Will my rat get used to me?

Question

Hi there. 3 days ago i bought 2 female rats. (unfortunately from different litters and pet stores, but they apparently came from the same breeder). I have them both in the same cage and they get along fine. Carie (8 weeks old) Is very curious and will willingly climb all over me to be out of the cage, Sneaky (also 8 weeks old) however seems very scared and doesnt to want to come out. She is always hiding and only really comes out to feed or drink. If i put my hand in there when she is out she will come up to me and sniff me but thats about it. She had a bit of an experience the day we got her when she got stuck in my printer (only took my eyes off her for a second) but it may have freaked her out a bit. She also bit my girlfriend the same day. (drew blood) But the biting seems to have stopped (hopefully). Will she get any better, should i try to take her out to get used to me, or give her time. Im worried she is not being handled as much as carie and therefor getting jealous or something..

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Answer 1

The first thing I do when i get mine home is put a shirt I have worn all day in their cage. They love to wrap themselves up and it surrounds them with your smell which helps them recognize you as a familiar smell. And they look super adorable!

Depending on how much she was handled as a baby, she may not be completely comfortable with humans yet. In three days, she has shown a lot of improvement and will likely continue to relax and loosen up. Three days really isn't long enough for them to completely settle in. So definitely give her more time.

There is no need to worry about her being jealous as long as she is given equal opportunity to get out of her cage and explore freely. Try simply opening the cage door and then sitting down on the floor and let them both come out when they chose.

Rats are somewhat similar to cats in that if they are ready to climb on you, groom you, l**k you, whisper secrets in your ear, then you can rest assured that they will. She may be too occupied with her new environment and will likely get closer to you when she is ready.

As for biting, the number one rule is to never ever give treats through the cage. Remember that rats have pretty poor eye sight so they feel with their mouths as well as their hands. One thing I have noticed is that anything protruding that is covered by some type of cloth (like a toe in a sock!) is a good target for nibble-testing. Unless the rat was in a situation in which she felt threatened, she did not mean to hurt your girlfriend.

It sounds like she has a pleasant personality but  just needs some time to get used to everything and start to feel comfortable with you and her surroundings.

Good Luck!!!