I've been lurking about this forum for quite some time, long before I got rats and I have learned many things about them which I am grateful for. Obviously my name is Akkina, and I live in Alaska. This last Sunday, so three days ago I found myself bringing home three young, PEW females that had been intended as feeders, I had already been planning to adopt a pair of rats, but these three needed someone.
I spent the majority of the first night letting them settle. Day two, I had attempted to, every time I came in and out of the room they are in, if they were awake to give them a little pet, they were all pretty shy of hands, and being around people. I read through RatDaddy's Immersion training thread, and the trust training sticky as well, and while Immersion makes a lot of sense to me(As a dog trainer it just sort of clicks). I have made a point of taking each of the three girls out, two of which are not opposed to being lifted and held.
My first Immersion with Midori was actually the best one so far, she never fear pooped which was good, I opted to use my bathtub first, as they are very little and I'm still a bit nervous of loosing them. I spent quite a while just petting her, she holds very still and lets me pet on her for the most part. Her second session, which was today I spent quite a bit picking her up, holding her for a few seconds and lowering her back down before she could leap from an unsafe height, by the end of it, I could lower her from my chest, all the way to the floor of the tub and open my hands for her before she ran away which I was considering very big progress. She also allowed me to roll her on her back in my hands several times and stroke her tummy!
Sakura's first immersion went fairly well, there was a fair bit of fear pooping, and I went through very similar motions with her as I did Midori, spent a bit petting her, sort of following her about and stroking her. Picking her up was not a challenge in the tub, she allowed it quite easily and didn't struggle at all. I ended up, near the end putting her in my hoodie pocket and sitting at my desk for a while, petting her idly. Every once and a while I would lift her out, hold her and let her sit against my chest. Every single time I did, she would try and escape onto my desk, in which I promptly replaced her into my pocket and let her calm down.
Chiyo is the quietest, she has not nearly the same aversion to being petted inside their cage, though obviously being picked up is a different story as her only experience is being lifted by her tail.
I did purchase a nice baggy hoody, and my thought was to tuck them inside it against me and just let them scamper a bit, if they feel up to it. None of them have taken treats outside the cage, though they will take them from both my fiance, and myself through the bars, and are incredibly delicate about taking them which I thought was adorable.
I spent the majority of the first night letting them settle. Day two, I had attempted to, every time I came in and out of the room they are in, if they were awake to give them a little pet, they were all pretty shy of hands, and being around people. I read through RatDaddy's Immersion training thread, and the trust training sticky as well, and while Immersion makes a lot of sense to me(As a dog trainer it just sort of clicks). I have made a point of taking each of the three girls out, two of which are not opposed to being lifted and held.
My first Immersion with Midori was actually the best one so far, she never fear pooped which was good, I opted to use my bathtub first, as they are very little and I'm still a bit nervous of loosing them. I spent quite a while just petting her, she holds very still and lets me pet on her for the most part. Her second session, which was today I spent quite a bit picking her up, holding her for a few seconds and lowering her back down before she could leap from an unsafe height, by the end of it, I could lower her from my chest, all the way to the floor of the tub and open my hands for her before she ran away which I was considering very big progress. She also allowed me to roll her on her back in my hands several times and stroke her tummy!
Sakura's first immersion went fairly well, there was a fair bit of fear pooping, and I went through very similar motions with her as I did Midori, spent a bit petting her, sort of following her about and stroking her. Picking her up was not a challenge in the tub, she allowed it quite easily and didn't struggle at all. I ended up, near the end putting her in my hoodie pocket and sitting at my desk for a while, petting her idly. Every once and a while I would lift her out, hold her and let her sit against my chest. Every single time I did, she would try and escape onto my desk, in which I promptly replaced her into my pocket and let her calm down.
Chiyo is the quietest, she has not nearly the same aversion to being petted inside their cage, though obviously being picked up is a different story as her only experience is being lifted by her tail.
I did purchase a nice baggy hoody, and my thought was to tuck them inside it against me and just let them scamper a bit, if they feel up to it. None of them have taken treats outside the cage, though they will take them from both my fiance, and myself through the bars, and are incredibly delicate about taking them which I thought was adorable.
