Help with rat behavioral problems

Question

Ever since I got my two rats they keep biting me or nipping whenever I try to handle them. My sister isn't helping by sticking food in the cage through the bars and promoting biting anything stuck through the bars. I need help on taming them and getting them not to bite. I have a 10 gallon aquarium with a topper that only opens from the top. This makes just opening the top and letting them come to me hard. I need some advice. Also, I found today that my sister had put a metal hairclip in the cage and it got stuck to one of their feet. I got it off but it's bleeding now. *Sigh* Any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

For the taming: Here are some websites on taming rats.

http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/hamsters/...

http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pag...

For the injury: Keep an eye on it, if it looks worse, take the rat to the vet. Since handling isn't a good option right now, the best you can do is watch the rat's progress.

Answer 2

A ten gallon tank is far too small for two rats. The more you handle them, the better they will behave with you. Be sure to make being held an enjoyable experience for them.  

Answer 3

A 10 gallon tank is much too small. The slim 11" width will cause the rat to have spine problems in the future. A rat's cage should never be thinner than 16" and for two rats it should be at least 3'x2'x2'. If you can't provide the basics before you even worry about handling, please rehome. And please see a vet about the poor rat's broken toes.

Answer 4

Well the answer is simple...no matter how much the rats bite or nibble at your fingers, you need to take them out for at least an hour everyday...if you have to, you can wear gloves to keep from being bitten, but spending time and bonding with the rats is the only way to make them more used to humans and less fearful of hands. If you have trouble getting them out of the cage, you can use an age old trick by putting soft foods such as yougurt on a spoon to lure them out, once they are out of the cage, they should remain out long enough to l**k the yogurt off the spoon, then, you can try handling them.

The next thing that must be done is to tell your sister not to stick food through the bars because it does in fact encourage nipping and biting of fingers. Also, you really need to explain to her that rats are not like dogs and cats, they are much more skiddish when they are young and untame, and sometimes if provoked enough by people and young children, they will deliver a very nasty bite...she should be aware that if the rats become too afraid of her and others, she may end up with a bloody rat bite, which is not fun. Lastly, I would recommend getting a different cage other than a tank. Let me explain why, tanks are great for gerbils and mice, but not rats because it is much easier for ammonia from rat urine to build up in the cage due to a tanks poor ventilation. Ammonia buildup leads to respiratory infections in rats. Once you have enough money, I would look into getting a wire cage with plenty of levels and room for the rats.

I hope this info has helped you out a bit, and you can also check some rat rescources online for more solutions, goodluck to you and your rat!