What to do about a vicious violent evil....?

Question

Pet RAT?! This is my 2nd rat, and she is nasty! I have 5 band-aids on my hands right now from the last 3 day's attacks from her. My 3 year old was bitten yesterday too. It's hard to type with this many bandages on! We got her a month ago, and after we had her for a week she started biting! It's getting worse, and more frequent. We take both the rats out to play with them every night...

Any suggestions on how to calm her down? I don't want to get rid of her.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Your rat may be biting for a number of reasons.  Most of these are easy to resolve with patience & persistence.

First, I agree with the person who suggested that the biting may be cage aggression (if she only bites when someone puts a hand into the cage).  We've had a couple normally sweet rats who absolutely did *not* want any humans invading their space.  Our dwarf hamster has cage aggression, too, but is friendly on his own terms.  If the problem is cage aggression, simply wait for her to come out on her own rather than reach into the cage to bring her out.

Many rats will bite if you put a finger through the cage bars, especially if you also offer treats this way.  They simply mistake your finger for food, especially if you've been handling food (rats have poor eyesight but a keen sense of smell).

Some rats, especially young ones,will bite in play like other baby animals.  If this is the case,simply say "No!" firmly & and a high voice (like an annoyed rat), then immediately end the play session with the rat who's biting.  They quickly learn that biting=game over.

You might want to consult  vet to make sure that your rat doesn't have an illness or injury that could cause her discomfort, which could make her irritable & more likely to bite.

Most rats are quickly socialized & become sweet & playful companions.  We've had several over the years, but only 1 unrepentant biter who attacked me, my SO, and everyone else who came near her.  We eventually realized that the poor girl simply wasn't right in her head & took care of her as best we could.  Good luck with yours.

Answer 2

not being funny but if u have a baby thats been bit then it not a good idea to have it if its goin to be aggresive then just leave it in the cage for a while to calm down

Answer 3

I had a pet rat too a few years ago...I went in to the petstore to get a hamster and came out with a freakin rat...go figure. Anyway, this rat was alittle mean at first but with time and patience she came around and stopped biting so much. I would take her out of her cage and put her in my lap without touching her...then I would start to touch her back alittle and then I would put her back in the cage. She started to like me, but only me...she would bite everyone else. Either she will come around or you will have to live with a biter.

Answer 4

For heaven's sake, leave her alone!!!

Give her some space.  Stop trying to handle her for now.  Instead, sit near the cage and offer treats.  Let her learn that all things good and yummy come from you.

Take the friendly one out and leave the grouch be.

Either she'll come around and be friendly, or she'll spend her life in blissful solitude.

If they're sharing a cage, use a tupperware lid to keep her in while the sweetie pie comes out.

Answer 5

Does the biting occur when she is inside her cage, outside her cage, or both? If she only bites when she's in her cage, she's just cage aggressive, and it can be worked around. Rats are usually very docile and friendly. I'm surprised she has bitten you this much and this severe.

I think the best thing you can do is be sure you wash your hands before you handle her. When you get her out to play, use something to scoop her up into, such as a large cup or a small box. Don't encourage her to bite you. Sometimes, people unknowingly create this problem by enticing the pet, the rat in your case, to chase after and play with fingers and hands. If they don't monitor closely, they may end up with a problem on their hands as the rat does not realize it is biting too hard. If she bites you, try blowing a puff of air in her face and firmly say no. This puff of air is usually unpleasant and will distract her enough for you to redirect her attention to something more appropriate.

Have you tried letting her calm down and starting back from square one? Just try earning her trust by feeding her treats. Don't try picking her up from her cage. You can try luring her out of her cage using a yummy treat instead of reaching in to grab her.

You'll just need to figure out what works best for you and your rat. I'm sure it can be fixed. Don't give up on her yet. Just keep working with her.