# Rats and Bandaids



## kwise211 (Jan 24, 2009)

So, I've had a cut on my finger with a bandaid on it the past couple of days, and during free range time, my rat constantly tries to attack the bandaid and yank it off my hand. And she is actually attacking my finger/bandaid so hard that she almost drew blood. My other rats do this too. Has anyone had a bandaid-hating rat before, and knows why they do it????


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## zoe9 (Oct 3, 2007)

One of my boys hates band aids. He'll grab my finger and just pull with his teeth. It’s as though he doesn't realise my finger is underneath because he's actually bitten through one and broken the skin. 

I've no idea why he does this. Normally he's sweet and gentle and never ever bites. I reckon he just thinks it's some weird unfamiliar object that needs to be investigated and then brutally killed...


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## zombunny (Dec 9, 2008)

Maybe they like the way it smells and they're trying to eat it?


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## Corrie (Feb 4, 2009)

He might be wanting a nice taste of the sticky stuff on the bandaid. I found Jeremy hopping accross my lounge once with sombodies used bandaid once :-\ I think he was about to take it to his favourite stashing place and wasn't pleased when I intercepted!


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

I had to give up wearing bandaids. Ironically, I used to put them on to cover a nik or two, but I always ended up with 10 times more after a free-range session with my bandaid eaters. So I gave up


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## kwise211 (Jan 24, 2009)

I know! what an odd behavior! I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one with an attack rat!!


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## AMJ087 (Aug 27, 2008)

Im unsure if its the band aid they are trying to get at or the cut itself. My rats will yes chew on bandaides if I have one on but my female also will go for any cut I may have, she tries to lick my cuts if I have any. I obviously dont let her but I figured its natural that they try to clean an open "wound"


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## Corrie (Feb 4, 2009)

Yeah, I imagine it's quite natural for them to want to clean a wound. I know they try to clean up blood because in the wild it would attract predators so it's an instinctual thing, so it's possible they're trying to clean it for you.


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## littlehippiemomma (Jan 6, 2008)

My rats like to groom me. And if I'm wearing a bandaid they just seem to think that the bandaid is something that needs to be removed; its icky dirty and should not be there. As far as they're concerned, they're taking care of you!


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## xxzz6760 (May 1, 2009)

My new rat does this, too - he tries to rip the Band-Aid off my finger! So I researched it, being new to ratty friends and curious, and I've found some sources that claim that rats try to remove Band-Aids because they block your smell, and they don't like it.


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## kwise211 (Jan 24, 2009)

that actually makes a lot of sense! they also don't like it when I put lotion on then pick them up, so that goes along with them not liking your scent blocked! thanks for the info!


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## Whinnie (Mar 29, 2009)

Penelope absolutely HATES my socks. She comes over and tries biting it and pulling them off. Only problem is, she usually gets my toes. So I have to keep scolding her, and pulling her away from my feet. I hate to put her back in the cage, as I dont want it to be a "bad place"


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Rats love to remove things that just shouldn't be there (stitches on their body), bandaids on humans...when things don't feel right they will try to remove the offending object. Socks are just sock-monsters. :


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## amadeusmom (May 8, 2009)

I agree with zoe...your rat is taking care of you. It's something unfamiliar and he must kill it...once it's off, does he steal it and stash it??
It has glue on it. So you must take it back. He won't eat it. But he will lick it.
My rat pulls off my bandaid and takes to obsessively licking the wound. He has even chewed off scabs on a nick or two. Gross, I know.


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## kwise211 (Jan 24, 2009)

I never let her fully get the bandaid off because then I would be going through a million bandaides a day!


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