The First Day Home -

    People often ask, what do you do once you bring the animal home?  How long should you wait before holding it?
    First off, have the cage set up and ready.  Many people buy the cage and supplies at the same time as the pet, but ideally you would buy the cage a while beforehand, set it up where you want it to go, maybe leave it sit until you figure out where you'd like to purchase your pet, and only then bring the pet home.
    In general, get the pet home as fast as possible, and put it immediately in the cage.  It will be scared, and this is not the best time to hold it by any means.
    The exception?  Rats from breeders that have been handled are used to people, and may actually feel *more* comfortable and less scared in your hands.  Hold them for a few minutes to calm them down, and then place them in the cage and allow them to explore their new home.
    But in most cases (including rats that havn't been handled), place them in the cage and give them a minimum of several hours to allow them to explore the cage, discover where the food and water is, and settle in.  Only then should you add the extra stress of handling them.  This may requrie patience, most especially if this is a pet for the kids; just remind them that animals get scared, too, and that they need to find out about their new home before they can be held.

Handling -

    First off, just put your hand in the cage; eventually, all but the very shiest pets will come out and sniff it.  Have a sunflower seed or other prized treat (raisins are also good) handy, and allow them to take it.  The idea is to make handling as pleasant and non-stressful as possible on the animal.  If they climb into your hand, gently lift them up, but allow them to jump off if they like.  Basically do this for a few minutes, just letting them get used to your presence and your scent.  Only then should you really try to pick them up.

How to pick up and handle rodents -

• Cupping them in your hand; just holding them in your hand, using your other hand to make sure they don't jump off or run up your arm.
• Restraining them around the body; most rodents will wiggle and squirm; remember, in the wild a restrained animal was one that was captured by a predator!  Some of these instincts still hang on.  The smaller rodents may well escape your fingers; rats are bigger and easier to hold.  Rodents learn to tolerate this after time, but at first it's scary.
• "By the tail"; This of course does not apply to hamsters.  While it looks exceptionally cruel when the pet shop employees do it, it is actually quite safe if done correctly, and if not done excessively.  Actually, don't use it if possible; however, especially with super-quick critters like mice and gerbils, it is a more than reasonable safegoard to keep a hold on the base of the tail while you're holding them, so that if they make a sudden move they don't end up on the floor.  Always hold the very *base* of the tail, as close as possible to the body.  *Never* grab the tail by the tip; this applies most especially to gerbils; if the tip of the tail is grabbed, it will probably come off!  This is a defense mechanism; in the wild, if a predator grabbed the tail tip, the animal will escape, even if it has to leave part of it's tail behind.

Rats -

    Rats are special cases.  With the smaller rodents, the best you can expect is "tame", the working defination of tame in this case being "unafraid of people and willing to be handled".  Some may go a step beyond that; they may actually *like* to be handled.  But that's the exception rather than the rule.
    Rats not only enjoy handled, but like *you*; Rats view you as part of their group, as another rat; all rodents can be very friendly to each other; the big difference with rats is that you're accepted as part of the group.  They're also more intelligent, and can be taught simple tricks and the like, but for me, the main attraction is that they're friendly.  In fact, in many ways they are the ideal pet; like a dog, only in a much smaller package; they don't have to be taken out for walks, they will never have a barking problem, and they can be easily kept in apartments!
    Taming a rat is easy; most young rats will soon get used to handling and learn to enjoy it.  As I've said, this is really the most you can expect with the other rodents, but with rats, they have the potential for a lot more.  Most of this is achieved just by handling them often; they get used to you, and eventually accept you as another rat.  You can "return the favor" by learning to act like another rat.  Rats often enjoy being scratched on the neck behind the ear, and along their lower jaw.  Younger rats and hyper female rats won't often settle down to enjoy this, except on occasion; certainly not as often as adult male rats.  The rats will return the favor by grooming you back; licking you, mostly, although some go a step farther and gently nibble.  Baby rats and some adults that havn't learned the limits will nibble too hard, and they seem to universally regard finger nails as things that should be removed!  If they bite hard enough to cause pain, just jerk your hand away quickly; again, this is the same reaction another rat would use, and one that they will understand. Younger rats, especially, but also to a lesser degree older rats, enjoy "play-wrestling" with your hand much as a kitten will.  This involves "jumping" your hand, often bouncing away a moment later only to do it again; they will also "bite", but these bites involve only putting their teeth on you; not actually pressing down!
    Rats even "purr"!  They do this by grinding their teeth together; they basically do it when they are happy and content, although some will also do it when nervous or in pain (presumably as a way of calming themselves down).
    Rats are homebodies; escaped (tame) rats will explore, but in time will return either to you or to their cage; they don't run away if approached.  This is very different from the other rodents!
    Because of this, rats can even be kept free-roaming.  For the most part it's best to do this only for periods, not all of the time, and best done in a single room or area, although it would certainly be possible to do it on a permanent basis in a very small apartment, for example; the problem is making sure whatever area you're using is well "rat-proofed"!  That is, you've gone over every inch and made certain that the rat is safe and cannot escape; things to look for are:

• Holes and nooks etc., leading to "the outside world".
• Electrical cords; rats will chew these.
• Other things you don't want chewed; clothing, books etc. which rats enjoy chewing on.
• Poisons; sometimes more subtle than you think.  Certain plant species, cleaning products, etc.  Last but not least, and this may seem obvious, but make sure there's no D-Con around!!
• Nooks and crannies that rats could get stuck in, or climb into and then get hurt; reclining chairs, sofa beds, behind refrigerators, up into mattresses that have been chewed open, behind drawers in dressors and the like... many many more!

Odds 'N' Ends -

What to do with the rodents while you're on vacation?
 
    This is a common question.  Partially it depends on how long you're going to be gone; if you're just going to be gone for the weekend, most rodents do perfectly fine just so long as their water bottle is filled, and they're provided with a couple large handfuls of food.
    Longer vacations a bit harder; the best option is to have a friend or neighbor check on them every couple days, providing food and water when necessary.  It's simple for even someone who has never owned a pet to do these things, just so long as you point out relevant information (where the pet food is kept, for instance!), and, if need be, go over the routine with them.
    If this option isn't available, various places will board pets; first off, again, you might want to ask a friend; one that, for instance, may not be able to come to your house, but wouldn't mind pet-sitting at theirs.  Otherwise, some pet shops and some veterinarions will board pets, as well as pet-sitters.  Make sure you find a good one, somebody that you trust; it will be hard enough leaving your pets with strangers without having to worry about their health and care while you're gone!  Check out the way the animals are kept, ask about how often they're cared for etc., and if possible get references.
    Make sure whoever they stay with has all information they might need; what diet the animals eat, how often they should be checked on, any treats they like, any medications they may be on, if they should be handled, as well as information like the number for your vet and the number where you'll be staying should something go wrong.  Even info as seemingly non-relevant as making sure they know how to securely close the cage door can prevent an escapee!
    Of course, another option is to bring them with you; that's only an option depending on where you're going, but if it would be possible, it's worth considering.