Question(s) about my new rat?

Question

I just got a new rat today. How long am i supposed to let her get used to her cage? I put my hand in there to let her smell me and she puts her two paws on my hand but she seems not to want to actually come out of the cage. I'm guessing this is because she is still getting used to her new sourroundings.. is this correct?

Answer 1

yes she is just getting used to her new home, leave her to settle in for a day or 2 then she should feel more like coming out.

Answer 2

Did you only get one rat? Did you already have pet rats present in your house? Pet rats should NEVER be housed alone - solitary rats tend to become clingy, neurotic, sometimes even aggressive (toward people and other rats). Some rats resort to self-harm (chewing on themselves and leaving bleeding wounds, pulling their fur out... not unlike large parrots, in that sense). They also get sick easier and have a harder time getting over their illness compared to rats housed with other rats, which means BIG vet bills.

Your girl might become a little braver if she had a friend or two in the same cage with her: she could see and hear her friends having fun outside, and would want to join in (i.e. leave the cage). How big is your cage? Two rats need a MINIMUM of 4 cubic feet, three rats need AT LEAST 6 cubic feet, and so on, including adequate shelf space: a cage with no shelves only has half as much space as you think. The rats can only access the sides and bottom, not the "dead air" in the middle above the base. A few well-placed shelves will solve that problem. And make sure you house your rats in a WIRE cage - aquarium tanks are NOT appropriate housing for rats due to their poor ventilation and the resulting build-up of ammonia (from the rats' urine). Don't listen to anyone who tells you anything along the lines of "Oh, I had my rats in a 10-gallon for three years and they were fine!". Chances are this person's rats were very sick indeed, but since rats are prey animals, they HIDE the fact that they're sick until they're at death's door.

Once you've got her some friends (SAME GENDER! Breeding is a lot more complicated than rat-care books would have you believe and is best left to the experts), if she's still shy, try trust training: http://www.ratfanclub.org/trust.html

If you go back to the same pet shop you got her from TODAY, you might be able to get a couple of her sisters, and shouldn't need to do more than the briefest of intros: http://ratguide.com/care/behavior/introd... - if you leave it 'til later, you'll have to do a full quarantine http://ratguide.com/health/basics/quaran... of your new rats _in someone else's house_, and then go through a lengthy intro process after that.

Answer 3

she needs a same-s*x friend or else she might get depressed

Answer 4

First off she needs a same s*x friend. Rats absolutely cannot be kept alone happily as they are very social.

Let her have a day or two to adjust to her new cage and surroundings.

I have a website that will help you research rat care: http://www.petinfopackets.com/rats/ratin...

Answer 5

hi

maybe she think that in the cage is more safety place for her.so if you want to play with her by hand you you have option :

do not give her food ,and when you want to feed him Bering her out and feed ,care full you mast make her hungry.

Answer 6

yeah  its just trying to cop with two differn't thing you and its new home! do frett