I think my rat may dislike me :C *added pics*

[LilDemons]

I think my youngest boy, Atreyu, dislikes me. Whenever he's up with me it's like he's constantly trying to get away from me. He's not affectionate at all. And he's always so nervous, whenever the other rats or my vet touches him he shrieks. At first I thought it was 'cause he was a baby but this has been continuing for a while and he's almost at full size now and he's only getting worse! I dunno what to do to fix this, I think he may not be well socialized. He was pretty much rescued at 5 weeks. He lived in a cage crammed with his brothers, and the woman who owned him had kids that probably didn't know how to handle a rat well. That, or he wasn't handled at all! Not to mention he's absolutely scrawny and just won't put on weight no matter how much I feed him! I put an article of clothing in the cage to get him used to my scent, but it didn't do anything. I think he might just plain dislike me :C Any tips on getting my youngest baby to like me? I really want him to love me like the other three do, and I want him to be able to live with them without squealing his little head off :C It breaks my heart every time he squeals :C

Edit: January 15th 2:24am (doing the putting him in my clothes trick)

Silly Atreyu, trying to escape through my sleeve. Silly little boy.

 

[Roo]

Classic "Put the ratty in your shirt for a while" technique?

 

[LilDemons]

It leads to more desperate and clawing attempts to escape me and I think it only frightens him more :C

 

[PitLuvs]

It leads to more desperate and clawing attempts to escape me and I think it only frightens him more :C

Put on a baggy tshirt and tuck it in your pants. Then put on a large sweater and tuck in as well, then drop some cherios inside as well as your boy. Keep him there while your doing your daily things, make him love you LOL I have done this with all my boys, and I have a house full of loves.

 

[LilDemons]

How often should I do this? And how long should it be done each time approx.?

 

[xxchelle]

Every day for as long as you can tolerate it. The more the better.

 

[LilDemons]

I'm doing it right now and he's making those little teeth gnashing sounds o.o

 

[Exodog]

That's bruxing, and it's a good thing!

 

[LilDemons]

He's trying to escape through my hood and sleeves D:

 

[Roo]

That's play We stuff our rat Badger into our robes daily and she likes to run out one sleeve and around, and back in.

Some rats just aren't cuddly though. More interested in wandering around than sitting still.

 

[LilDemons]

Just snapped a cute pic of him poking out of my sleeve! Gonna post it soon! Anyways, he just poo'd and pee'd all over me, so I'll continue tomorrow when I have clean clothes haha.

 

[ratamataz]

LilDemons, I hear you, and I wish I had something constructive to say! My two rats are like that too. I've been battling with socialization for a while, and I never had a problem with my previous rats. Mine also do not like being in my sweater. I rather feel like I'm somewhat torturing them when I force them to. They try to get out sometimes, and it is definitely not play. Mostly they cower and freak out every time I move.
Not helpful at all, I know, but maybe some comfort that you are not alone? Just keep at 'er, I guess, that's what I'm doing.

 

[Roo]

He looks happy to me!

Badger likes to hang out of Boyfriends sleeve like that as well. He likes to stick her up to me and yell "Rat attack! Go, my minion!" and she'll hop out onto me.

 

[LilDemons]

I guess he could be happy. I dunno. I heard from a friend that the teeth chattering can be a sign of fear or happiness.

 

[PitLuvs]

Teeth chatter (or burxing) is a sign of happiness or pain, and as much as you think he may not like you, he's not hurting with forced socialization :giggle: Keep this up! I used to tuck a sheet under the mattress and get in and let my boys Kipp and Evo run around under the covers too, they eventually started to love it. It got to the point where I could take them to the mall and no one would notice I had rats in my jacket lol

 

[CookiesAndCream]

Teeth chatter (or burxing) is a sign of happiness or pain, and as much as you think he may not like you, he's not hurting with forced socialization :giggle: Keep this up! I used to tuck a sheet under the mattress and get in and let my boys Kipp and Evo run around under the covers too, they eventually started to love it. It got to the point where I could take them to the mall and no one would notice I had rats in my jacket lol

That is a fabulous idea (the mattress thing)! I am going to need to try that. I may need to put extra towels under there just in case they (especially Brazil) starts peeing and pooping everywhere.
Every time that I've bought a rat from our pet store I always happen to have a hooded jacket or coat on and since I'm fairly well known to go in and socialize with the animals, when I choose a rat that I want to bring home with me they always run around in my hair and in my hood. I tend to tease the sales people that I'm going to walk out with "nothing in my hood" (Though I don't-I do pay for my rats).
Anyways, that's normally how I get them to get used to me-by letting them crawl all around on me. I am having a little trouble with Brazil myself but I think he'll come around. Right now he's kind of a pig in the way that he likes to lay in his own filth so I don't end up handling him as much as I would like(he wasn't probably taught how to properly self-groom when he was younger-I don't know). However I did give him a bath last night so I'll probably have him hang out with me for the day.

Anyways LilDemons, keep at it and I'm sure he'll come around. And as a side note, Atreyu is gorgeous!

 

[PitLuvs]

Atreyu looks like my G'Kar :heart: And a little like my Loki too.

 

[LilDemons]

Thanks to everyone who has called him cute and gorgeous and stuff Still working on getting him used to be handled and stuff

 

[ATez]

Did he poop and pee all over you because he's scared? I had one like that when he was a little. The vet told me to pick him up for just 2-3 seconds, put him down then give a treat! I gotta say it worked, within 2 days only he stopped pooping in our hands! :shock: The other wasn't a pooper but he would scream and squeak... to this day he still does when i try to pick him up! I can't take him out of the cage myself, he'll grab the bars, panic and scream like i'm going to murder him. If he comes out on his own then he'll climb on us and won't leave our toes alone if i'm near the stove or fridge, smart little buggers~! :giggle:

Give him time and work with him! If he looks scared of your hands or runs like hell after you give him a treat go with baby food. I would dip my fingers in baby food so they wouldn't be able to run away and would think of my hands as a good thing! It took months tho, got them from a pet store. I don't think they were treated nicely there.