Hi
We have got two male dumbo rats called Thunder and Whisper a week ago, Whisper is very friendly, and is happy coming out when we are about. However Thunder is incrediably nervous, and will only come out when it is completely dark. My partner and I have put two t shirts we have worn all day into the cage, so they learn our scent. Is there any other suggestions of how we can get Thunder to become less nervous? Also we are thinking about getting two more rats to join them (two more males, because we luckily have enough time to be able to devote a hour each to them at least), do you think this is a good idea or we should just stick to the two? Thanks for reading.

This is so weird!!!

Ive been reading this thread, and im in the exact situation!!

I brought my dumbo rats last friday (6th march) from pets at home and one is so laid back he lets you do anything to him, he loves cuddles and sitting on my shoulder and running up and down my arms and finally curls up in a ball and goes to sleep in my pocket. But the other is completly different! He bites me all the time ive been wearing a glove so i dont move my hand away when he bites and when i take off the glove he still my bites me. He will come up and sniff me when the cage door is open but as soon as i go to stroke him he runs away or bites me. Ive called pets at home about this as this is my first time owning rats this is also why ive joined this site and im gald i did now because pets ant homes response was well all rats are different you must if picked one with a hypo temperment?! hows that helping and advising me?!

Also if any1 could help me... The one that bites all the time (melvin) likes fighting with the laid back one (monty) and bites him all the time.. pets at home told me its because my cage isnt big enough but it cost me £120 and pets at home told me to buy it because its the best one for dumbo rats?? and its huge it has 3 levels and loads of toys and tubes e.t.c to keep them entertained. So could there be another reason why melvin feels the need to attack monty? bearing in mind hes been doing it since ive had them?? could it be that hes trying to show him whos boss, or top male?? any help or advise would be very very much appreshiated... x

I have also bought dumbo rats from pets at home, I bought the 3 males on saturday, and one of them is incredibly friendly already and runs up to the cage door, the other one approachs the cage door, but is still a bit too timid to come out, but is getting there
However the 3rd rat, is much more timid, and is much less active than the other two. He also sneezes sometimes, and stays in the tunnels and houses for longer than the other two. I am attached to him and don't want to return him, but should I be worried?

try and keep in mind that no 2 rats are the same, you will ALWAYS get one that is more timid than the other and completely different personalities.

P@h bought rats are no different personality or integration wise than a breeder rat, i've had both and had no unusual problems with either type. Some of the quicker and more friendly rats we've had have been p@h rats, our current breeder rats are super timid and we've had them for about 6 months now, and one is a right biter! but that's because she learnt it from our mentally challenged rat who was never friendly to us.

Your rats are new to you and their cage, it will take them time to get use to everything. Your rats aren't biting you cos they think you have food or becuase you feed them from your hand, they're nibbling you because they are scared and are trying to make you go away without forcing you to fight them and possibly damaging them. It's ratty body signals, you'll get to know these more and more as you interact with your rats.

The best thing to do as already mentioned is to sit still with your hand in the cage and just talk to them or talk to someone else in the room, read a book out loud, get them used to you, show them your not something that will hurt them. ferret your hand about their cage but stay away from where they are, go to the food bowl pick up a nugget and hide it somewhere, then go back and do it a few times etc that sort of thing pretend your a rat.

Don't think that just because they don't want to be picked up that they aren't friendly, alot of rats don't like it, remember they rodent code "danger from above!" you pick them up from above and lot of rats just never get used to this. instead offer your hand or arm (preferably with jumper on for better purchase) and you will probably find that most prefer getting on you under their own steam.

biting wise, keep your hand clenched in a fist when you put it in the cage, A it'll hurt less when they do nibble and B will seem less scary to the rat as a closed fist can't pick you up. if they bit you say 'ow' move your hand in a slow jerk but don't move your hand away, it shows that you've been hurt but aren't going anywhere but aren't going to hurt them either.

to get them used to your smell when your not there i suggest used socks that you don't want any more, go to the gym wearing said socks and then stick them in the cage :P yummy!

some rats take longer to acclimatise than others, don't stick them back in the shop or give them away or they'll get a complex. Rats are JUST as intelligent as a 2 year old human, and act just like dogs and are as trainable as both of these.

YOU have to be patient, learn the rats way of doing things, don't push humanisms on them, let them teach you how it's done at their own pace and you'll get far more enjoyment out of them.

__________________
This is not a game of 'who the fek are you'.

Not a single gram of fek shall be given today.

I have also wondered about whether putting one hand over the end of the tube when the timid rat is inside, and lifting the tube and the rat out, but I am worried this would make him frightened of the tube, and reluctant to go in it. Am I right?

NAH wouldn't make him/her frightened of the tube, just wouldn't use it as much as a hidey hole when your about lol.

They are canny wee beasties rats, they're not as daft as they lead you to believe.

If that's the easiest way to get him to come to you then use it, it gives him abit of security and he knows you 'can't get him' very well. don't shake him out or stick your hand in, just cover both ends and lift him out in it. then sit it on your lap or where you can peer in and have a good old chat with favourite nibbles at the end closest to you. he should feel secure than being out unprotected and more at ease at being out of the cage and in your presence.

