<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ll be going over some more tips and ways to get your pet rat back home in much more detail. More than that, we also have some ideas to prevent your rodent friends from escaping again. So let\u2019s get to it!
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Catching A Pet Rat That Escaped<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Most of the time, the space our girls have to walk around is pretty limited. They have a makeshift bridge that goes from their cage to the sofa. We have 2 sofas in our office, so that\u2019s all the space they have to play, sleep and walk around.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still, our girls manage to get into a place we thought was impossible to. One day, one of the girls simply disappeared after cleaning their cage.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Looked everywhere and nothing!
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, as I said, they have two whole sofas to roam. The sofas are a bit high and they\u2019re not bold enough to climb down of them. But hey, still we looked everywhere. And still nothing!
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We even went through the trouble of looking for her in the rest of the house, since the door was open. In the end, we found her underneath the sofa! Turns out she figured out a way into the sofa leading to the floor!
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So while we were crazy looking for dear Freya, she was having fun exploring the floor beneath the sofa and its surroundings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Pet](\"https:\/\/rodentfriends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/1-4.jpg\")
Now we learned a few things from this experience and I\u2019m more than happy to share them with you!
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first thing you should do is: Keep calm! Don\u2019t start moving things around and running through the house.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We got very alarmed and I think this might\u2019ve scared Freya at the time. It was the first time such a thing happened and we were afraid she would start chewing on cables, ending up hurting herself.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re pretty sure she was having fun and just calmly roaming about until we started freaking out.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now after taking a deep breath, let\u2019s see a few more steps and tips to bring your pet rats back into they\u2019re cage!
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dim Your Lights<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Or turn them off entirely, only leaving a lamp or two! If this happened during the day, close the blinds.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pet rats don\u2019t like bright lights, so they\u2019ll try to hide from it. They\u2019ll try to hide underneath furniture, other darker places and even find a hole in the wall you didn\u2019t even know existed!
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By darkening the room, they\u2019ll be more comfortable to leave a hiding place and roam about more easily. This way you can find them and put your sneaky friends back in their home.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While doing all this, it\u2019s also important to close the doors of the room they\u2019ve escaped. It\u2019s unlikely that your pet rat will leave the room to another since they\u2019ll try to find a hidden spot.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This way they won\u2019t have another place to go, and so it\u2019s a smaller space for them to feel more at ease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Put Their Cage On The Floor<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you have their cage on top of some kind of support stand, bring it closer to the floor, with the door opened.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If they\u2019ve been at your home for some time now, the cage should be a familiar place and they\u2019ll sniff it out and go back to it sooner or later. After all, that\u2019s where the food, water, and bed is so they\u2019ll feel the necessity of their home!
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try to not stand near it, nor move a lot throughout the room. Even if they\u2019re already bonded to you, chances are your pet rat is scared of their surroundings. Extra movement and noise will make them scurry away even more.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The best to do is to stand still in some corner, at your desk, sofa, whatever is closest. Then wait it out, instead of actively looking for them.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most of the times, that\u2019ll only make them run further away from you!
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leave their cage in an accessible spot, so they can come back to it easily. If you suspect their hiding place, put the cage near that spot, so it\u2019s easier for them to come back!
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lure Them With A Treat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you do wish to try and call them to you, then having some food is the best way to go! Any animal will feel more attempted to leave their \u201csafe\u201d space if there\u2019s food involved.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This works better if you already know where they\u2019re hiding. Instead of grabbing them (which will be hard), try to make them come for you with their favorite treat.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the case that you just brought your new rodent friends home and don\u2019t know yet what their favorite treat is, here are some suggestions:
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- A piece of apple or other fruit like grapes<\/li>
- Dry treats proper for pet rats like Yogies<\/strong><\/a> or Baked Apples from Kaytee<\/strong><\/a> both on Amazon<\/li>
- Small bits of cooked sweet potato, pasta, rice, and even eggs<\/li>
- Pumpkin seeds<\/li>
- Cooked veggies<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
If the treat you\u2019re using has some kind of smell, that really helps, since they\u2019ll follow that. So that\u2019s why I highly recommend dry treats like the ones mentioned or cooked food that is safe for pet rats.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nNow that you have your delicious treat ready, it\u2019s time to lure them. Crouch down near them, stick your hand out and call them.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nLet your pet rat come to you and not the other way around. Once they\u2019re close enough and feel safe, it\u2019s time to bring them back home!
<\/p>\n\n\n\nYou can also just leave a small plate with the treat and wait for them to come if they\u2019re still not too used to you. This might make it easier for them to leave their hiding spot.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nCreate A Hiding Spot For Them<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you have some kind of pod like the Lixit Critter Space Pod<\/strong><\/a> (link to Amazon), bring it to the floor. If you don\u2019t have an igloo or pod, you can always use a cardboard box, these are always handy!
