A few weeks ago we looked into how best to tame rabbits showing aggressive behaviour, so this week we’re going to tell you all about the best way to encourage your furry rodent friends to be sociable. Young rats are usually very easy to get used to handling and human interaction, but older rats can often be very wary and may even bite if they feel particularly threatened. This can differ between male and female rats; male rats are much more likely to be aggressive.

If they come from a good breeder, baby rats will be well socialised before they are sent off to new owners or to pet stores, however, this isn’t always the case and some rats are just naturally fearful. The best thing to remember with young rats or older rats, is no sudden movements. Rats, like a lot of animals, are easily spooked by sharp movement so always remember to be slow and careful. If your new rat/rats don’t automatically run to you for attention, allow them to get used to the new cage first before attempting to handle.

First of all, very slowly put your hand into the cage, near to but not right beside your rat. If they don’t run for cover, very slowly move closer until you are touching their fur and if this still causes no reaction, gently stroke the top of their head. It’s best to avoid stroking anywhere else on their body at first as this can startle them! If you repeat this process until they seem comfortable with it – not very tense and on edge – then you can move onto the next step.

Some rats just don’t enjoy being held. If this step doesn’t work, you have to just accept that. First of all, now they are comfortable with being stroked and petted, very gently lift your rat – don’t move them, just place them down again. When they seem happy with this, move them around the cage, gradually increasing the amount of time your rat is in your hands. Once this step is complete, try removing them from the cage and see how they react. If they show signs of stress, don’t try to hold them tighter, just let them hop back into the cage and repeat the process as many times as necessary.

A good way to build up trust between you and your rat is by hand feeding. Try treats or normal food. Babies are usually relcutant to take food, purely because they’re unsure what it is. They might nibble it a little to test and and seem otherwise disinterested, but once they get used to you, they will probably snatch it from your fingers the second they see it!

We understand what it’s like when you decide you’re going to get a new pet for yourself or for the family. It conjures the image of Christmas morning, the kids coming down to an adorable bundle of fluffiness raring for love and attention. Sadly, not many of you are even aware that there are thousands of pets that are either abandoned or given away that desperately seek new homes and new families to care for them. To say we are a nation of animal lovers, there has been a steady rise in abandoned pets over the past couple of years with owners offering myriad unjustifiable and often utterly bizarre excuses for the neglect and cruelty of their animals, anything from ‘my dog hurts my leg when he wags his tail’ to ‘my cat doesn’t match my carpet’

The recession hasn’t helped matters, and a staggering number of pet owners can no longer cope with the cost of keeping an animal. Thankfully, not all of these individuals will leave their poor pooch or cute kitten on the side of the road and they will do the right thing and take them to the RSPCA, but there is still the problem of finding them new homes.

The common misconception is that animals that have been left with the RSPCA have behavioural problems that make them aggressive and unpredictable, but this is not true. Many larger pets like cats and dogs find themselves in the hands of the RSPCA simply because their owner couldn’t afford to keep them any longer, or worse, because they have been mistreated and abused. It’s not just cats and dogs that find themselves in need of new homes, though. Various pet shops around the country provide a specific area that is exclusively for pets that have had previous owners and are in dire need of a new one. Rats, rabbits, hamsters and other small animals are often overlooked because they’ve grown up and no longer have the more appealing appearance of a baby. These animals are the ones that need a home more than any of the others. A life spent in a small cage in a pet shop without anyone to give them the attention they deserve is no life at all, so think twice before you decide to buy a baby. The chances are, a puppy, a kitten or any other young animal is destined to find a home very easily, but an older animal needs one more. Have a heart. They can’t take care of themselves…

Can pet rats be trained?

You might not be aware of this, but many of our fluffy rodent friends can actually be trained to do a lot of tricks. A lot of them are highly intelligent and not only that, but they deeply enjoy learning to do new and exciting things. Pet rats are especially good at learning tricks and depending on each individual rat, can be very fast learners that can accomplish very complicated tricks astonishingly quickly. You can train them to know their name, to put a ball through a hoop, to fetch, to dance. Pretty much anything you might teach a dog!

When should I start training my pet rat?

The age at which you should start training them can vary. Some younger rats tend to be quite wilful and far too interested in their environment to pay any attention to you or the treats you’ve got stashed in your pocket, though this isn’t always the case! The basic idea is to start simple, be patient, be consistent and don’t train any rats for longer than 10 minutes each day. They get just as frustrated as you do when they don’t quite master something and if they start to get stressed then they’re not going to learn a thing! They will also get bored, so it’s best to keep training sessions short and sweet.

What should I teach my pet rat first?

Most rat trainers will tell you that the first thing to do when starting to train your rat is to teach them to associate a noise (either a click or a whistle or anything else you can think of so long as you choose only one noise) with something positive – like giving treats, a fuss or a cuddle. Most domestic rats love affection and attention. The best reward at the beginning is a treat, so every time they do something good, click and reward with a treat! This will help them to associate a specific action with a reward. It may take a few sessions for them to grasp the idea, but don’t worry, they will get it. Once they have this basic idea under their belts, anything else you teach them will become exceptionally less difficult!

One of the easiest things to teach your rats is to come to the door of the cage. Rats are naturally curious creatures and most of them do this whenever someone comes in the room anyway, so every time they jump up to the door of their own accord click (or make whichever noise you prefer) and reward with a treat. Once they have associated the open doorway with something good, they will be even more eager to come and say hello to you. If they are particularly nervous rats, this will help them to overcome that. Over a few sessions, you can gradually coax your rat further and further out of the cage by clicking and rewarding every time they venture a little further than before.

What else can pet rats learn to do?

Rats are very clever and can learn a massive range of different things. Another simple trick for them to learn is to stand on command. The first thing to do is have a treat ready your rat enjoys. When your rat moves to investigate the item, move it slightly higher whilst saying in a cheerful voice, ’stand!’ When your rat reaches for it, let him/her have it. Move a greater distance each time, ensure you say ’stand’ and eventually your rat will be standing on its back legs stretching to get to the treat! Your rat should learn to stand when you ask it too. Remember to be persistent, though. Some rats will take longer than others to grasp something.

After they learn to stand, you can then try teaching them to walk. This time, while your rat is standing you move the treat forwards and say ‘walk!’ Even if your rat takes the tiniest step, make sure you click and reward them! If you keep doing this, your rat will learn to take one step, then two, then three and maybe even more than that until they’re walking around on two legs like pros!

What else should I know?

Bear in mind that some rat varieties will enjoy doing some things more than others. You should never under any circumstances reward any behaviour you consider ‘bad’, simply ignore it and continue to reward any time your rat does something you want it to do. Always take the training one step at a time. If you miss anything important or if you don’t give your rat enough chance to learn something, they may get confused and lose interest altogether.