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One of the best ways to relax and decompress is to be curled up in a blanket petting a rat, or really, a whole pile of them. For me, the feel of their fur between my fingers, the velvety softness of their ears, and the wispy tickle of their whiskers is like therapy for my soul.
That’s because animals and the act of petting them have actual therapeutic benefits. Seriously! And not just for you, but for the animals, too.
Do Rats Like Being Handled?
If you’re new to rats though, you might be feeling inexperienced, especially if your new friends are acting frightened and jumpy. You might also be wondering if they even enjoy being pet. I’m happy to report that most rats do — in one way or another at least.
Rats in and out of the wild are very tactile and regularly spend time physically interacting with their own species. So, it’s not a surprise that domestic rats will actively seek out affection from their owners. Some love being pet so much that they will brux (teeth grinding) and boggle (eye-vibration) to express their feelings of bliss. Think of cats purring as a comparison.
On the other hand, if your rats are skittish and squirm or run away from you, don’t let that dissuade you from trying. Every rat has their own unique personality, along with their own likes and dislikes. You just need time to learn who your rats are as individuals.
My article Honoring Your Rat’s Personal Space can help. I wrote about the different ways rats communicate their preferences when it comes to being touched, and what those preferences might stem from. I also explain why it’s so important to have physical contact with your rats daily (even the scared and independent ones), while still staying within their boundaries.
You may also want to read my article Helping A Scared Pet Rat, which will walk you through ways to earn your rat’s trust and bring them out of their shell.
None of that advice is helpful yet, however, if you’re still unsure of how to handle your rats in the first place. Since I already described how they should be held in my article What To Know About Rats As Pets For Children, along with providing tips on making it an easy experience, let’s just focus on the ins and outs of petting your rats.
Where Do Rats Like To Be Pet?
The head, back, shoulders, stomach, and even their feet, tail, and ears can all be prime petting spots. But it’s ultimately up to your rat as to which areas they like or dislike being pet.
If there’s an area they don’t want touched or they aren’t in the mood to be pet, they’ll let you know. They’ll either walk away, pull away, or shift themselves into a different position. They might even push your fingers away with their tiny little hands. Which let’s be honest, feels a little hurtful sometimes. To your feelings that is (those stinky, little rats).
Picky Preferences
Rats can be surprisingly picky, too! I’ve had a couple of rats who were OK with their heads being touched but would get squirmy when I pet their backs. Several of mine have thoroughly loved tummy rubs, while others were less interested. I also had a couple of rats who hated being pet whenever they were being held but enjoyed it whenever they were sitting beside me or were in their cage.
For the most part though, most of my rats expected/insisted they get full-blown, deep tissue body massages. Frankly, they were all divas.
Sometimes I think these fussy creatures make up petting rules based off their moods, too. For example, I’ve had rats express not wanting to be touched one moment, only to return seconds later, jealously demanding I pet them because they witnessed their brothers receiving my attention.
And that’s not hyperbole. Rats are not above pushing a cagemate or sibling out of the way and shoving their own heads under your fingers to get the scritches themselves. They can retaliate in other ways, too. I have a video of my rat Regent pulling on his brother’s ear, because I was giving Camden a back massage. Regent regularly got jealous when he wasn’t the center of attention.
Different Types Of Touch
Try testing different areas with varying types of touch to see what your rat enjoys. Being gentle should be a priority of course — rats are small and delicate after all.
When petting their backs, you can either run your fingers through their fur, or you can use your entire hand for long, smooth strokes from the base of their tail, up to their shoulders, and back down again. It’s OK to go in the opposite direction of the fur growth. I’ve never personally found a rat to be bothered by it. If your rat is hairless, don’t worry about the lack of fur. Just think about how you’d massage or lightly scratch a person’s arm.
When a rat is really relaxed or even pancaking (completely stretched out like a super-flat blob), I like running the palm of my hand over their entire back and shoulders, then letting my fingertips graze over their foreheads with gentle scritches. You can also softly massage their shoulders and the base of their head, behind their ears with your thumb and pointer finger. Many of my rats became putty in my hands when I gave them a massage while lying on their backs.
When touching their face, it’s usually better to only use one or two fingers at a time. You can try giving scritches up and down the bridge of their nose or lightly moving your fingers across their face. Just try to go in the direction that their whiskers are pointed, and watch out for open eyes. If they are closed, it’s OK to delicately pet over them. Some even enjoy having their face massaged, or just their nose for that matter.
Other areas not to forget are their ears and feet/hands, which can be massaged between your thumb and pointer finger. And whenever my rats were fully relaxed or fast asleep in my lap, they’d let me play with their tails. I would grab the base of it with my fingertips and then slowly glide down to the tip of the tail, and then do that over and over again. You just don’t want to come back up in the opposite direction, since going against the growth of the hairs on the tail isn’t comfortable for them.
Benefit To Bonding
I guarantee that petting your rats will quickly become intuitive and natural, no matter which techniques you choose. And I encourage you to take the time to be present in that moment with them. Not only will this strengthen your bond, earning you their trust, but it will also help you de-stress and find well-being. There really is nothing better than quiet moments shared with a precious rattie kid.
Note: A lot of the links included in this article are short videos of my rats being pet throughout the years; make sure to click on them.
is there a position i should not pat or massage my rats to avoid sexual stimulation? i don’t like when my rats get on their backs for me to play with them,.
I’m not entirely sure what you mean by your rats getting on their backs. Do you mean they are just laying on their backs with their tummies up? If they are doing this when you’re petting them, they may just want to be tickled, especially if your rats are younger. They can be like human children and enjoy being tickled.
But if you think more is going on and you’re seeing your rat pulling his penis out immediately after you’ve pet him, then I suggest avoiding the area right around the groin. The rest of his underside should be perfectly safe to pet. I’ve only witnessed this behavior in a couple of my rats, and I’m guessing some males are just more hormonal than others. I’ve never found it to become a habit of theirs though, and I don’t suspect it will be one for yours either if you just stay higher up on their underside.
One thing to know though is that male rats regularly clean their gentiles, which is not a sexual behavior and it prevents them from developing a Vesical Proteinaceous Plug (penis plug): https://ratguide.com/health/aging_degenerative_disorders/vesical_proteinaceous_plug.php This can become harder for senior males to accomplish if their mobility lessens and needs to be monitored by their owner.
On the other hand, if you have intact females, petting them on the back when they are in heat might trigger lordosis behavior, which is a sexually receptive posture. Arching their back or hopping after they are touched can be a sign of this. Vibrating their ears is also a sign they are in heat. All my females were spayed though, so I don’t have much experience with this. If this is what you’re witnessing, you can just avoid touching their back whenever they are in heat. It’s all about figuring out what is needed for each individual rat.
Hope this answered your question!