[Olive&salem_therats]

Hey! My name is jamie(owner) ive been a rat mom for 5 months now. My ratties names are olive and salem. Both female, originally named with gender neutral names because it was unknown! At my house, i cant let them free roam because i have 2 large breed dogs, who could potentially hurt them (accidental or not). I have a large open enclosure and a “cleaning” bin. I clean the enclosure once a week, and have shaved birch bedding- it smells AMAZING and is so soft! One problem i would like to try to find a solution to is, olive (a dark brown/black rat) is very timid, and doesnt really like being held…what are some ways i could help her trust a bit more? She seems skiddish- she is a rescue. And salem tends to hoard her food but i never see her eating it. Anyways, thank you for listening, i hope i can get some friends to talk about rat stuff with!!

 

[Tinytoes]

Hi and welcome! Skittish babies are just being careful. At 5 months, they should know you are the protector and bringer of treats. For Olive, you'll need to get her and her cage mate out of the cage and onto a bed. Put an old sheet down so they don't poo poo or pee on the good linens. Put on an old robe and lay down with them, let them come to you and inspect and discover and feel your hands, even if you are not picking them up. A human hand on the back can be very upsetting to a young rat. They are prey animals and are usually suspicious of anything coming from above. Thats why I lay on the bed with them, and let them climb inside my robe and in my hair and learn to trust me.