Bonding to just one person

[AmandaTrexica]

We picked up our baby boys on Saturday and have been starting our bonding processes with them. My boyfriend has recently admitted to a fear he has that the rats are going to bond to me more and not really care about him at all or vice versa. They're brothers, and starting out we claimed one as each of "ours," but how likely is that to happen? We each take them out together for play time, so no one is getting left out at all. If they both love us equally, that will be great, he is just fearful of them both favoring one person.

 

[EDK]

I don't think it's a matter of the ratties bonding with one over the other, but their personalities.

Ex: My rats have known me for 90% of their lives. My alpha male Gizmo, loves me and everyone else he meets thats human, very open to new company and attention. My other boy Gyro loves me only, any other human who handles him and he gets skittish. Nes my other boy is plain skittish, no matter if it's me or another person, this is due to his personality and the fact he has pink eyes. My girls, Zera and Lyra, they both love me but at certain levels. For instance Zera likes to hang with me, then hop off and do her own thing, sometimes ignoring me completely, Lyra can be more affectionate but like to do her own thing too.

For awhile I thought only Gizmo would like other human beings. However this was proven wrong after several more visits from my niece and nephew. The girls love my nephew, they kept climbing all over him, and my Gyro too who i thought would never warm up to other people. Only rat that refuses to relax around people is Nes. It's just something to work at if you want the ratties to bond with you and your partner, but it also depends on their personalities, at least that's my opinion under my circumstances. Good luck!

 

[Aida]

Don't worry, your rats should bond to both of you if you spend time with them, etc. While at first one or the other may be a bit less fearful of you instead of your boyfriend(I don't know why, maybe you feed them or just seem more comforting), soon it'll level itself out when they get comfortable. Though expect them both to like both of you, not one of you better like you planned(ie. the one you picked probably will like your boyfriend just as much).

I also agree with EDK, personality has a lot to do with it.

 

[AmandaTrexica]

Thank you guys so much. I shall share your advice with him and hopefully it will ease his fears a bit. Lol. It's only been a couple of days so we have plenty of time, I'd think, to get them accustomed and bonded to us. I love them no matter who they decide to love, as long as they're happy and healthy.

 

[temblabamomo]

I think its very sweet that he's worried about something like that. If you're taking them out together or spending plenty of equal time separatelythey're going to love you both just the same andbe twice as lucky because they have two loving wonderful ratty parents.