terrified of me

Question
QUESTION: I bought 2 small rats from petco about a month ago. I've read that you shouldn't reach in and try to grab rats out of their cage or chase them around with your hand trying to get them out of the cage. So I was wonder how do I go about making my rats feel comfortable around me? I have 2 boys. Lewie licks my fingers and thats about it, he gets nervous when I try to even pet his head or his body and runs away. And Ralph wont even come near my hand when I put it in their cage. Even if I were able to pick them up they'd wiggle and could very easily get away. It seems they are so afraid of me I won't ever be able to make them comfortable enough to hold or even pet them. Please help.

ANSWER: Hi Jessie
I am probably one of those that wrote an article about not reaching in and grabbing for the already scared rat. It only makes them worse. I also wrote an article on trust training a scare or  biting and aggressive rat and in fact, used alot of my notes on how I trained a scared and mean biting female wild rat and raised her as my own. She turned out to be the best rat I ever had and lived to be close to 4 years old. I just lost her to cancer about 2 months ago. :-(

Anyhow, here is what you need to do. They need to associate the "giant hand" with good things. What better way to a rats heart is through his stomach?! If it works for a man, why not a rat?   :-o
Use a treat that is reserved for ONLY this time and no other time. I suggest the new sweetened cheerios that are yogurt flavored! My rats are wild about them!
You need to take their cage into a room where nobody is going to disturb you and it is safe for the rats to roam. A bathroom is pretty secure but only after it passes your "rat safety inspected" test and this includes making sure there are no holes for the little rat to climb in like under the vanity or behind the toilet or under the bathroom door. Once everything is secure,carry their cage in and make sure the humans in your house are aware you do not want to be disturbed while your trust training your new fur babies.

Next up, you need to start to get their attention by offering each of them half of a treat. Let them know the gate door is open for them.    They are sure to want to explore the outside of the c       eventually. This may take several days of them getting used to the idea of leaving their cage because afterall it is the only safe haven they have known for a month already as per your previous post to me.
Once they realize there is much more to explore other than their "cave" Keep in mind that domestic rats are very much like their wild cousins in more ways than we realize.   In the wild, rats will never go more than a few hundred feet from their own nests which is why when your new boys start to come out of the cage, they will probably stick near the cage and run back in it at the first foreign noise they hear. They will not stay in the cage for long though since they are just so curious and knowing that they have access to the outside world they will want to continue to put on a brave face and explore it more. When they come out again on their own, hand them each a treat.        
Let them come to you , never reach over and approach them if they are that scared of you. Rats by nature do not trust humans. We are their number one enemy, and  the way to teach rats both domestic or wild  to trust us is to handle them from birth every day talking to them and petting and stroking them  and showing them you are their friend , a rat will form a strong bond with his keeper. Rats that are properly socialized not only like their keeper but are good with other humans as well and do not hide from anyone. A domestic rat that is not properly socialized almost regress back to the  way they would be if they were wild  with no contact with human beings.  They would hide from us and freeze up when we approach them providing they didn't run for dear life . Your rats were not properly socialized, the poor babies, so this is why they are so scared of you.  Most pet store rats are not from the best of breeders, thats for sure. Sadly they are not bred for health or temperment and instead are inbred feeder rats and when a litter of interesting looking rats with pretty colors or dumbo ears come along they scoop them out and sell them as pets. They usually are not socialized properly.  I am glad you have them and are looking for help on how to get them to trust you.  With time and patience, they will realize you are there for a good reason and mean no harm. THey will associate the treats as something good and soon they will come out of their cage easily and that is whey they will start coming to you.  Every time you work with them, be sure to   have your hands washed up so your free from other scents. They may start to mark you  too which is really a compliment but unfortunately, they mark you (intact males that is) by urinating on you.  Rats can tell alot by urine, from the sex of the rat that is doing it to the age too. Its the way they are saying that you belong to them.  LOL. Seriously.  It sounds a bit gross but hey, when your an animal it isnt I guess.

Anyhow, if you are patient and willing to work with these little guys every day, as much as you want actually, and again, let it be up to them entirely, every single move they make, they will eventually get used to you and will come to you on their own.  I have trust trained many rats, like I said, from a baby wild rat that had a vicious bite you would think a shark bit you, to lab rats that were traumatized from so many pokes and probes and totally hated the human touch because they associated it pain and unpleasant things. That was probably the hardest case I have ever had (the four lab rats) but with time and plenty of patients along with pelenty of honey nut cheerios, I think in less than 3 weeks I had them eating out of my hand and sitting on my shoulder giving me litte kisses on my cheek.  They will learn to come to you on command when you call their name and give kisses and just be with you. Trust me on this.  
Anyhow I hope this helped and if you have any  further questions please dont hesitate to ask. Today is Monday so perhaps you can start with the trust training today and see how it goes this week. Hang in there and good luck!!

Good luck!

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

QUESTION: Thank you so much for your help. I just have one more quick question about the treats. Since Ive brought my little men home Ive been giving them treats. so to do the trust training should I start giving them different treats all together? Or stop giving them random treats..and only give them treats when Im training them?
Thanks again for all your help. =]

Answer
You can continue giving them the random treats but make sure that the treats you use for your time during trust training that they are not the same treats you use other times. Reserve these only for trust training. They are so smart they will realize they are not the same treat and this helps them learn they are being rewarded with something new and different and associate this particular treat with YOU, the keeper.

Please keep me updated on how it works out.I promise you will see a difference in them in just a week but it may take longer to get them to really be comfortable with you.
I have rats that are totally at ease with me and come out and sit on my lap and climb all over me like I am some human jungle gym, but if someone comes in the room they scram because they do not know the strange person. I am the only one that tends to my rats in the house so this is why they have isolated themselves to only me. They are not too scared or crazed though if someone approaches them, but it takes them time to come out and inspect the new person.
I have had rats that loved everyone and would allow anyone to hold them but I have had other rats and they see only me each day and no other humans, they fear other people if its not me.
Its not a problem really until we go to the Vet, and they are scared to bits at the Vets but they do chill after a bit because the vet has a magical way about him that puts rats at ease. I have found that I tend to calm a terrified rat too and not sure how I do it but the vet, hes a genius with them that way. He talks to them, coos to them and before you know it, he has them laying in his hand, belly up letting him pet their bellies.  Amazing.  LOL