ᐉ How to play with a decorative rat at home

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07/14/2019 The decorative rat is characterized by curiosity and mobility. An intelligent and playful pet rodent who loves pranks and fun. It is very important to find time to play with your pet - this is connected not only with maintaining an emotional connection with your pet, but also with fulfilling the animal’s need for physical activity. The lack of daily physical activity is fraught with the development of obesity and other serious diseases for the rodent. To keep the animal healthy, you need to provide it with a daily marathon (at least 2 hours), in which a walk will be combined with games.

What and how can you play with your pet rat?

The decorative rat is characterized by curiosity and mobility. An intelligent and playful pet rodent who loves pranks and fun. It is very important to find time to play with your pet - this is connected not only with maintaining an emotional connection with your pet, but also with fulfilling the animal’s need for physical activity. The lack of daily physical activity is fraught with the development of obesity and other serious diseases for the rodent. To keep the animal healthy, you need to provide it with a daily marathon (at least 2 hours), in which a walk will be combined with games.

How long do they live?

If in nature wild rats amaze with their vitality, then the same cannot be said about decorative rats. Long-term inbreeding made ornamental rats more susceptible to disease. They are much more likely to develop tumors than their wild counterparts.

The metabolism of rats proceeds quickly, so their life, one might say, proceeds quickly. The same thing happens with diseases. If you suspect that your pet is sick, contact your veterinarian immediately - do not treat it yourself, and especially do not expect that everything will go away on its own. Although veterinary medicine is not particularly developed in relation to rodents, no one will help you better than a veterinarian.

How to play with rats

It is important to play with the rat correctly. The main thing when playing with a small pet is safety, therefore:

All games and walks outside the cage are under the control of the owner - leaving the rodent unattended is prohibited.
It is advisable to cover sofas, chairs and other furniture in advance with a material of a color against which the little fugitive would be immediately noticeable.

Before letting your pet out of the cage, you should make sure that he will be out of access to such objects as:

wires;
bin;
houseplants;
other pets (if any in the house);
open doors and windows;
ventilation vents;
cracks etc.

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During the game (and any other time) it is strictly prohibited:

lift or pull the rat by the tail;
step on or sit on a rodent;
squeeze your pet tightly;
raise the animal high.

Such treatment of a pet is unacceptable under any circumstances.

Training rules

The main condition when working with rodents is to have enough patience.
Do not force your pet to work against its will. His interest in doing things eliminates many problems.
Before starting work, the animal should feel slightly hungry. The last feeding should be 10-12 hours before training.
The first lesson lasts 15-20 minutes. As the duration of study increases, fatigue sets in and the quality of preparation is reduced to zero. In the future, it is possible to increase the time to half an hour, with breaks for rest and the resumption of lessons after games. If there are several pets, then they take turns working with them.
You can move on to the next lesson only after mastering the previous one.
When performing the movement, do not touch the animal with your hands, only scratching when expressing gratitude.
Give lessons daily, starting first with repeating what you have learned.
You cannot talk to your pets when learning a number, only commands or sound signals.
When training rats, actions that cause pain are not allowed.

Affectionate treatment and food encouragement have the best effect on results. To do this, feed sunflower kernels, boiled meat, slices of bananas, baked apples, vegetables, and nuts. Preference is given to those food products that the pet loves. The main condition for this will be the size of the portion of gratitude. It should be small and not saturate the animal. To prevent the animal from getting bored, food is changed more often. Alternating training with games will enhance the quality of the process.

The gingerbread method is very useful in training

Rodents are more energetic in the afternoon, so it’s best to schedule studying at this time of day. The success of the activity depends on the location. If the place is familiar, then the animal feels safe. The exercise area should be wide and not hazardous to the health of the pet. Before starting the exercise, he is given time to master the space and become familiar with the props. The rat must be trained daily. During the lesson, she is taken out of the cage, taught and put back. As soon as the required element is completed correctly, training for a specific action is stopped. If permissible occupational norms are violated, the number of portions of reward increases. The animal gets fat, becomes inactive, and loses interest in the process.

You cannot postpone the lesson without consolidating the result. The rodent develops a reflex: complete the task, receive a reward. If the number is performed accurately, a command is pronounced and an award is immediately given. After practicing the skill, the feed is stopped and limited to only stroking.

The animal receives gratitude only during work. Undeserved receipt of tasty food violates the rules of training and reduces the results to zero. In addition to commands, signals in the form of a whistle or click are used. The signal is given at the moment of correct movement.

There are 3 points noted in the training technique:

Make the student make a movement.
At the same time give a signal, an order.
Reward with a treat.

