Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Adopted the two rats. They are now in my dorm room now. Can't wait to play with the hooded one, I've played with her before and she loves going into my hood on my hoodie and just snuggling up in there. The albino, on the other hand, runs when you try to pick her up and will poop on you when you are fortunate enough to get her out. Can this be trained out?

Fear pooping is normal when you first get them & the are freaked out. As they get used to a new home & being handled by you it will stop.
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PHRatz

Well I feel almost every muscle in her body twitching as well. Is that typical for a semi-big rat, or is it a sign of fear?

Sounds like fear to me.
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PHRatz

Try forced socialization. Keep her on you for 20 full minutes. Don't let her leave your body. You don't have to be actually holding her in your hands during that time, she can do whatever as long as she's touching you or your clothes. No rat can stay terrified that long, so if you do that a few times she'll realize you're not a threat. Good luck with them both.
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Kadee Sedtal

home of old lady Lucy (boxer/lab/garbage disposal), pretty girl Fancy (beagle), the rats-Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Pachebel, Fillmore, Norbert, and baby Franz, the mice- Vivaldi, Brahms, Schubert, Bartok, Rasputin, Johann, Chaminade, Dorothy, Glenda, Em, and baby Rosa, and the wonderful winter white dwarf hamster- Feather
"I wish I had a dollar for every time I spent a dollar, because then, yahoo! I'd have all my money back." -Jack Handey