training new rats (uninterested in treats)

[kalechip]

hello! first time rat mom here and i just want some help to provide the best care for my girls!
my two rats, mochi and miso are only about 2 months old. i've had them for two weeks now so they're still new to their home! i've wanted to work on trust training and training them in general. they don't seem very interested in any treats i offer them. i've tried a great variety from yogies to cheerios. the most i can get from them is a sniff. they're comfortable at this point with me holding them and petting them, i've been working on getting them used to me by allowing them to crawl into a warm beanie and chill with me on my bed. is trust and training something i should expect to come with time since they're fairly young and new to my home? i'm an anxious pet owner in general so i just want to be sure that they'll eventually love me and trust me as much as i care for them! any tips are welcome!

 

[Dena]

Baby food, or yogurt on your finger goes a long way, and is very valued. Trust comes with time. Don't force them to do things they are uncomfortable with. They are still really young, and your home is still fairly new. Make sure they have plenty of places they can run and hide in, and stuff to make nests with. These can be simple things like nonscented tissues without lotion, toilet paper, strips of fleece, strips of tissue paper is a favorite of my girls because it crinkles. Cardboard boxes, and baskets make good hiding and sleeping spots. Make sure they have at least two sources of water. Mine have water bottles, and a bird water cup that clips to the side of the cage. Also, oxbow adult rat food is a good lab block for them. Cute babies by the way! Also, welcome to the forum! Check out the reference section for valuable info, and www.joinrats.com for trust training, and www.ratguide.com for medical info.

 

[jorats]

In the past, I've had great success with placing the rats in my sweatshirt and letting them hang out there for a while. I put on a t-shirt and a sweatshirt over top and they go in between. They really liked it in there.