Tickling your rat for 15 seconds, three days running: the dosage a study validated
Published by Planète Pets · managing editor: Clément Lacaille · how our guides are written
Rat tickling, which mimics the rough-and-tumble play between cage mates, has become a recognised technique for accustoming a rat to a hand before a potentially unpleasant procedure. A US study looked for the most efficient dosage, with results that defy intuition. Our other play and enrichment ideas are gathered in the rodent toys and enrichment section.
Contents · 5 sections
Nine combinations tested on 72 rats
Published in 2018 in Applied Animal Behaviour Science by LaFollette, O'Haire, Cloutier and Gaskill, the study split 72 Long-Evans rats housed in pairs across two crossed parameters: tickling duration per session (15, 30 or 60 seconds) and the number of consecutive days of tickling before a restraint procedure (1, 3 or 5 days) (, doi 10.1016/j.applanim.2018.08.005).
Duration changes nothing, frequency changes everything
Unexpected result: neither tickling duration nor frequency changed approach behaviour towards an unfamiliar human, the time needed to restrain the animal, or fecal corticosterone levels (p > 0.05 on all three measures, whatever the combination). Three consecutive days of tickling, however, produced a higher rate of 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalisations, linked to positive affect, before and during the session (p < 0.0001), and more play behaviour with less inactivity in the hour before handling (p < 0.003), compared with a single day. No further difference appeared between three and five days: past three days, the effect plateaus.
On approach and restraint time, tickled rats — across all durations and frequencies — needed fewer attempts and less time to be restrained than an untickled control group (p < 0.05).
The corticosterone paradox
One result deserves to be flagged rather than smoothed over: tickled rats showed higher fecal corticosterone than untickled controls (p = 0.003), even as their approach behaviour improved. Fecal corticosterone and observed behaviour therefore do not tell the same story — a useful reminder that "less measured stress" and "better behaviour" do not always line up. This nuance echoes the reservations already raised in our article on stress-free taming in a fearful rodent.
The practical dosage this gives
The most time-efficient dosage, as effective as the longer protocols, is 15 seconds of tickling per day for three consecutive days, before a procedure that could feel unpleasant — a vet visit or handling for a treatment. Moving to 30 or 60 seconds, or repeating for five days rather than three, adds nothing more according to this study.
Frequently asked questions
Does tickling work with all rodents?
The study specifically concerns the rat, whose social play repertoire is well documented. Nothing guarantees a comparable effect in hamsters or guinea pigs, whose social repertoires differ.
Should the rise in corticosterone be a concern?
The study does not settle this question and measured no negative consequence linked to that rise. Find all our guides on the rodent hub.
In our shop, for this use: Natural loofah chew carrot for rabbits and rodents, 20 cm (€17.90) · the whole shop
This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Rodents universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.