It can take a few months for a rat to be completely settled in it's new environment and completely relaxed with you. Just persevere and be as patient as possible, keep your movements slow and deliberate, talk to them heaps. let them decide when they've had enough playtime.

It's also a good idea to get their name and basic commands ingrained while your doing this, so always look at a rat when your saying its name, if you can touch it while saying it, always say it's full name, later once it's learnt it you can shorten it (ie nezumi - nez - nezi - they will understand this is still their name). Other commands like playtime, bedtime, bridge (arms out for them to walk along), treats, climb (or up), down, etc whatever you want it to do just repeat the name of the action or whatever each time and they'll soon learn it.

you can even be quite specific, mine know 'nana (banana), apple, papa (papaya) and yogz and only those that like that particular treat will come for it.

oh yeah another thing, remember 'danger from above' is in their minds all the time! so when you want them to come to the cage door but they are too afraid it might be because you are high up and look very large and so 'dangerous', get your face down to their level and try again. Our scaredy rats respond really well to this, they are more likely to come and see us if we kneel infront of the cage for them or go round to where they are in the cage (big tall cage) and speak to them there. Once they get used to you, you towering over them won't be intimidating.

__________________
This is not a game of 'who the fek are you'.

Not a single gram of fek shall be given today.

Thanks for your advice, they are all much more friendly now, and willing to be handled.
Thank you

Rats are prey animals so anything coming from above they treat as a predator, so your hand picking them up will scare them. Try putting your hand flat in the cage and allowing them to come to you, allow them to explore your hand and climb onto it.
Another way is to open the cage door and allow them to come out when they are ready, they are naturally inquisitive but will keep going in and out of the cage as they know it to be safe.
Make sure you have washed your hands before handling them especially if you have other pets such as dogs or cats as they will be able smell them and naturally be wary.
Talk to them gently and eventually they will regognise your voice and respond to you.
It just takes time and patients allowing the rat to get to know you and trust you.

-In regards to Pets at home. Suppliers are inspected on a regular basis making sure they fulfill the 5 freedoms laid down in the animal welfare act 2006:
- freedom from hunger and thirst
- freedom from discomfort
- freedom from pain, injury or disease
- freedom to express normal behaviour
-freedom from fear and distress.
Look them up - www.fawc.org.uk/freedoms

-They also help to re-home unwanted pets to good homes and raise money for animal charities.
-They try to minimise distance animals travel from breeder to store
Employees must undergo full training before being able to sell pets, they ask questions to prospect buyers making sure the animal will get all they need for a happy life making them aware of the commitment they are taking on.
-Most of the employees are animal lovers & do their best to provide good care to the pets in store, giving them as much time as is possible.
-PAH have high standards for keeping animals, giving them toys and also giving them hay in the morning, complete food a few hours later and veg in the afternoon simulating natural feeding instincts, unlike other retailers and care about where the animals are going including fish.
A lot happens behind the scenes that the public don't see.

You really should get all the facts before accusing people of mistreating animals. It's to easy to jump to conclusions without researching the facts first.

There are a few reasons that rats sneeze. They are prone to this problem and it is luck of the draw if you get one that doesn't. Rats are sensitive to dust so bedding should be dust free, no sawshavings/dust or clay litter, Biocat litter is good as is a paper like substance., shredded paper is good for bedding. Other reasons for sneezing is MRM ( Murine respitory mycoplasmosis) Rats ans mice are hosts to this disease causing bacteria, onset is usually slow and progressive. It is highly contagious and transmitted in a few ways including mother to baby, some rats never show any symptoms, stress or other infections can cause the onset of symptoms.
Rats can live normally with this. Hair is often rough, sneezing, if severe head tilt.
Not saying that is what causes all rats to sneeze but just to make people aware.
To help ease the sneezing and prevent it from becoming worse there are a few things you can do:
- Ammonia can aggravate MRM, so cleaning the cage out regulargly is a must, although this should be done anyway with MRM you should be even more careful.
Reduce stress with companionship, toys to stop boredom and situate cage away from droughts as chills can aggravate the condition.
Experiments are ongoing to create a vaccine for this condition.

On the subject of fighting there are several possibilities.
Make sure that there is enough room for both rats to have their own space, Rats are highly intelligent so toys and food puzzles can help to prevent stress and boredom giving both mental and physical activity. They are inquisitive and like to be up high so lots of platforms, ropes, ledges and tunnels are good, If possible allow them out of the cage in a secure area.
It could also be that they are trying to determine the dominant rat as all animals have hierarchy.
Lastly although rats on the whole are social and get on well together especially if they have been together from an early age, like all animals including humans some just don't get on. You could try seperating them if it gets worse and put the cages along side for a couple of weeks before introducing them back together, might be wise to do this in a neutral area such as a bathroom.
Hope this helps.

This post is was last updated in march so i expect theproblems have been resolved by now...

Peace
Akai-Chan