New rats very scared

[stoop14]

I got 2 baby male rats last night and their just terrified of me, one guy especialy he runs into the box when ever i enter the room and litteraly shivers in the corner.  The other guy isn't as scared but makes allot of almost sneezing noises anyone know what this is?  Also they wont eat treats at all i tried cherrios and banana i havent seen them eat ANY food or drink ANY water. 

[Mands_Leanan]

Two boys we took in are also very skittish, but they're coming around.

First, back off a little. These two were just put in a new, strange place and now they have a giant shoving food in their faces. Give them a couple days or more to settle before you try to interact with them. Our two newbies wouldn't take food from us either for the first couple weeks, so we just left all the treats in their food dish and left them alone to eat and explore. Look up trust training on the board to get an idea of how to win them over. 

That sneezing is worthy of concern, have these boys been checked by a vet yet? It might be allergies, or just because their place is new, but it could also be an upper respiratory infection, for which you'll need antibiotics.

[JR1030]

How old are the boys?  Where did you get them?  It's common for rats to have some sneezing when they move to a new home, just from the new smells and such, but if it's a lot, or you notice a lot of porphyrin (red mucus) around their eyes and nose, you need to get them to the vet.  Are they in the FN?  If it's not modified yet, they'll fit through the bars and could get lost. 

[Vibrissa]

What bedding were they on before you got them (hopefully not cedar or pine)--and what bedding are they on now?
Try more than cheerios and banana--be sure to go over the lists that tell you what NOT to give them (like raw potato, green banana, peanut butter unless very diluted and not gummy anymore, etc.).  Jar baby foods (single ingredients for the most part like fruit, veggie, or chicken or turkey meat), most fresh fruits and veggies (depending on age), organic canned or cooked beans (a few), slivered almond, little chopped pieces of walnut, I make French toast out of sprouted bread, egg, and almond milk (sometimes with cinnamon, sometimes no almond milk) special for them once in a while), etc.  They love fresh avocado (be sure no part of the seed or peel).  Give them choices and variety.  Good luck.  I was so much happier (and my rats, too, I think) when I listened to several in here and switched them to cloth bedding (lots still use other beddings successfully, but mine sneezed with ALL kinds I tried).  I now just put a towel and then a sheet (or cut up sheet) down before setting the cage into the tray.  No bedding to buy and very little laundry to do!  Of course they have their hammocks and various other pieces of cloth (they love pieces of cut up sweat shirts) and the occasional paper towel to cart around, snuggle in, and rearrange!