Help with very skittish rats

[Cressrose]

Hi everyone,

I recently got two 2-and-a-half month old female ratties who are very skittish. I got them from a local pet store, where they were being sold as either feeders or pets, depending on what you wanted them for. I've read that getting feeder rats as pets isn't a very good idea, especially for first time rat owners, but I just fell in love with them and couldn't let them die as snake food.

I've researched tons of different ways to get them to trust me, and tried them all, but nothing's worked. Recently, they seemed to be doing better with me, but when I went to check on them the day after I felt I made some real progress, it seemed as if someone hit a reset button, and now we're back at square one.

So, my question is this: How do I get them to trust me?

Thanks for your time!

Cressrose

 

[Sheldon]

Time. That is the best advice I can give. Be gentle and loving. Don't force yourself onto them. YOGIES. Lol or other yummy treats. Let them take time to associate you with great things. Happy bonding!

 

[jorats]

I agree with Sheldon. Time, patience, love and care. Have you checked out joinrats.com? They have some great advice based on positive reinforcement, scientifically sound.

 

[Ripred99]

You could do trust training. you get a small spoon with some baby food on it or some other soft food (so they can't just take it and run off)
And feed it to them, they will have to sit there and eat it, thus slowly getting to trust you.