[allaina]

So i just adopted two 4 week old female rats, they are sweet and seem to be adjusting. I just got them yesterday afternoon. I have a question though, they wont sleep in a wood house or a fleece hammock i got them. They instead sleep out in the open on a cloth. My room is in the basement and does get cold, but not too cold however i am still worried as to why they are acting like this. They also dont sleep with each other all the time. Im thinking they are still adjusting but then wouldnt you think they would want to hide?

 

[AlxBlack17]

I'd say, just give them some fabric scraps, paper shreddings etc and some cardboard boxes. Let them choose where to place their bedding and which 'house' they want to use. Did they not have a house of some sort before?

 

[allaina]

Well i did take some toilet paper and place it all where they wanted to sleep but they just kind of ignore it, dont really seem to know that its for warmth or hiding. Their other cage with mama and siblings did have a hammock the same one i picked up for them today but they wont use it. Maybe it will just take time im just worried about them getting cold. I felt their ears and such and they dont feel cold so thats a good sign.

 

[AlxBlack17]

What kind of a cage do they have and what sort of bedding/litter is in it?

 

[allaina]

Its a 2 and a half level cage from petsmart...they are sleeping on the second level by their food and the hammock. The bedding is carefresh so its soft but there us no bedding on the second level only cloths and tp.

 

[AlxBlack17]

I think you best bet would just be to keep offering them the 'houses' and different beddings for them to drag around (fabric scraps, paper etc). Maybe you can try to put them in one of the 'houses' or entice them to go in with some sort of treat. They probably just need a little while to adjust to the change.

 

[ration1802]

4 weeks sounds quite young.

How long ago did you get them? They may just be adjusting to the change of their previous residence to now. Did you get them from a pet-shop by any chance? I've noticed a habit in my pet-shop bought ratties that they will usually sleep in the middle of their cage for the first week or so - I've attributed this to tanks and insufficient housing within the pet-shop. After all, if they're in a tank, they'll sleep anywhere, and usually they're given no extra bedding material to encourage them to make themselves a nice home somewhere.

I'd add some fabric scraps and the like, maybe some houses to hide away in.

 

[CaptainFlow]

I'd also like to add- rats are weird. The sometimes have distinctly not-human preferences. My girls have hammocks, two hidey houses, and a fabric cube. And they STILL like to sleep in the litter pan sometimes. When I had food cups, one of my girls thought nothing of curling up and taking a nap in the food cup, which got more and more funny as she got bigger and the food cup stayed the same size...

It may be that they're new, and unsure. They're just sleeping whenever is best for them. But like it's been suggested, just give them a large variety of things (hiding houses, paper, fabric, hammocks, large tubes, etc), and they'll sleep wherever they want.

 

[Macabri]

Mine never use the bed I bought them either. You might want to try this, my girls love to snuggle and hide under it:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/ind...bedding&kw=bedding&parentPage=search&keepsr=1

When I had food cups, one of my girls thought nothing of curling up and taking a nap in the food cup, which got more and more funny as she got bigger and the food cup stayed the same size...

Mine do the same thing.

 

[madeittothemoon]

It took my girls a while to catch onto the fact that hammocks are for sleeping, not chewing.

 

[allaina]

Ok thanks for all the suggestions. Ration1802 i got them from a woman off of craigslist. She has bred rats before and seemed like she knew a lot about it. I got them last sunday so almost 3 days ago. I think they just need adjustment time because at the womans house they were outgoing and totally comfortable but at my house they are jumpy and really unsure of themselves. Ill keep you guys posted. Thanks again!!!

 

[allaina]

UPDATE: They are now sleeping in a bed just fine. I guess they figured it was there for them and now they love their hammock.

 

[Sami]

My girls wont sleep in the plush tent I bought for them. They use it for only 2 things.. Eating in privacy, and hoarding food in. Otherwise they sleep underneath it. I guess they like the woolly underside better than the fleece in side.