smmmiley
Well-Known Member
A few days ago I read a few things in behaviour: 1. Be careful a rat doesn't "own" you because then the other rats might start to ignore that one, or that rat might become aggressive towards the other rats if I go near them... something along those lines. 2. If a rat is shy, having a hard time, try the "t-shirt method" and keep them close to you for 30 mins. or more a few times a day.
So I incorporated both of these...
Harriet is smaller and more delicate because she's a double-rex. She's more trusting and took no time at all to climb onto my hand. She's so adorable. So I would take Harriet for little 10 min. "walks" because she was "easy".
Well, the girls were in a smaller cage for a few days until I could set up the larger one for them. They all snuggled and slept in a hammock together. Once I moved them to a bigger home they seemed to separate... 2 in the slipper, and Harriet in the new hammock. (Had to wash the other one.) Sometimes Miss Skrat would be with her, but never all 3.
So after reading these things in rat behaviour I started to take all three on walks with me a couple times a day, and stopped taking Harriet on her own. Then, yesterday I made a new hammock and put it in while all 3 were "awake" (running around like mad monkeys! :lol: )... I think they all must've "marked" it instantly because I got pee on me before getting the last tie secured (I'm using pipe cleaners) :giggle: .
All this to say... I found all my girls together in the new hammock this morning!!! :dance: :joy: :dance: :joy: :dance: The extra effort was sooo worth it to see my girls all snuggling together again... the separation was breaking my heart!
Thank you to this forum and the amazing amount of knowledge on here!! You guys rock!!! :heart: :joy: :bow:
So I incorporated both of these...
Harriet is smaller and more delicate because she's a double-rex. She's more trusting and took no time at all to climb onto my hand. She's so adorable. So I would take Harriet for little 10 min. "walks" because she was "easy".
Well, the girls were in a smaller cage for a few days until I could set up the larger one for them. They all snuggled and slept in a hammock together. Once I moved them to a bigger home they seemed to separate... 2 in the slipper, and Harriet in the new hammock. (Had to wash the other one.) Sometimes Miss Skrat would be with her, but never all 3.
So after reading these things in rat behaviour I started to take all three on walks with me a couple times a day, and stopped taking Harriet on her own. Then, yesterday I made a new hammock and put it in while all 3 were "awake" (running around like mad monkeys! :lol: )... I think they all must've "marked" it instantly because I got pee on me before getting the last tie secured (I'm using pipe cleaners) :giggle: .
All this to say... I found all my girls together in the new hammock this morning!!! :dance: :joy: :dance: :joy: :dance: The extra effort was sooo worth it to see my girls all snuggling together again... the separation was breaking my heart!
Thank you to this forum and the amazing amount of knowledge on here!!
You guys rock!!! :heart: :joy: :bow:
