Instructions
Human Socialization
Allow the rat a few days to become comfortable in its cage before you try to touch or hold it.
Talk to the rat every day while giving it treats. At first, you should just drop the treats into the cage and remove your hand. Over time, you can start leaving your hand in the cage to help the rat become used to your scent. This allows the rat to become comfortable enough that it approaches your hand for treats.
Pet the rat while leaving it in its cage. Reward it with a treat after it lets you pet it. Wait until it seems comfortable with this until moving on to other forms of interaction.
Pick the rat up with one hand and pet it with the other, leaving both hands in the cage. Reward the rat with a treat every time you hold it. Start by holding it for a few seconds, and work your way up to longer interactions over several days or weeks.
Take the rat out of the cage to hold it, pet it and talk to it. Feed it treats while you hold it. Start by holding it for a few seconds and gradually increase the duration of the interaction over several days or weeks. When you first take it out of its cage, be sure you are in a contained space just in case the rat tries to run away.
Rat Socialization
Determine whether or not getting your rat a companion is appropriate. The younger your rat is, the easier the adjustment will be. In rats over a year, introducing a second animal can be more difficult.
Understand that it is normal for your pet to be suspicious and anxious about a new rat.
Introduce the rats in a neutral territory, such as a box or the floor. Choose an area that is large enough to give them space while still forcing them to notice one another.
Continue allowing the rats to meet in a neutral location until they are comfortable with one another. While it takes some rats only one meeting to get along, it can take others multiple meetings over days or weeks. Do not place them in the same cage until they are comfortable with one another.
Place the rats in a disinfected cage that neither of them have lived in for at least two weeks. Rats are territorial, so placing them in a setting that smells more strongly of one rat would cause tension. The one exception to this rule is when one of the rats is clearly dominant and the other subordinate, as would be the case with an adult and a baby rat. In this situation, place the dominant rat in the subordinate rat's cage. This will help to curb the dominant rat while providing the subordinate rat with security.
Monitor the rats closely for several weeks and be prepared to break up fights. After this, they should get along with one another just fine.
How to Socialize a Rat
Domesticated rats are not mistrustful or withdrawn naturally, and there are many things you can do to help them develop a normal range of social skills. You may have to be especially patient with a rat you bought from a pet store, as they are unlikely to have had many opportunities for human socialization. On the other hand, your rat may be just fine with you, but nervous about having other rats around. Regardless of the situation, you can help your rat to become a social butterfly in no time.