3 month old female Rat

Question
I just purchased a female rat at a local pet store. They said she is approximatley 3 months old. She was one of three rats in the cage and the only female. Yikes! However, she is very very shy. We have had her 2 days and I have taken out of her cage for a total of 2 hours in the 2 days because she does not seem to feel comfortable being held. The man at the store did tell me that they do not handle them and that I would have to socialize her. I She does not bite which is great because I have 2 kids, 9 and 6. We pet her in her cage, talk soft to her, and when she is out, we pet her and talk to her. How long would it take to socialize her, could she be pregnant and if so, could that be why she seems so scared? What do I need to do to get her to trust us and are there any signs I should look for that she may not want to be socialized. Thank you for your help!

Answer
A rat that was not handled from birth by humans is just like a wild rat, which means they are scared to death of us. The stigma with wild rats makes me laugh. Ever notice on movies that have rats in the scene, they show them acting aggressive, running toward people, squeaking wildly?  LOL That is so far from the truth. Rats dont run and squeak at the same time nor are they aggressive and chase you around the room. They are shy and very scared of people.  Your pet rat WILL eventually warm up to you in time, but it will take some patience. In the long run, you will be bonding with one of natures most misunderstood rodents, not to mention one of the most intelligent out of the small rodents as well.  Please refer to my website, sandyscrittercity.com. If this link doesnt work, you can simply google "Critter city" and go from there.  Check out the pages on how to trust train your shy rat and also refer to the page "Getting started" which explains how to set up a nice safe and secure play area for your rat.  On my site, you will also find out tons of info on proper care for your pet rat as well.  Please let me know after you go to my site.  As for being kept with male rats, that is just so wrong.  This means your rat was being sold as a feeder rat for snakes or they would not have put them with the opposite sex. This explains why she wasnt socialized properly.