RatPalace.com - Pet Rat Care and Discussion

Tue Feb 07, 2006 8:19 am

I try to take my rats out every day for at least an hour. But these rats seem to be the most uncurious rats, and biggest scaredy-rats ever! Ricky and Pete come out of the cage willingly- most of the time. And Repeat just sits in his house, and never wants to come out. I usually have to bribe him out, or just take him out. Otherwise he'll sit in there all day, sleeping in his little house. When I do get them out Repeat goes straight into my hoody, and Pete and Ricky sit on my shoulders or climb around in my shirt. Theres only been a few times in the last month that I've had them when they have actually dared venture from me. And usually they dont stay off of me very long. The other day I was cleaning their cage and I put them on the floor of the bathroom to run around...Ricky climbed straight up from my toes to my shoulder and the others followed his lead. I had to force them off of me and they just hid behind the toilet after a few minutes and stayed there until I was done. And the only place they seem excited to go is back to their little cage which is way too small for them (getting a new one next week). If they even see their cage when they're out they try so hard to get back to it!

What can I do to make them actually enjoy and look forward to time out of the cage? I dont have a rat room or anywhere secure that they can really run around, so I try to let them out on my bed and on the table when I'm doing homework, and on the couch when I'm watching TV.

Tue Feb 07, 2006 8:31 am

To be honest, most of my boy rats are or have been exactly like that - they don't play a whole lot when they're out, and prefer to snuggle (at least until puberty and again as they get older) or simply sleep under or inside the duvet. Shrug

Whenever I move, you can guarantee that the rats want to be over and on me to see what is going on and if I'm doing anything interesting, and they will definitely head for their cage after a while if they have the chance.

You can try putting things out for them to play with (boxes, piles of old fabric or clothes to burrow in, pea fishing, a digging box, a pile of tissue paper in a basket, tubes etc) and see if that tempts them.... and play with them too - hand wrestle with them, tweak their butt gently and see if you can make them sproing off etc. Or alternatively, just enjoy snuggling up with them. wink

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Tue Feb 07, 2006 9:38 am

LOL yeah some of them are like that. My boy Panther sometimes, I open the cage and he is sleeping in the hammock. I call and run my finger down the cage bars. He gives me a baleful look , stretches, yawns and says 'but mom I am in the middle of a nap here!' and then promptply goes back to sleep LOL

When I let the girls out, they just want to follow me everywhere, out of curiosity. If I am standing this side of the bed, then they are all there in a row, right at the edge, waiting for me to come over. If I go to the other side of the bed, they run over to be the first to greet me on that side. Its quite a trick trying to push them all away so I can sit down on the bed! LOL

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~Obedient women are never remembered in history~

Tue Feb 07, 2006 9:18 pm

Oh good! I was starting to think they were really weird because I read about so many other rats who love to come out and play. Mine seem to only come out when I can't let them. Like first thing in the morning when I'm rushing around getting ready for work...they stare up at me from the top level of their cage, begging with their little eyes. But then on the weekends I try to stay home all day for them (even if I have to study and I'm better off doing that at school) and they don't have any interest in coming out!
I just thought that they wouldnt be so calm and cuddly until they were grown up...they're only around 10 weeks old now, so I expected them to be more energetic.
But if this is normal, then I dont mind! I love having little ratties stretched out all over me and sleeping so peacefully lurve

Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:09 am

Snuggling tends to be the reserve of babies and oldies - you wait until they hit 3-6 months and decide they've got to wrestle at every opportunity. wink

Some rats are just snugglebutts. Others are maniacs. On the whole, girls are more energetic, but you can have lazy girls and nutty boys too.

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:13 am

My rat Creamy is always out and loves people and attention..as soon as you open the cage he is out and running around. But my other guy Peachy always hides in his little house...when you give him a yogie he just pops his little head out and goes back in..the only way to get him out is to pick up his house just like your rat..so I guess some guys are just like that

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~*Allie*~
Puppy: Pepper (my big suck) Kitty: Kitterz
Birdie:Mehico aka.Cheeky
Ratties: RIP Penny...i miss you pretty girl <333
Peaches n' Cream..2 bRATS
Jibroney!! --new rescue rat

Wed Feb 08, 2006 4:44 am

	Rainrat wrote:
	When I let the girls out, they just want to follow me everywhere, out of curiosity. If I am standing this side of the bed, then they are all there in a row, right at the edge, waiting for me to come over. If I go to the other side of the bed, they run over to be the first to greet me on that side. Its quite a trick trying to push them all away so I can sit down on the bed!

That's exactley how my girls are. LOL

It's especially hard when I go to the door, because they run right under my feet begging to go out.

It's also funny because, a few minutes before I'm going to leave my room, they seem to know and they both go running to the door, and just wait there. LOL. Also, when I come into the room while they are running around, they jump off the bed as fast as they can, and than they climb up my pants, and sit on my shoulder begging (with puppy eyes, or should I say rattie eyes?) for some scritches and treats, it's so cute!! I always fall for it, and I end up giving them lots of scritches, and yogies.

Smart ratties... LOL

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EMILY-------------------------------------------------

Rest in peace, Violet and Isadora. <3

Wed Feb 08, 2006 9:14 pm

Awww, lucky people! My girls are the most vivacious, explorative girls in all the land! They cant sit still for a millisecond, it's like they're brains produce espresso or something lol hyper

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