Until the rat understands the task and does not enjoy it, the work causes it stress. Only patience, praise, encouragement and affectionate treatment will help to correctly form new skills and abilities. When playing games, safety measures are observed. You should not leave a baby rat alone with a child. The baby’s activities are unpredictable and, due to oversight, can cause harm to a living creature. Wires, as well as sharp, piercing, and cutting objects are not used as accessories. Sheets of paper from magazines or newspapers are not allowed. Printing ink is poisonous and will harm the student. Lessons are not taught on a surface high above the floor. There is a risk of falling from height and injury. Before the lesson begins, the little rat is tamed and taught to respond to its name. When an animal becomes attached to a person, it ceases to be afraid of him

What can you play with a rat at home?

It is recommended to provide your pet with interesting leisure time both in and outside the cage. This is not difficult to do. It is highly desirable to have the following equipment in the animal’s cage:

running wheels;
ladder;
tunnels;
wooden toys;
plastic balls (for example, table tennis);
hammocks;
shelves, etc.

This will provide the animal with exciting and useful leisure time within the walls of its own cage. As for entertainment outside the cage, at home you can play the entertaining games presented below with a small, active and inquisitive rodent.

Cat and mouse

The animal will enjoy hunting for a “mouse” attached to a strong thread or rope. The “mouse” can be:

The game is simple - you need to move a rope around the rat. The “mouse” will follow the thread, and the animal will enthusiastically attack the object, cheerfully jumping up and having fun.

Rabotage

This game, in essence, is a fight between a rodent and an opponent, whose role is the owner’s hand. It’s easy to captivate the animal - just move your fingers near the floor, depicting a small living creature moving. Having noticed a “competitor”, the animal will want to overcome it.

Gym

You can construct a unique sports and entertainment complex for your pet with your own hands using available materials. To work you will need:

plastic bottles (for tunnels);
cardboard boxes (for pens, towers, maze stages).

In the boxes, it is important to make openings for transitions that correspond in width to the size of the animal. The design of the complex is arbitrary - you should rely only on your imagination and the amount of consumables at hand.

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Hide and seek

Decorative rats love this game. Moreover, you don’t need to look for the animal. For hide and seek with a rodent, you just need to choose one of two main game options:

Place a randomly crumpled blanket or large towel on the sofa or floor and run the animal under it.
Place your pet in your bosom - under a robe or jacket, preferably with long sleeves.

The little traveler will be happy to tinker under the fabric. Every time he sticks his face out from somewhere, you need to praise him and encourage him.

hidden treasures

You just need to hide the treat inside the box or under crumpled cloth. Then all that remains is to watch with interest how the little tracker will look for a tasty “treasure”, relying on his sense of smell.

Training

A smart pet can be taught simple tricks - jumping through a hoop or from “stand to stand”, etc. The rat is capable of spinning on a hoop, fetching small things, etc.

Proper training strengthens the friendship between owner and pet. The main thing is not to forget to praise your pet and reward it with goodies during training.

Bathing

If the animal likes to “take a bath,” you can please him with this procedure. To do this you need:

Fill the basin with warm water 5 cm from the bottom.
Place an inverted bowl or container on the bottom to create an island (the bottom of the bowl should stick out of the water).

After bathing, the rat needs to be dried so that its fur is dry, otherwise the animal will catch a cold.

What are they?

There are many simple yet fun toys you can give to your pet rat or mouse to make them happier.
Tunnels. Rats and mice by nature make and use burrows or tunnels. You can provide ready-made tunnels or let them make their own. You can buy or make tunnels from plastic and place them in a cage, hanging them on stainless steel hangers. You can create your own shape models and create a whole network of labyrinths. Plastic is easy to clean. Be sure to choose a pipe with a fairly large diameter so that the rodent cannot get stuck in it.

Among other things, it is worth providing mental stimulation to your pet rats or mice by hiding, for example, a special toy in their food. There are many bird feeding toys that can also be used for rodents, such as bamboo pieces. You can pour food into the bamboo and watch how your rodent takes it out. Use your imagination and you can give your favorite mouse or rat toys that will bring them great pleasure.

How to play with baby rats

You can start playing with babies only after going through the adaptation period. When the pups get comfortable in their new place, you can begin taming them in a playful way. Allowed:

carry them in your arms;
let them play with safe things (it’s good if they have the owner’s smell);
let them run around the table or sofa;
put them in your bosom and let them wander under your jacket.

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Any actions should be accompanied by affectionate conversations, stroking and preferably treats.

Choosing a name for Dumbo the rat?

The owners are trying to give the young, smart baby Dumbo a deep and meaningful nickname in the hope that the animal's name can influence the character and intelligence of the funny animal. Sometimes it can be difficult to immediately name a pet with a suitable name that emphasizes its individuality and expresses the love of its owner.

It is advisable to take a few days to take a closer look at the habits and character traits of the new family member; most likely, he himself will tell the owner what to call him. The furry baby's nickname can be tied to the color of the rodent's coat and funny ears, human associations from the pet's appearance and funny faces, favorite book and cartoon characters or pop stars. The rodent's nickname should be simple and easy to pronounce in a diminutive form. It is believed that females respond better to nicknames that begin with the letters K, M and D. Males are more fond of names with the letters S, K, M and D, long-eared pets are more willing to get used to nicknames with the letters T, N, L, M, K , S, Sh and R.

