# Dumbo Rats



## Thunderandwhisper (Oct 19, 2008)

Hi
We have got two male dumbo rats called Thunder and Whisper a week ago, Whisper is very friendly, and is happy coming out when we are about. However Thunder is incrediably nervous, and will only come out when it is completely dark. My partner and I have put two t shirts we have worn all day into the cage, so they learn our scent. Is there any other suggestions of how we can get Thunder to become less nervous? Also we are thinking about getting two more rats to join them (two more males, because we luckily have enough time to be able to devote a hour each to them at least), do you think this is a good idea or we should just stick to the two? Thanks for reading.


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

How old are they? Where did they come from? What kind of cage are they in (and what size doors does it have)?

Sorry for all the questions, but those answers will help us to help you 

A week isn't all that long. Some animals take time to learn to trust you, whereas others will get in your face from day one.


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## Thunderandwhisper (Oct 19, 2008)

We got from pets at home, our pets at home are pretty good with the pets and they play with them abit to. I know it is not the best place to have got them from but we couldn't find any breeders in the area. We have a Freddy savic cage. We are guessing they are about eight weeks old because they weren't in the adoption section. 

Thunder (who is quite a big rat for a baby) is really jumpy, you could just be sat next the cage and slowly move your head and he will jump. Whisper is fine and very friendly. 

Sorry these are the first rats we have and after having a bad experience with a syrian hamster, i want to make sure i do everything right.


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

Well, you can almost always bet that rats in a pet shop are from a rodent farm (especially a big one like [email protected]), so your rats probably weren't handled much as young babies. Whenever I have a rat litter, I handle them from day one and they leave me with a confidence in themselves that you won't find in a pet shop (and most breeders who breed for pets, as apposed to food, do the same). Just give them time, loads of patience, licky treats off your finger, and they should come around


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## Thunderandwhisper (Oct 19, 2008)

Thanks, another question how should i react if they bite me, our rats bite very gently to check if you are food or not, some sites have said you should make a big reaction to stop them from doing it again and others have said just take your hand away slowly, we have done the latter. Which is better? Secondly should we try to pick them up then or wait for a little while?


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

I don't react at all to test nibbles... They aren't being nasty, they are just seeing what you are shoving in their face  Rats have very poor vision, so most things are "seen" through smell, touch, and taste.


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## Thunderandwhisper (Oct 19, 2008)

Thanks for all your help. Btw what is the easiest way of picking them up? Sorry for all the questions.


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

I always pick up a rat by their middle... Since your's aren't completely sure of you yet, I would gently (but firmly) hold their tails while you are handling them, though. Just to stop any escape attempts. Never lift a rat by theend of the tail, though.


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## Thunderandwhisper (Oct 19, 2008)

Thank you so much. You should see them at the moment they are so sweet both eating the toast i gave them. I will try that tomorrow I think. Do you know of any food in particular they like?


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

All rats are different  But our's absolutely LOVE spaghetti bolognase  We tend to give our lot a bit of whatever we are eating... Chicken is another big hit! What are you feeding them as their staple diet? If you got them from [email protected], did they push the rat nuggets onto you? If so, I would change that. It is so boring for such intelligent critters to be getting the same nugget every day. I feed mine a mix of rabbit food, dog kibble, pasta, and various cereals, plus their fresh foods and leftover human dinners.


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## mask-of-sanity (Dec 27, 2006)

Thunderandwhisper said:


> Hi
> We have got two male dumbo rats called Thunder and Whisper a week ago, Whisper is very friendly, and is happy coming out when we are about. However Thunder is incrediably nervous, and will only come out when it is completely dark. My partner and I have put two t shirts we have worn all day into the cage, so they learn our scent. Is there any other suggestions of how we can get Thunder to become less nervous? Also we are thinking about getting two more rats to join them (two more males, because we luckily have enough time to be able to devote a hour each to them at least), do you think this is a good idea or we should just stick to the two? Thanks for reading.


hi just give him time and hopefully he will settle down if you ever do want any more rats just pm me as i breed them and i am only 9 miles from the other side of reading so not far from you ....i do have some babies right now but not sexed them yet they are coming up for 4 weeks old


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## Thunderandwhisper (Oct 19, 2008)

They did actually. That sounds like a lot better idea. By the way one of our rats sounds like he is sneezing, but doesn't seem ill at all, fur is fine and eyes and nose seem okay. Should we be concerned?


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## Thunderandwhisper (Oct 19, 2008)

Yes we are interested. Would you be able to deliver? Because I don't drive. How much are your rats? Is it okay adding rats to the rats you have already? If they males we would really be interested. Any idea how many you can keep in a freddy cage?


