New rat acts scared

Question
QUESTION: I volunteer at the zoo, and have recently saved two young rats from what
would have been a horrible fate.  I'm guessing they are maybe 4-5 weeks
old judging by other pics I have seen on the internet.  When I took them
home, they first acted fine, and were very curious.  It's only been a day, but
today my rat (i'm giving the other to a friend to avoid having lots of rat
babies) is acting very scared, and won't come out of her little house.  I just
want to give them lots of attention so they are well socialized but maybe i'm
rushing it.?  Should I let her be alone for a few days?  I also have 3 cats,
maybe they are scaring her?

ANSWER: Hi Emily
Thanks for saving the ratties!!
I assume one is a male and one is a female?  If so, your right to get them apart NOW or you will have a fresh colony of babies and she is pretty young to get pregnant but it happens.
However, rats should be kept in pairs (same sex) Having a rat living alone is like being the only human on earth and nobody to talk to!
Also two rats are no more extra work than one and plus, the rats are happy together and happy means no stress and and low stress means a healthier immune system!


Anyhow, rats are very scared of humans an in fact, they do not trust us by natural instinct. Why should they? We have been trying to eradicate their species from this earth for centuries!!          

You are not really rushing by paying attention to the little critter, but expecting it to come out and play wihtout being socialized properly may be disappointing to you if you  expect it.  However, a properly socialized rat would, by now, be a bit more trusting with you. I am not sure the source of the breeder for the rats you have now  but it is probably a typical feeder breeder or else a commerical rat breeder or breeder mill. These breeders pump out rats left and right and do not socialize them properly.  Rat pups should be held and talked to from birth and by the time they open their eyes, they would be used to human scent. When you purchase rats from personal breeders, or "hobby breeders" you usually have a much healthier and trusting rat than you do from pet store rats.

Anyhow,I have set up a website that was written especially to help answer common questions that I get on here. After finding that I answer about trust training scared rats at least three times a day, I was actually copying and pasting my replies to everyone that asked about shy or biting rats etc... and making it more personal if the rats personality was a bit different etc..
Please read about shy rats and how to help them overcome it by going to this link:

http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/helpbitingscaredrats.htm
In fact, if your new to the rat world, you will find tons of info on proper care, health issues and cage and toy ideas, proper diet and even how to find a good vet with a link to the Vets that are board certified in exotics as well.

Hope this helps!
If you still have questions please write back and let me know. I will be more than happy to help!




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for the information.  We breed the rats at the zoo, and they are
handled from birth.  But they are feeder rats that we breed to unfortunately
feed the snakes.  The older ones there are quite aggressive.  My rat is doing
much better today, her name is Chowy and she is a sweetheart.  I was just
wondering if I got another young female rat from a pet store or somewhere,
if they would for sure get a long?  I thought if they weren't from the same
litter they might not get along.

Answer
Hi

I am glad Chowy is doing better.

I would have to guess that since these rats are bred for food (I am shocked live feeding is permitted) that they are aggressive from inbreeding which would be normal practice for feeder rats.

As for getting a pet store rat, yes they would get along just fine. Get another female around the same age, maybe a tad younger and do proper introductions after quarantine. Rats bond just fine with any rat regardless of the litter they come from unless they have aggression issues.  Although aggression is seen more with males it is not uncommon to see it in females again when they are poorly bred.

I would check local rat rescue organizations as well as local shelters first to see if they have any younger females that need a new home first before going to the pet store.  If that fails, you can try a personal rat breeder and if THAT fails,try the petstore.  Either way, I would spend extra time with the rats seeing who has the more outgoing personality.  Often they dont act shy at the store but once they get to your house they may retreat into hiding and need time to adjust etc... but you can often tell if the rat is friendly or not for the most part.

Hope this helps!