Rats are extremely popular pets. Tame rats love attention and most love being held, cuddled and played with. Many behavioural problems in pet rats are caused by incorrect handling which can frighten or even hurt your pet. There are a few key points to remember:
- NEVER pick your rat up by its tail. This can cause the tail to de-glove and strip down to the bone which is immensely painful for the rat.
- Approach your rat calmly and quietly. Many rats will come to their names and a tame rat will almost always be delighted to have company and look forward to being handled
- Try to hold the rat close to you once you have picked it up. Rats like to feel safe and secure – holding them at arms length may make them panic.
- Be aware that rats can jump. This takes some new owners by surprise as an insecure rat can leap several feet from your open hands if it feels threatened.
New or nervous rats may require extra time to get used to you and accept handling. The key is to work slowly and reward small improvements with treats that your rat loves.
If you are still worried about if you are doing it right, there are plenty of videos online which show correct rat handling.
Do you have any tips for handling rats? Have you managed to tame a
nervous rat to be held? Please get in touch via our Facebook or Twitter
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Some more great advice here: Woodgreen
