Hi there! I don't know if anyone remembers me or my BF Slavi, but i just wanted to ask for some help. About 3 weeks ago, we got Babu and 5 days later we got Cinnamon. Cinnamon seems naturally more laid back and a bit more accepting of being picked up and petted as long as there's somewhere she can nap (she reallllly loves sleeping!), but Babu wasn't like that. They're both pet store rats from the same tank, but we got Babu first, not knowing they really require friends, so she was stuck with just us hoomans for those couple days til we got Cinnamon. She has her good days where she's content to sit in our hand for a minute or two, usually when she's just waking up and still sleepy, but otherwise she's far more interested in being away from us, exploring, or hiding under the cage. I'd accept her as a free range rat who maybe just isn't that cuddly and is more interested in exploring, but lately when we let them roam our bedroom, she just spends time hiding under the cage or bolting the moment we get up. I've been feeding her roasted peanuts to get her used to my hands and have her realize they mean her no harm, but she'll just approach cautiously then take it and run to a corner. I'll buy sone yogurt to have her stay longer... I've also tried wrapping her up in a washcloth to hold her still while i spend some moments with her, but she always wiggles out and i can hold her in my hands and keep her from hopping down by continuously switching hands, but i don't think that does anything.

It's just really disconcerning... every time i look over at her and she notices this, she faces herself to me and digs her paws into the ground and we're in a staring contest til she bolts. I've rubbed and scratched her stomach to play dominate, but i don't think it's well received with her. Part of me thinks i should just stop handling her completely and let her come to me? But that seems counterproductive.