lack of playing

[flinkylolaandtassy]

My Rats Refuse to play even when i take them out for play time they will mostly hide and not play what can i do to make them more playful

 

[Joanne]

Do you have any cats? Rats are instinctively afraid of cats, and many will never play outside their cage because of fear.

 

[jorats]

Tell us about your play area and how old are the rats.

 

[dspch911]

I have some like that too, some will run around and play and some just hang out in one spot or go to sleep and want nothing to do with playing.

 

[flinkylolaandtassy]

i do have a cat but shes never around them i make sure of that plus if she ever is there always moving around when shes around.
there play area is my kitchen table i put there toys there daily and then take them away again they have a hidey place so they can hide and they have a log to climb on and a pipe to run through and plenty of stuff to climb up and a ball to pick up and chase and food and food and water and stuff to rip up like newspaper and chew like cardboard and my girls are 6 or 7 months

 

[jorats]

Do they have a regular routine when it's time to come out and play? Like the same time each day? Some rats get spooked by the weirdest thing. Another member once asked us the same question and it turned out she had a new balloon nearby the cage and that's what scared her rats.
Do you know how to get your rats to popcorn? (hop around excitedly?) You rub their heads and back really fast but gentle, like a gentle tickle or gentle rub.
This is what will get them happy and playing.
Here's a video I made:

[BBvideo 450,375:2e3kh8l8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ3IFY7wZSA[/BBvideo:2e3kh8l8]

 

[flinkylolaandtassy]

okey thanx for the video i will give it a try.
it could be that they are trying to get back into the swing of things one of them had a URI and they all refused to play till she got better.

 

[jorats]

Aww... it could be. Good luck!

 

[dspch911]

Do they have a regular routine when it's time to come out and play? Like the same time each day? Some rats get spooked by the weirdest thing. Another member once asked us the same question and it turned out she had a new balloon nearby the cage and that's what scared her rats.
Do you know how to get your rats to popcorn? (hop around excitedly?) You rub their heads and back really fast but gentle, like a gentle tickle or gentle rub.
This is what will get them happy and playing.
Here's a video I made:

[BBvideo 450,375:3eep76s7]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ3IFY7wZSA[/BBvideo:3eep76s7]

That is so cool - a couple of the destructo seven will do that when out playing...

 

[flinkylolaandtassy]

I was talking to my mom today and apparently when i was away for a couple of weeks like a few weeks ago she told me that they let my rats play at night but i usually let them play in the morning so i think thats why there play time is so messed up i am hoping i will be able to fix there play times again.

 

[jorats]

I was talking to my mom today and apparently when i was away for a couple of weeks like a few weeks ago she told me that they let my rats play at night but i usually let them play in the morning so i think thats why there play time is so messed up i am hoping i will be able to fix there play times again.

Oh yes, that can definitely make a difference for them. They should soon enough get back to your routine.