The name for a Dumbo rat girl can be: Knopa, Scully, Masya, Dana, Molly, Ksyusha, Marta, Alice, Dasha, Klava, Matilda, Gina, Darcy, Alpha, Kayla, Linda.

The name for a dumbo boy rat can be: Kuzya, Tyson, Tim, Rocky, Simson, Garik, Steve, Venya, Bucks, Rocky, Dick.

It doesn’t matter what the owner calls the smart-eared baby. In any case, the baby rat Dumbo will sincerely adore and faithfully wait for his beloved owner, giving him his incredible tenderness and selfless love.

Video

How to tickle a rat

Tickling is another easy way to play with your rat at home. Pet rats respond to tickling in a similar way to humans, due to similar brain structures. These rodents show a touching and funny response to gentle touches in the following areas of the body:

However, different individuals may have different sensitive points. Some are not at all afraid of tickling, but such rodents are in the minority. Most decorative rats are sensitive to tickling. At the moment of tickling, the animals emit an intermittent squeak, similar to laughter, and also wave their paws and jump provocatively. Tickling and play sessions should be interspersed to diversify your pet’s leisure time.

Bathing and grooming

Decorative rodents are very clean and constantly look after themselves. But at the same time, they are constantly in a contaminated cage with pieces of food and droppings.

The pet owner should follow some rules to maintain hygiene in the cage:

dry granules or large sawdust shavings are best suited as bedding for a rat; small ones can get into the rat’s eyes, and it will develop an allergy;
no need to use newspaper as a lining. When it becomes wet, harmful substances contained in printing inks are released, and this threatens the rodent with poisoning;
the cage needs to be cleaned every two to three days;
Once every two weeks it is necessary to disinfect all toys and devices; there are special preparations for this.

Rats can and should be bathed. Usually they love it, but it happens that the animal refuses to bathe. In this case, there is no need to force the rodent into the water and wet it - you will help lose the trust of your pet. Those who do not like bathing at all should sometimes be wiped with wet wipes.

Games with rats

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Of all small domestic animals, rats are the most sociable with their owners. It is very easy to play with rats, because they themselves want to frolic with you. Sociable rats love attention and, like many cats and dogs, want to spend as much time as possible with their owners. Below are several games for you to play with your rat.

Rats love to jump and get crazy with other rats. This is how you can play rat wrestling: place your hand so that your fingers look like paws. The hand then becomes a rat-sized wrestling opponent. Walk your fingers towards the rat. At first, the rat may sniff you with caution. Walk your hand back and repeat the path to the rat again. Most likely, she will jump on your hand, but not to bite, but simply grab it sharply with her paws or lightly bite your moving fingers. You can continue the petting game or try to gently turn the rat over. You can continue to play like this, because this is not real boxing and no one will get hurt. Many rats love to have this game played with them. If the rat gets too excited, you can always put it back in the cage to calm it down.

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Rats love to chase strings if teased, like a kitten. Drag the string around the rat or tie a piece of crumpled paper to one end and throw it on the floor. The rat will be much more interested if you move or sharply pull the string so that the paper ball moves unpredictably. After a long game, you can give the rat a ball as a reward for good behavior.

"Running with obstacles"

For your rat, it can be like an amusement park, filled with interesting things to climb and run around. Cut several cardboard boxes and put them together to make the walls of a large pen. Place the pen on the floor (on a surface that will be easier to clean up after play). Place cardboard boxes inside, milk cartons with holes cut in them, platforms connected by ladders or rolls (from toilet paper or kitchen towels). Or if you like to make things, you can build such a pen with a plywood floor. Make holes in the floor so you can secure some elements, like ladders or swings, so they don't move. Be creative! Change the environment every time you introduce rats! You can create a specific obstacle course with a start and finish, and reward the rat when it completes everything. Don't limit yourself (and your rat) to only horizontal obstacles, build vertical ones too. Always keep an eye on your rat during such training. Remember! This is important for the rat - check the room where you are playing. Make sure that your rat cannot escape through small holes. Close windows and doors and make sure other pets cannot get to the rat. And move electrical cords out of the rat's way. As you know, rats are quite intelligent animals and need a large field of activity. BUT we cannot spend as much time with them as they would like - some have work, some have school, you never know. And of course, not everyone can allow a rat to walk around the apartment all the time - wires, plants (they can be poisonous to your pet!) - all this can cause harm to the rat, and if they don’t harm the rat, but vice versa :)) Of course, every owner he wants his rat not to get bored and to have fun spending time with him. And this is precisely why there are a number of games with which you can please your rat. Not all of them are here, so if you come up with or remember something new, be sure to write!

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This is a puzzle game for rats :)) Take a simple matchbox, put something in it that the rat likes (preferably this product has a strong smell), then close the box and hand it to the rats