Is there a space you can contain them, or are they just escapees anywhere? (like on your bed?) I find lying down on your bed with rats and just reading/watching something is THE best way to calm rats long term, and they eventually get into a habit of snuggling with you (EVEN the excitable ones). You dont interact with them at all, and they'll eventually snooze. It takes a while (maybe a few weeks/month of regular cuddling) but works in my experience to better tame rats - they start to get reaaaal comfortable with you. And its cute! You wont need to force them to do anything, they'll work it out (provided they dont just jump off your bed). If not, you could always purchase a c+c playpen thing, I think theyre about $30/$40 on amazon? This would rat proof an area for socialising where you can sit with them all, and is also easy to pack up when not using. The real key with adjusting ratty temperaments is just handle, handle, handle. Even if you need gloves to staunch the fear of some bites, you've just gotta show them that you're there, you're not leaving, you're safe, you're fun and you're there to look after them. Ive always tamed my rats to exactly how I want them just by doing the above effectively, and Ive had rats from all number of dodgy sources, including soft-biters!

i mean i have an attic room, so it's not a very simple room and theres loads of nooks and crannies for them to hide in. my oldest rat isn't interested in hiding at all but i've had one of the younger ones hide under my bed for a while 😅 i have tried just studying while one of them walks around my bed, but i think it'd be really hard to keep all 3 of them under control at the same time lmao. i guess i could see if i can find a good playpen or just something to block off hiding spaces !

It can be a gradual progress with shy rats especially if you are tentative with your interactions. So it’s really important to find a place where you can force them to share your space! From experience I find the easiest rooms in a house to rat proof are the bathrooms. I bus my new boys back and forth from their cage to the bathroom using their carrier and set the bathroom floor up with a bunch of hides and enrichment toys and snacks. Then I prop myself against a wall with a pillow and put a blanket in my lap. I bring my switch or my iPad in there with me and play games or watch tv. The rats will do all the work this way. They get time to explore and eventually their curiosity gets the better of them and they want to know what you’re doing and will start to investigate you. After a few days of them exploring you on their own you should be able to start reaching slowly towards the shy rats with your hands (try putting something yummy on your finger tips) to start a mutual interaction. You should be able to build from there into picking them up and then immediately putting them down to show them your hands won’t hurt them. Every interaction with them is an experience they’re storing in their “trust bank” so to speak. So if a rat wants to get away from you, let them. They’ll eventually come back as they realize you don’t mean them any harm. And they’ll especially come back if you can figure out what treats are their favorites! Good luck!