When you first get rats home it’s hard to know exactly what to do now. Probably you want to sit and play with them!

That’s actually a really bad idea. There are a tone of new smells and sounds in your house - Your new rats will need time to adjust.
A reader of FancyRat.net named Rachel emailed me, and her situation fits really well to help!

Scroll down to keep reading…

Rachel’s email;

Help! I just bought two new baby rats, both girls (one dumbo and one blue), and I don’t think they like me very much.

Unfortunately, I know of no rat breeders in my area and I had to buy from a pet shop. These rats are skittish.

They are getting more used to the noises of the house, but neither of them are quite used to us (my boyfriend and me). One of them, in fact, will bite (drawing blood every time) when she is afraid.

I don’t know how to make them comfortable with us, because every website I come across tells me that I should handle them as much as possible.

This method has not worked seeing as one of them wants to bite and the other just skitters around the floor, avoiding our hands. I’m not sure if leaving them alone is going to help them either.

I just need advice on how to calm them down and let them know that we want to be their friends.

I’m pretty sure everyone had these kind of problems, so it’s easy to relate with Rachel. You just want them to know you care about them, but they don’t understand… yet :)

Rachel is spot on about it being unfortunate she had to buy from a pet shop. In my experience pet shop rats take longer to settle in, let alone trust you. It’ll take a little more work. They most likely weren’t handled very much - and almost certainly not played with.

You’ve just got your brand new rats home… now what?

Put them in their cage - Which needs lots of hiding spots - with plenty of food and water and then… leave them alone. Leave them alone.

Seriously, if you try to handle and play with them straight away you are going to get bitten. They’re going to be confused, unsettled and scared. Put them in their new home and give them time to get used to things.

Your house is full of lots of new sounds and smells. Think of a time when you went to a friend’s house for the first time - You most likely noticed lots of smells and sounds, most of which your friend doesn’t even notice or think about.

This is exactly the same, except a rat has it a 100x worse, and is likely frightened from being moved out of it’s old home.

Leave them alone - I recommend for two days

Most websites and pet shop brought ‘rat guides’ will (hopefully) tell you to leave your rats alone for a while - normally a day. A day is okay, but two days have always worked better for me.

Obviously you need to ensure there is enough food and water for that long before the rats move in.

Keep the cage doors closed. Don’t tap the bars and try to feed them through them, or call to them. It might sound odd, or almost opposite to what you think you should do, but it works.

Give them time to adjust and get used to things. They need to feel safe and secure in their new rat cage.

I do however recommend gentle talking to your rats. Do it when they are out and about in their cage, such as when they are eating or drinking. Ensure you keep your voice quiet and soft. The idea is to reassure them, not scare them! This soft reassuring will help familiarize your voice as something safe.

Take Things Slowly

It’s important not to rush. The first week with your new rats is so important. It is possible to ‘fix’ things later, but it is best to get them right now!

Once the two days are up, get some grapes. Yes, grapes! Have a bunch ready and open the cage door. Now wait.

The worst thing you can do is stick your hand in the cage, pulling your rat out of her bed.

Instead just wait with the cage door open. Eventually the rats will come out, all curious.

Now if you are inexperienced with rats - or worried about being bitten - then just very slowly reach in and place two grapes down inside the cage. Put them close to the cage door, making sure you move gently.

With any luck the rats should be pretty interested in the grapes. If they ignore them, or hide, keep waiting. Obviously if you’re sitting their ages then try again later!

Normally however they should be interested. Let them eat the grapes - and talk to them softly, like before. Again this reassures them that everything is okay.

Now you can try giving them another, yet make sure you place it on the cage floor. Don’t try to hand feed them just yet. Now close the cage door and continue reassuring them :)

Brand New Fancy Rats - Part 2

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