouldn't want her to chew up are out of the way. Also, you should keep her in an area without large pieces of furniture. (If she were to run under them, you can't move it.)

Some people let their rats have free-reign over their homes, but it's difficult to train them to be able to do so.

A few popular rat games are  peek-a-boo and hide-and-seek. You can also teach them to rip through boxes, containers, or even garden pots to find treats (they love to dig and find things!)

Some safe treats for your rat that you may find lying around your house are fruits, mealworms, a teaspoon of yogurt, carob chips, cooked spaghetti noodles, and mushrooms.

Answer 4

homemade foods my rats LUV:plain oatmeal, dry milk, apples, bananas (good for them too!)

Answer 5

go to, www.evergreenrattery.com there you will learn.

Answer 6

Okay, the first thing you need is a second rat. Rats, like people, are very social animals, and rely on the company of other rats. Any social animals does very poorly if it is forced to live alone. Since you got her so recently, you can go back to the place you got her from, and get a second female, preferbly one from her cage that she already knows. Be sure to introduce them on a neutral surface so they don't start out fighting. Please do this for her, it will improve her life quality by miles!

Technically, rats can learn names and other verbal commands. But they are nothing like dogs, and not nearly as easy to teach. I have a bunch of rats, and some do know hteir names, while others don't. But I do not rely on this. Even if a rat associates a word with an action, you will never be able to really "call" it to you if for example it is exploring something and doesn't feel like coming to you. To get them when you need them, you should have physical access in case they ever don't listen.

Otherwise, get into the habit of giving her a treat, while calling her name, a few times each day. She will eventually learn to associate the word Trixi with food, and after a lot longer, will eventually take it as a habit even without the treats. But not all rats do this. Some are too smart :)

For the same reasons, rats don't really learn "tricks". But I always litter train all my rats. If oyu do this right, it will spare you lots of cleaning!

Litter training: http://www.dapper.com.au/articles.htm#li...

Free range is a must with rats! My rats for example have an entire room to themselves. Since they are so intelligent, they will not be satisfied with just sitting in the cage, while you take them out for a few minutes. You need to be spending at least an hour with them (the more the better), and preferbly letting them do their own exploring. This sort of activity stimulates their minds, and keeps them content. But again, because of their intelligence, you also need to do a lot of interacting. There are not a lot os "toys" which they will entertain themselves with on their own. You should be there playing games with them and such.

Here's a ton of great ideas: http://www.dapper.com.au/toys.htm

Just keep in mind that rats will want to get into everything, so it's crucial that you first "rat-proof" the room. Keep any hidey places covered, and things you don't want chewed out of reach. Here is detailed proofing info: http://www.dapper.com.au/articles.htm#fr...

Rats are omnivorous, and can digest foods out of all four food groups. They should be getting regular frresh veggetable treats for the vitamins. I make mine salads sometimes. Aside from that, they can eat just about anything else; fruits, grains, and cooked meat. My rats love getting bones left over from out dinner! One thing to give very sparingly is dairy. Some rats react poorly to digesting dairy, and this will cause problems, so best to avoid it as much you can, or at least give tiny pieces only. Naturally, NEVER feed junk or fast food, or food with too much sugar, salt, artificual ingredients, and of course fat. Yogurt drops make tasty treats.

By the way, I have no idea why you said you don't want web sites. If anyone were to provide you with all the answers you are looking for, they would have to write multi-paged essays!