A question that I’m asked a lot at rat adoption fairs goes something along the lines of “So.. how exactly do you play with rats?”
Do rats like to be played with? How do I interact with my pet rat? What activities do rats like?
How to Play with Rats
Rats need time with their owner in order for a relationship to grow. The only thing some people have trouble grasping is… you can’t roll around with a rat.
You can’t really take it for a walk. Or toss a Frisbee. So what exactly do you do? Here are some suggestions from yours truly!
- Let them have the run of your home!
Be sure to close any doors to bedrooms, bathrooms, closets. If you wouldn’t let your child in there, then don’t let your rat in there.
Rats take a little extra caution because they will squeeze into small places, under furniture, under blankets, and any place they can fit.
- Teach your rat tricks!
Have some treats on hand? Break them into small pieces and teach your rat some tricks. Check out my rat guide’s training section for some more information on rat training.
Sit on the couch and let them explore you. Maybe you can grab your blanket and snuggle up with a book and just let your rat roam the couch area and crawl over you.
READ ALSO: Pet Rat Bathing 101
This is really good rat therapy if they’re still not 100% used to you.
- Hand wrestle!
Not all rats will do this but most rats will run up to you and if you wrestle their head a little bit (like how you’d do to a little kid, tossing around the hair on their head), they will run away from your hand and as soon as you withdraw, they will come back for more!
This could provide hours of entertainment.
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- Build a rat area.
You can build a wall perhaps. I have seen rats jump at least 3 feet to climb over a wall.
They are determined little critters. You can decorate their play area with tunnels, boxes to crawl through, hiding places, blankets, and whatever else you can think of!
