Pet Rats - Information to Train and Care for your lovely rats!

Top Tips for Beginning Rat Owners

Try to imagine that you are a rat, about to be handled by someone who is hundreds of times bigger than you and hasn't got a clue what to do with you.

Don’t

• Prod a sleeping rat, you get bitten, guaranteed
• Pick a rat up by its tail. Hold it properly with your palms
• Corner a rat to catch it, that's scrary for the rats too
• Squash, drop or throw a rat
• Feed the food or treat through the cage bar. They'll learn that whatever comes through the cage bar is tasty treat. It could be your kid's finger
• Make sudden movement or loud noise (don't even sneeze!)
• Force the rat to come out and play with you!



Do

• Let the rat to get used to your smell and your voice first
• Make sure your hand is clean is free from smell of food
• Let the rat explore you & your territory in his own time
• Give them a treat to let them know you are a good guy
• Provide a small, dark box or a hat for your rats to hide in when they are out and about. I call it an escape hutch. You should respect it as a safe house for your rats, so DON'T try to pull your rats out or touch your rats when they are in the hutch. They'll pop out again once they are relaxed and confident. Or they can be bribed or lured out with treats

What Rats Hate

• Strong smells
• Smaller animals (Don't even think about putting rats with hamsters or mice!)
• Being picked up by their tails (It's painful!)
• Big open spaces
• Being bathed (Some rats love it though!)
• Noisy and loud sounds
• Draughty cold place
• A boring owner

What Rats Love

• Small dark warm places
• Variety of nice food and treats
• Getting scratched on the top of their head
• Stimulating lifestyle

 

FancyPetRats.com last updated 21 Feb, 2010