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## Esarosa (Jul 13, 2007)

Personally I wouldn't add new rats straight to the old rats. I'd have seperate cages and do intro's over a few days on neutral ground (bath tubs are actually quite good for this). Sometimes intro's may take longer though. But the last thing you want to do is throw the rats together and a fight break out.

Also sneezing...rats that have been recently moved and are settling in can sneeze due to the upset/stress of the move, However if it persists then you'll need to take them to the vets for a check up and anti biotics. Also make sure that the rats aren't on dusty substrate/bedding. Woodshavings, wood pellets etc are a no no due to harmful phenols they can release when wet, which can intefer with their delicate respiratory systems.


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## JulieNoob (Jul 9, 2008)

I don't think a Fredy cage is really big enough for more than 2 adults.

Re intros - I have 14 males and just do a quick intro on the stairs and then move newbies in - mine are all very laid back and welcome new friends


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## Thunderandwhisper (Oct 19, 2008)

Thanks, we are intending to get a jenny cage, is there a better cage that I can get then a jenny cage? Is there anything else I can do to help them settle in better? We so want to get it right, because we had to give back a six month syrian hamster a few weeks ago because he took a dislike to males and would hiss and go to attack them, so I had to give him up because of him trying to hurt my partner.


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## Esarosa (Jul 13, 2007)

Whilst the odd person swears by Jenny cages, I personally hate them...the bars aren't coated and rust easily. You could japlac them but that's more cost on the initial cage price, also quite fiddly to do. Also the access into the cage is terrible. The large door at the top is great, but the smaller doors in the bottom corners are damn near impossible to use. So if you wanted to make it a 'nice' cage, you'd need to purchase replacement large doors, and they're 3.99 each..so again more cost. 

The tom cage seems to be a nice jenny equivalent. Great Deals on Small Animal Cages at Zooplus: Tom Rat Cage

Acrorats < some nice cages there. The Freddy Max looks lovely. Do bare in mind if you order from this site though, that the owners husband is very unwell, so delivery may take a while, so you may want to contact them beforehand.


Also before getting a cage or more rats, i'd recommend using this Fancy Rats | Information | | Cage Calculator and inputting the measurements of the cages you're interested in. I normally knock a couple off the overall number for boys as they're quite large.


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

I've heard good things about the Tom Cage, as welL:

Great Deals on Small Animal Cages at Zooplus: Tom Rat Cage

And the Furret XL:

Ferret Cage Furet XL: Bargain Prices at zooplus

Something else that may be frightening your one little rat is the new big space. I never put brand new rats into a large cage until they get to know me a bit first, because the new open area can be scary to a little rat who thinks those big things on two legs are gonna eat them.


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## Thunderandwhisper (Oct 19, 2008)

Thanks everyone for all your help. Is there anything else I should know about male rats? We are going to try and pick them up tonight, very excited.


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## Esarosa (Jul 13, 2007)

They tend to be, on the whole, more laid back than females. Occasionally you may get dominance issues, neutering can help to solve these problems though.


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## Thunderandwhisper (Oct 19, 2008)

Is there any good toys I should invest in?


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

But if they are only babies, they are still very active... They tend to mellow as they age 

Just be creative with toys. Mine get hammocks, fuzzbutts, houses, etc. Then as babies especially, throw in a couple jingly cat toys and hide choccy drops around the cage


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## Thunderandwhisper (Oct 19, 2008)

Thank you ever so much, I will take on all your advice. You don't happen to know any breeders in the berkshire area, who are thinking of selling rats do you? Because we are keen to get more rats in the future. Maybe in a seperate cage.


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

Have a look through the classified section for exotics and domestic pets  Maybe even post an add requesting rat kittens that have been handled from a very young age


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## Thunderandwhisper (Oct 19, 2008)

Thank you, I shall do that. What is the big difference in behaviour between male and female rats?


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

As a rule (of course there are exceptions to that rule), males grow into a more laid back and cuddly rat, whereas females stay very active and like to play  But I have a female who is more snuggly and a couple males who aren't overly cuddly. It depends on the rat's personality


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## mask-of-sanity (Dec 27, 2006)

Thunderandwhisper said:


> Thank you, I shall do that. What is the big difference in behaviour between male and female rats?


males can be more laid back but i have females that are laid back also ....i have a little female that mum kicked out she is being hand reared and a little sweetheart....she is being kept with one of the other baby females that is nearly weaned and both are being supplemented with welpie after seeing my vet


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## Thunderandwhisper (Oct 19, 2008)

She sounds adorable. I think that might be one of the rats we might take off you. Just have to clear it with the partner


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