Big Scary Hands

Many rats are frightened of hands because in their experience human hands swoop on them roughly and take them somewhere scary. Rats are a prey species and instinctively fear other animals snatching them from above so a big hand suddenly grabbing them is quite alarming. Your rats need to learn to link hands with positive experiences, not negative ones. A simple thing you can do to achieve this is to pick the rat up to put it back in the cage. This shows the rat that hands take him/her somewhere safe. You can also briefly pick the rat up then put him/her down next to a treat as a reward.

Always let your rats see and smell your hands before picking them up and never try to pick them up if they are sleeping. You can undo a lot of good work by having to grab a rat to remove him/her from danger and this is one reason why you need to be sure that the area you let your rats explore is rat-proof. Always pick your rats up by scooping them up with both hands, and supporting them from underneath. Never pick a rat up by the tail.

Delicate precious rat must be handled with white gloves...