#trust training

I’ve always been a little sad about how the boys aren’t super cuddly with me. I take them into the bathroom for free time often, in the past it was every night. Although they’re much more mellow (they don’t try to run away as much, and I can pick them up much easier in the cage), they still aren’t cuddle bugs. They’re much happier away from me than with me. When I let them run around the bedroom, they pretty much avoid me unless I have food. And if I put them on a chair with me, they don’t ever hide under my shirt or in a pocket. They just sit beside me on the chair or try to figure out a way to climb down.

Part of it is my own inexperience. I would do so many things differently if I could back in time to when they were babies. As new a rat owner, I was scared of hurting them, scared of holding them. 

Now they’re almost a year old and I think I’m going to do some more trust training. It’s not too late, I don’t think. Start in the cage, and lure them onto my hand for baby food. Then onto my arm, and onto my lap. Then, have them be picked up and put down before they get food. Then, have them be held before they get food. Something like that. And then once they’re comfortable with all of that, I’ll go back to chair time and make them sit on my lap and/or be held for food.

Trust training your rats takes HELLA PATIENCE. 

I was lucky enough to have one rat who took to me right away. On the first night he let me hold him for about a half hour, he just sat on my lap and cuddled, and he let me pet him as much as I wanted. The second night he seemed a little more scared, but he still let me hold him without completely freaking out. I’m naming this one Remy. :) 

I managed to coax rat #2 into my hand with some treats and a comfy piece of fleece, however, my mistake was not holding him in an enclosed space. I sat on the bed with him, he escaped, and he promptly ran under the bed. I then spent the next 20 minutes trying to get him out from under the bed. That was a bit traumatic for both of us. I was really worried he was gonna get lost somewhere in my room and I’d spend all night trying to get him back in the cage. I then got the idea to lure him back with the spare hammock I bought. They LOVE their hammocks. After that let me carry him in the bathroom (while curled up in the hammock), and he sat in the hammock on my lap for about 20 minutes. 

Rat #3 is the most shy of all. This morning I tried to pet him and he gave me a small nip (it didn’t hurt though.) So, I’ve just been putting out my hand near him with a treat on my fingertips. He cautiously approaches my hand, grabs the treat, and then scurries back into his hammock with his food. I haven’t been able to hold him yet. 

I haven’t named rat #2 and 3 yet because I want to learn their personalities a bit more, but they will be called Linguini and Emile. Just haven’t decided which one gets which name yet. :) 

I’m soo looking forward to when all 3 are bonded with me and I can just pick them up and play with them as I please, but I know I can’t rush it. They’re still adjusting to their new surroundings and to me.  Hopefully it won’t take too long for them to be comfortable with me though! 

***UPDATE UPDATE***

More ratties

And before someone asks. I've tried turning my phone on it's side for video but it didn't change when I uploaded it.

That and I never was good with computers. But here's some cute rats to make up for it.

Today I am curious and playful!