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Why does my rat want back in his cage so bad when i take him out2007-11-24 22:19:26

Everytime i take my rat out of his cage and let him run around its almost like he is trying to get back to his cage. Won't you be happy to be out of your cage that you spend most of your time in?? How do i help him to feel comfortable outside his cage??

Answers:

The poor little guy is just scared. He spends most of his time in the cage and associates it with being a safe place to be. Somewhat similar to dogs and their kennels/houses. Just be patient with him. Open the door and let him make the decision to come out of his cage. Make sure it's in a nice, quiet area away from a lot of noise, etc. that may scare him. Have you tried yogurt treats? Pet stores carry them. They're shaped like chocolate chips, but are flavored with fruit. Rats love them! Maybe use them to coax him out or use it as a reward for when he does come out of the cage.

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More then likely he is afraid. Try to limit other noise and things that could scare him. Also make sure there are no other larger animals around.

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because he feel's safe in there. just take him out every now and then, maybe he'll figure out it's not so bad being out. good luck with him.

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My rat does this too. However, after she finds her way into her cage she will want to come back out. Rats just like to be in the comfort of there own cage, that's all. Take him out and play with him as much as possible :)).

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His cage is his home, and he feels safe and secure there. The only way to make him feel safe and secure away from the cage, is to provide positive experiences away from the cage. Provide him with lots of lovin's and treats while he's out of his cage, and no treats while he's confined, and he'll quickly begin to look forward to his time away from the cage. Does he have a cage mate? Often single rats are insecure- if at all possible get him a cage mate of the same sex- rats are social animals and are always happiest when they have a ratty friend.

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Mine are like this, especially when on my shoulders or something. I think it feels too precarious for them, and they want to be somewhere safe.

Then again, when I put them in another environment, say, on my bed, and I keep putting them back there, they become familiar with it and start exploring. (Granted this means I need to clean my sheets more often, but my bed is a great place to let them out to get some exercise) Keep bringing him back to the same familiar out-of-cage environment, let him play for a while... and it never hurts to give a small treat when he goes back to the cage for doing so well. Soon they'll associate being out with eventually getting a treat, and that will help too.