PSA: Bonding

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Once you bring your rat home, you may be tempted to immediately start bonding. Before you do anything, make sure to give your rats a day or two to get used to their new environment before attempting to bond. that bonding can be a long and lengthy process, but when done correctly it can be extremely rewarding.

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While you're waiting for your rats to have a few days to settle down, you can try speaking softly to them by the cage. This should help them get used to your voice while you allow them to get used to their new home.

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Once your rats have had some time to settle down, you can try to interact with them. Open up the cage and place a treat on your hand, offering it to your rat. If they don't take it, set it on the floor of the cage and try again the following day. You can move onto the next step once your rat takes treats freely from you.

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Next, you can get your rats used to your scent. Lay your hand inside the cage, palm facing up (or down), and keep it still, not making any sudden movements. Rats are curious creatures and will eventually come over to explore your hand(s). Repeat this step until your rats seem completely comfortable with your hand(s) being in their cage.

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After your rats get used to your scent, you can try holding them. If your rats aren't afraid of your hands, you can attempt to gently scoop them up. If that doesn't work, you can try to lure them onto your hand with a treat. Make sure to not squeeze or restrain them. Use both hands and allow your rat to explore the palms of your hands freely while you are holding them inside the cage, whereas make sure to hold them close to your body while outside of the cage, ing their legs.

For more information on how to hold your rats, check out this post

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Once your rats are comfortable with your hands, try taking them out and moving them to an enclosed area (like a bed) and allowing them to run around freely while you sit/lay there. Try to avoid making sudden movements and allowing the rat to explore at their own pace. I like to do this step individually with each of my rats.

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to keep repeating each step until your rat is completely comfortable with it before moving on. Bonding can be a really long process, but is definitely rewarding. Be patient with your rats and go at their pace.