The first two weeks decide how the next two years feel. Give new rats a quiet, low-traffic room and let them settle for two or three days with minimal handling: fresh food, fresh water, calm voice, no grabbing. Set the cage up simply at first. Too many new objects at once can overwhelm rats who have just moved. Offer at least two hides, one hammock, food scattered rather than in a bowl, and safe, low levels while they learn the layout. Build trust with short, boring sessions. Sit beside the cage and read aloud. Rest a still hand inside without reaching for anyone. Offer a pea, a bit of cooked pasta or a lick of plain yoghurt from your fingers. Let them come to you, and always let them walk away. By the end of week one, most rats will take food from your hand. Around week two, start short out-of-cage sessions in a small, rat-proofed area with you sitting on the floor. Keep sessions short and end them while things are still going well. Weigh your rats in the first week and note it down. That number is your baseline; weight change is one of the earliest and most useful health signals you have. Skittish rats, especially those from a shop or a rough start, may take weeks rather than days. That is normal. Never chase a rat around a cage to catch them: scoop from below or coax into a tube or box.