<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Pet](\"https:\/\/rodentfriends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2-3.jpg\")
Pet Rats feel safe in hiding spots!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n Fill the pod or box with bedding or accessories with your pet rats\u2019 scent. Clothing is usually a good thing to add here if you tend to use it as bedding.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nIf not, simply grab some of the cleaner bedding from the cage into the box.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nBring some water and food close to this temporary enclosure as well. This will make it feel familiar to the pet rat and they\u2019ll feel tempted into coming close.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nA warm and familiar place, with food and water, is better than some cold hiding place they found on the floor!
<\/p>\n\n\n\nNow, just as with the options mentioned above, let them come and feel secure. Once they\u2019re settled, you can bring the box or pod back into the cage!
<\/p>\n\n\n\nKeep An Eye Out For Droppings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Even if your pet rats are already litter trained, they\u2019ll be most likely scared. This means they\u2019ll leave a trail of their droppings.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nWe always know when our girls are in a stressful situation. They never left lots of droppings around unless when they were scared.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nLookup for droppings. If you find some, your rodent friend is more likely to be hidden nearby!
<\/p>\n\n\n\nRelax And Take A Deep Breath<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It doesn\u2019t happen just to you. Everyone had this kind of experience at least once in their lives. Accidents happen.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nWe get distracted for a second and they take the chance. It\u2019s normal! Pet rats are very curious and want to explore new places all the time.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nSo the best thing to do is to calm down, prepare a good place for them to come back to and they\u2019ll be back safe and sound!
<\/p>\n\n\n\nThey need food, water and a comfortable place to live, so your rodent friends will want to go back to that safety.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s always better to keep calm and collected so that they also feel safe to come back to you. If we\u2019re nervous, walk around the house, moving furniture and everything around that will be stressful for them too!
<\/p>\n\n\n\nYou\u2019ve got this!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keeping Your Pet Rat Cage Safe And Escape-Proofed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Alright so your pet rat escaped and you want to be sure it doesn\u2019t happen again! Maybe it hasn\u2019t happened to you yet, but you want to avoid that from happening.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nSo here are some tips to keep the cage safe and so that your pet rat doesn\u2019t escape and goes on an adventure without you knowing:
<\/p>\n\n\n\n- Be sure your pet rats can\u2019t fit through the cage bars:<\/strong> this is especially important when they\u2019re young since they\u2019re smaller. Most pet rat cages have too much space between bars and your pet rat will very easily pass through it. A good rule of thumb is that if their head fits, the rest of the body will too! For that reason, I usually recommend getting some extra Grid Storage Shelves<\/strong><\/a> or Hardware Cloth<\/strong><\/a>, both on Amazon, so they can\u2019t pass through the bars.<\/li>
- If you open their cage be sure you\u2019re present at all times: <\/strong>This is especially important if you don\u2019t have a limited perimeter where they can walk and play in. But if you want to let your pet rats have some freedom, it\u2019s important to always be vigilant. Pet rats are really smart and will find ways to escape and explore new places!<\/li>
- Set up a time and a playground space: <\/strong>Even if they\u2019re cage is big, it\u2019s important to let them get out and play in an open space. Set up a playground for them and let them go there for about an hour or so. Be sure they can always go back to their cage anytime they feel the need to though!<\/li>
- Do you have other pets? <\/strong>If you have other pets at home, try to keep them in different divisions of the house. It\u2019s a good idea to have them meet each other. Pet rats get along perfectly with other animals such as dogs and cats. But these meetings should be gradual and always in a safe place, under your supervision. Your pet rats might get scared and will try to escape. However, if they\u2019re with you and in a limited space, they can\u2019t go far and you can get them back in their cage, safely!<\/li>
- Keep doors and windows closed. <\/strong>If you\u2019re thinking of opening their cage, either to do something or to just them leave for some time, be sure to have any door of the room or even furniture closed. This also goes for windows, especially if they can be reached by your pet rats. If they escape, they can\u2019t leave the room. This way you only need to search for a room instead of the whole house!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Alright, these are the most important things to have in mind. I think it\u2019s always a good idea to keep your pet rats in the same room you\u2019ll be spending most of your time. For us is our office, but for you, it could be a living room or even the kitchen!
<\/p>\n\n\n\nIf they\u2019re in the same space as us you can always have an eye on our rodent friends. Not only that, but they also enjoy our company and we enjoy theirs.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nBeing in the same room will help create a bond between you and your pet rats, so I highly recommend it!
<\/p>\n\n\n\nAnd remember, even if your pet rat manages to escape, everything\u2019s gonna be alright! Just give them the necessary tools to be back home and help them out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Back to the Blog<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- If you open their cage be sure you\u2019re present at all times: <\/strong>This is especially important if you don\u2019t have a limited perimeter where they can walk and play in. But if you want to let your pet rats have some freedom, it\u2019s important to always be vigilant. Pet rats are really smart and will find ways to escape and explore new places!<\/li>
![\"Pet](\"https:\/\/rodentfriends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/YourPetRatEscaped_Pinterest-683x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"