TorachiKatashi
Well-Known Member
I know I've made about a million crazy, panicky threads in the last week, so please bare with me. And I know I'm really frustrated right now, so forgive me if this comes off more as a rant than a question.
Before I even start, I know my house is not the ideal house for rats. Between other pets, and just the amount of stuff, I don't have the luxury of having a "rat-proof" room for my boys to run around freely in, so their out-time is always going to be limited to either being on my person, or a barred-off area.
The problem is that neither of these seem to be working. The only barred-off area I have available is the cardboard box their cage came in (filled with some of their toys and stuff), which is very temporary since they'll soon be big enough to jump clear of it - not that it matters, because they hate it and spend every second they're in there trying to escape, even climbing up my arms any time I sit down next to it to play with them. I started putting them in there while I clean their cage in the morning because I thought they would have more fun there than in the little carrier I have, but it seems more like a punishment than anything else. I've seen people talk about these expensive play-pens, but even if I got one here in 6-8 weeks for $300 shipping, I don't think it would matter, they would just spend the whole time in there trying to figure out how to get out. They want for nothing but to have free run of my room, which they simply can't have. It isn't an option in any way, shape, or form.
But letting them sit with me isn't working, either. You'd think that with the way they get excited to see me in the morning, run to me and scramble up my arms that they want to be with me and spend time with me, but not a chance. The first week or so was great, when they were too shy to go anywhere - they could sit on my shoulders, on my chest, in my hair for hours and just relax and have a good time. I had them out with me here for approximately ninety seconds just now before Vin made a flying leap to my computer desk and behind my monitor. I managed to catch him, but I'm none too enthusiastic about trying to have them out again, lest I never find him the next time. The days before that, I could only have them out for five, ten minutes before Oskar would start climbing to the far end of my shoulder to try to jump down to the carpet. I've never heard tell of rats who wanted to be everywhere except with their owners. I know they're new to me (they've been here since the 19th of February) and I know they're young (to my knowledge, they'll be six weeks old tomorrow), but my friend never had to deal with this. Her boy will (and did, even when he was younger) lounge around on her shoulder, take naps in her hair - she can actually relax and enjoy out-time with her rat, and not have to spend every moment tense and sick to her stomach that she's going to need to field another suicide attempt. Poor Oskar is sitting in his cage looking at me like he doesn't understand why he had to go back so soon, but at this point, I just can't trust them and I don't know how I'm supposed to give them safe out-time that they actually enjoy. I know some people let their rats loose on their couch or bed, but even if I managed to herd the other pets off into another room to do that, I can't imagine my rats, who have no problem jumping the three or so feet off my shoulder while I'm sitting down, would think twice about jumping the two feet or less from the couch or the bed.
I'm just at a loss. I can feed them to their hearts' content, change their water several times a day, spend hundreds of dollars on toys and treats and hammocks, I can pick them up and kiss them and tell them how much I love them, but it still feels like I'm failing them if I can't even have them out with me. They should be content by the time I put them back, but they're not, and I don't know what to do to fix that.
Before I even start, I know my house is not the ideal house for rats. Between other pets, and just the amount of stuff, I don't have the luxury of having a "rat-proof" room for my boys to run around freely in, so their out-time is always going to be limited to either being on my person, or a barred-off area.
The problem is that neither of these seem to be working. The only barred-off area I have available is the cardboard box their cage came in (filled with some of their toys and stuff), which is very temporary since they'll soon be big enough to jump clear of it - not that it matters, because they hate it and spend every second they're in there trying to escape, even climbing up my arms any time I sit down next to it to play with them. I started putting them in there while I clean their cage in the morning because I thought they would have more fun there than in the little carrier I have, but it seems more like a punishment than anything else. I've seen people talk about these expensive play-pens, but even if I got one here in 6-8 weeks for $300 shipping, I don't think it would matter, they would just spend the whole time in there trying to figure out how to get out. They want for nothing but to have free run of my room, which they simply can't have. It isn't an option in any way, shape, or form.
But letting them sit with me isn't working, either. You'd think that with the way they get excited to see me in the morning, run to me and scramble up my arms that they want to be with me and spend time with me, but not a chance. The first week or so was great, when they were too shy to go anywhere - they could sit on my shoulders, on my chest, in my hair for hours and just relax and have a good time. I had them out with me here for approximately ninety seconds just now before Vin made a flying leap to my computer desk and behind my monitor. I managed to catch him, but I'm none too enthusiastic about trying to have them out again, lest I never find him the next time. The days before that, I could only have them out for five, ten minutes before Oskar would start climbing to the far end of my shoulder to try to jump down to the carpet. I've never heard tell of rats who wanted to be everywhere except with their owners. I know they're new to me (they've been here since the 19th of February) and I know they're young (to my knowledge, they'll be six weeks old tomorrow), but my friend never had to deal with this. Her boy will (and did, even when he was younger) lounge around on her shoulder, take naps in her hair - she can actually relax and enjoy out-time with her rat, and not have to spend every moment tense and sick to her stomach that she's going to need to field another suicide attempt. Poor Oskar is sitting in his cage looking at me like he doesn't understand why he had to go back so soon, but at this point, I just can't trust them and I don't know how I'm supposed to give them safe out-time that they actually enjoy. I know some people let their rats loose on their couch or bed, but even if I managed to herd the other pets off into another room to do that, I can't imagine my rats, who have no problem jumping the three or so feet off my shoulder while I'm sitting down, would think twice about jumping the two feet or less from the couch or the bed.
I'm just at a loss. I can feed them to their hearts' content, change their water several times a day, spend hundreds of dollars on toys and treats and hammocks, I can pick them up and kiss them and tell them how much I love them, but it still feels like I'm failing them if I can't even have them out with me. They should be content by the time I put them back, but they're not, and I don't know what to do to fix that.
