How do I get my pet rat from being so shy?

my rat petunia is very shy, i've only have her for about two weeks, and i can not seem to get her to open up. everytime i take her out all she does is burrow in my clothes or hair. When shes in her cage she is hiding in her house. Does anyone have any good suggestions?How do I get my pet rat from being so shy?
A lot of rats do this so it's nothing to really worry about. My last three baby rat's I got took a few weeks to be really open and trusting with me. Just try to let her get use to you. I usually sit on the couch or bed and let them explore and crawl around so there curiosity kicks in. Rats are very curious and they love to explore and hide. Another thing you might look at is Petunia's age and size. Younger rat's that are taken from the mom still want to sleep,cuddle hide and stay warm and secure. When she gets older she will be much more interested in playing and getting to know you. I would recommend you get her a friend. A companion will really open her up.Rat's need one friend or several to stay happy and healthy. I've had rats since I was a young teen and I noticed the more play time they have with others the more spunky and hyper they are with humans and nicer. Rat's love food and snacks. If she goes to sit or hide on your shoulder hold out a treat to her to coax her out. And the more and more you work with her the more she will reward you with love and friendship. I recently got a rat who hid is his house a lot but when I started to let him roam my room with the other three he runs to the cage door and can't wait for play time with the others. And they all don't mind being pick up or held cause they know they will get what they want cause there s spoiled. lol Just give it time and good luck =P!How do I get my pet rat from being so shy?
Food is good for bonding, open the cage and put a treat on your hand, and see if she takes it. If not, have her watch you put it down. Eventually she will learn and be waiting for you at the cage, not stuck in her little house :]


But time and patience is your best bet, females are bit skiddish so they take a bit. As she gets used to her surroundings and you she will warm up.


Also- you should get her another female. I had a lone female and she got so attached to me she would refuse to leave my side or go in her cage. Its just unhealthy anyway you do it, rats need a constant companion
Well she's still getting used to her new home,let her sniff you or put a piece of clothing in her cage to get him used to your scent[small piece of clothing]just stroke her while she's in her cage and let her know you are no threat,maybe get a little treat like yogurt or peanut butter,something she likes and let her get it off your finger,and make sure to try to handle her alot but be gentle. She'll lighten up =]
all pet rats are like that at first. all you need to do is play with her and interact with her as much as possible. i have two rats, artemis and coriande, and they used to be like that, but after i played with em for a while they opened up totoally. also, if you try that and it is not the case, there mite be something in the room that u keep her in that is making her nervous, such as dogs'cats, noisey stuff, music on loud, tv. if u only have o rat, then i suggest u get another of the same litter, because rats are very social and like having some of their kind around when yur not playing with em.





good luck!!!
Bond with your rat everyday. Put her on your lap, give her treats, or even put her in a rodent pen for her to play around in. Make sure to play with her everyday,a nd bond with her.
WHY DON';T YOU HAVE TWO PET RATS?????


SHE IS LONELY AND CRAZY BORED FROM BEING ALL BY HERSELF AT NIGHT!!!!!!
Make her cage fun! Hang hammocks - flat hammocks, tube hammocks, pocket hammocks, double-decker hammocks, envelope hammocks, corner hammocks, cube hammocks, triangular hammocks, whichever you choose. Unless you know she's not a chewer, I really recommend making your own hammocks, it's way cheaper.


Get a wheel for running in! (Do not get a wheel that has any spaces in it for rattie feet or tails to get caught in! Wodent Wheel, Silent Spinner and Stealth Wheel are the best brands for safe rat wheels.)


Many rats like safe baby toys (like unpainted, untreated wooden blocks or plastic teething rings) and bird toys (like the colorful wooden ones, some have bells). Oh, and cat toys, like the balls and feather wands.


It's a good idea to provide something fun to chew, like those wooden blocks or a healthy mineral treat, or even a tiny Nylabone for dogs.


Martin's Cages - http://www.martinscages.com/products/cag鈥?/a>


Hammocks - http://www.rattributes.com/blog/?page_id鈥?/a>


Wheels - http://www.transoniq.com/





Bribe her with food! Have you tried the spoon method? What you do is put something very tasty on a spoon, like yogurt, baby food or the fat-free or whatever Cool Whip. (Okay, the last one isn't a great suggestion, but it isn't toooo unhealthy, and both of my boys are much more interested in it than yogurt or baby food. Many rats LOVE baby food, though! Squash, fruity or meaty flavors tend to go over best.) So, then you lure the rat with the spoon. With a little solid treat, the rat gets to grab it and run. But if she want this treat, she has to stick around because it's on the spoon!





A good way to let her familiarize herself with you is to just spend time with her. Talk to her, sing to her, sit with her. Leave your arm just sitting in the cage for at least twenty minutes. (Read a book or watch TV or something.) Don't move it. You want her to feel comfortable exploring you! You can repeat this as often as you want, and you can put treats on your arm to convince her to check it out.





I love to use things like bonding pouches, or similar versions of them. Basically, they're little cloth bags that you hang around your neck with the rat(s) in them. You just go about your business while she becomes familiar and comfortable with you. Instead of using a bag, though, I just wore a hooded sweatshirt backwards and stuck my boy Mercutio in the hood. At first, he stayed burrowed deep in it. But by the end of the week or so, he was crawling out to explore, and falling asleep on my chest.





Make sure you pick her up properly. I'm sure you know not to grab her by the base of the tail. Not only can you deglove the tail (ow!), but this is extremely unsettling for the rat. Try not to grab her around the midsection, either. This is fine if you need to grab her fast or if she's very comfortable with you, it won't hurt them or anything, but it is also unsettling. The best way to pick her up is to kind of scoop her up, like you're scooping up water. Cup one hand firmly and gently around her bottom and support her with your other hand. If her tail is spinning in a windmill-like fashion, it means she feels like she's unbalanced and unsafe. Hold her more securely.





When you go in to pick her up (which you should try to stop doing for now), make sure you aren't chasing her around the cage. Reach in firmly and gently. Don't dawdle or go too slowly. You'll seem like a predator stalking her.





Try to gradually coax her to come out on her own. Rats like small, dark spaces, so you can try to get her to crawl into a sweatshirt sleeve or tube or something.





Rats need at least an hour of playtime daily, so make sure you have a safe place for that. Ideally, rat-proof your room, but that isn't realistic for most people. Bathrooms are usually very easy to rat-proof. You can let her play on a table or your bed. You can make a playpen for her. (Mine is twelve panels of hardwood. I just had them cut to the right sizes -- mine are two feet wide and three feet tall -- and drilled holes along the side, then zip-tied those together. Make sure there's enough space between the panels so that they can fold up like an accordion.)





Get her a playmate! I can't blame her for being skittish. Please read this:


http://www.nfrs.org/company.html