new rats making old rats upset?

Question
Hello, I have had my 2 rats waldo and peppin since December 2008, when they came to me at about 5 weeks old. We have always had a very close bond, they come to the top of their cage as soon as they can sense im near, they were always running around like little crazy boys and were very happy. but a week ago, i rescued 2 more boy rats, id say they were about 2 month old at the minute, from a pet shop that was treating them very badly, i could go into details about how but that would take too long, fact is i dont even understand how these babies havent appeared to have any health problems yet, although they are still petrified of me, which is understandable due to way they were treat. anyways, although the newest boys are in a cage in a different room being quarantined, my boys, waldo and peppin are still being very weird with me, they never want to play out, they never jump up at the top of the cage to see me anymore, they seem like they hate me, its really getting me down, i do everything i can to make them happy, im forever buying new treats and toys for them but nothing seems to work anymore. i have been told it will be because they can smell the new rats on me but i wash my hands and change clothes between visits to the 2 seperate cages. if it is that they can still smell the new babies on me, then if theyre this bad now, how on earth can i ever introduce them without them hating me? Thank you very much :)

Answer
Hi

Rats dont hate!!  They fear, but they dont hate, so that should put your mind at ease.  If your washing up, changing clothes, blowing your nose (remember, nasty viruses your quarantining for are found in the lining of the nose from simply inhaling any airborne organisms) I doubt they are holding the scent of the new rats against you. If anything, they would maul you instead, sniffing the heck out of you if they picked up on the new rats scent.  I have had 20 some rats at once, 12 cages in all, and they all took turns out playing and never held a grudge if they smelled other rats. Something else may have happened and it is taking time to get over it.  Even if there was a loud bang in the room a few days ago that scared them, they remember it and act really weird about it, esp about coming out of the cage.
When they come out to play, where do they play? Also, do they allow you to reach in and pick them up? Tell me about their play time and how you approach them. This is also important for me to know in order to help. Also, as for the scared rats (the new ratties) be sure to never try to pick them up. Let them sniff your hands while your hands are in the cage, flat on the ground, and allow them to approach your hands, but never pick them up. Let them come and stand on your hand and eventually add a treat to your hand while it remains flat, palms up. Eventually they will sit on your hand but they need to trust you first. I hope you reported the pet store for neglect of these rats, too. If you need help doing that, let me know and I will gladly help you report them!