Training and Tricks
Rats are extremely intelligent, and with a little bribing, you can train them to do a lot of things!
Toilet Training
Rats can easily be litter trained, and it will make your life easier. Your first step is to place a small container (a rodent litter tray, a tupperware container, a small baking tin; anything big enough for a whole rat to sit in and at least an inch high to hold the litter in) in the cage. You may have noticed that your rats have already picked out a spot in the cage to do their business; they're clean animals! Place the tray there or where ever else would be suitable. Pick up any rat raisins you can see in the cage and place them in the litter tray. Your rats will start to figure out that someone has been going there, so maybe they should too. If you catch them in the act outside the tray, pick them up and put them in their litter tray so they can finish there. Check the cage as often as you can for stray raisins and put them in the tray. If they go in the tray on their own, praise them and give them a treat for their troubles. It may take a few days to a month or more, but when they do it on their own and even interrupt play to specifically use the tray there is definitely a sense of ratty parent pride. Don't fret if they just refuse; some just can't be trained.
Coming When Called
This is especially handy if your rats spend time on the floor. This may take a lot of repeat sessions. Have a few small treats ready. Take one, distance yourself a metre away from the cage or rat and call your rat's name and show them the treat. They will run to you (or the treat, rather!). Give them the treat, then distance yourself a little further away and repeat. Only do it a few times or your rat will get bored or just follow you around for treats. Try and practice this once a day in short sessions, and after a while your rat will come to you without needing a treat. A scratch will do just as well!
The following videos were made by Paul (YouTube username 'oPuPo'). He has a lot of very informative and easy to understand videos on how to train your rats. I will share a few with you now! Be sure to check out his other stuff.
Toilet Training
Rats can easily be litter trained, and it will make your life easier. Your first step is to place a small container (a rodent litter tray, a tupperware container, a small baking tin; anything big enough for a whole rat to sit in and at least an inch high to hold the litter in) in the cage. You may have noticed that your rats have already picked out a spot in the cage to do their business; they're clean animals! Place the tray there or where ever else would be suitable. Pick up any rat raisins you can see in the cage and place them in the litter tray. Your rats will start to figure out that someone has been going there, so maybe they should too. If you catch them in the act outside the tray, pick them up and put them in their litter tray so they can finish there. Check the cage as often as you can for stray raisins and put them in the tray. If they go in the tray on their own, praise them and give them a treat for their troubles. It may take a few days to a month or more, but when they do it on their own and even interrupt play to specifically use the tray there is definitely a sense of ratty parent pride. Don't fret if they just refuse; some just can't be trained.
Coming When Called
This is especially handy if your rats spend time on the floor. This may take a lot of repeat sessions. Have a few small treats ready. Take one, distance yourself a metre away from the cage or rat and call your rat's name and show them the treat. They will run to you (or the treat, rather!). Give them the treat, then distance yourself a little further away and repeat. Only do it a few times or your rat will get bored or just follow you around for treats. Try and practice this once a day in short sessions, and after a while your rat will come to you without needing a treat. A scratch will do just as well!
The following videos were made by Paul (YouTube username 'oPuPo'). He has a lot of very informative and easy to understand videos on how to train your rats. I will share a few with you now! Be sure to check out his other stuff.
The next one isn't really a trick but it's really, really cute.