Ashley

My husband and I purchased 2 rats a month ago and they were both pretty scared when I brought them home (of course). Anyway, one of them (the smaller one) was the most scared and didn't take the move well, where the other one (a large ruby eyed) was out playing the first day!

Now it seems there attitudes have switched.

They are both female.

The small one lets me reach it to get her and even gets up on her two hind legs and reaches for me. She loves to be cuddled and she never nips. I am having the hardest time with the large one now. She will NOT come out of the cage when we open it for her, even with treats, and she runs away and squirms out of our hand if we reach for her. She doesn't bite us but she nips a lot and would much rather be on the wheel then outside of the cage. When we clean the cage we put them in their balls or in the bathroom or my husband plays with them on the floor. The large one poops uncontrollably, like the entire time she is out but she is fine when she goes back in. Is there something I can do to make her like us more and stop pooping uncontrollably?

We've researched and we don't know why she is so scared of us. We paid so much attention to them both and they gets lots of healthy treats! Does it have something to do with the fact that the large one has ruby eyes and can barely see?

I would appreciate any tips on earning the trust of a half blind rat!

Thank you in advance!

I feel really bad for one of my rats. She doesn't get to crawl on me very much because she won't leave my finger nails alone for 2 minutes! I have short natural nails and she has lots to chew on in her cage. She runs on her wheel constantly and when she does come to the cage door, it's either for a treat or to bite my nails. I would like to know if there is a way I can break her out of this habit as the other one doesn't do it at all.