# Don't feed rats through the cage bars---



## Jenniferinfl (Mar 25, 2016)

Something on this topic should be stickied up at the top. I already knew it from somewhere, don't remember where, so I was opening the cage to give treats. My husband wasn't interacting with them much, so I didn't think to tell him not to. Anyhow, he's been feeding them treats through the bars. 

My kid got a pretty bad bite at the end of her nose last night. Bled for awhile. Spouse had been feeding them little bits of cheese through the bars right before that. So, I know exactly how it happened. She had her face up against the bars and got her nose bit. These rats aren't aggressive at all, she didn't have them cornered, she didn't accidentally hurt one and get bit. This is just that stupid learned behavior they get from getting fed treats through the bars of the cage. The one who bit her seemed like he knew he'd been bad, he went back in the hammock and stayed there until she quit crying. 

Anyhow, just thought I would mention it because on this forum I had to do some searching to find anything about it. 

I've been telling her not to put anything through the cage bars, so, I guess she knows that now. 

Just to reiterate, these rats aren't scared or aggressive really at all. They all come to the door to see me when I get home. Sometimes all four of them are on my shoulders at once and they've climbed onto me and up on my shoulders out of their cage all by themselves.


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## Bowi (Apr 16, 2016)

I think this is great advice, and I thought of this too as I fed them once and then imagined how my 2 year old goes up and pets them through the cage without them harming him at all..they just lick  so I thought it may cause them to mistake his finger or our fingers for food if we ever feed them through the bars. I hope your kid isn't scared of your rat now and that this doesn't happen anymore!


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## hayls94 (Apr 17, 2013)

One of the #1 things people should know when taking care of rats! My girls don't bite, not even when you stick your finger in the cage because we've never fed them that way. At the shelter I see signs posted all the time on rat cages "please don't stick your finger in our cage" due to bitey rats that were fed through cage bars. Major no no that every rat owner should learn


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## Ratloved (Oct 4, 2015)

I have two one year old sanctuary females rat rescues in my care, sanctuary, meaning unadoptable and will live their lives in the care of the rescue. They became sanctuary rats because someone owned them and their kids brutalized them. They would apparently tease them with food thru the bars and then pull it away really fast, so the rats over time learned to grab fast and ask questions later. The kids would also pull on their tails if it was hanging out of the cage. The mom turned them into the humane society stating they were aggressive rats, told what her kids had done but blamed the rats for their behavior. They ended up at the rescue because the humane society was going to euthanize them. They are very aggressive, and bit four people through the bars in one weekend at the HS. If anything comes near the bars, they attack. If you open the cage doors and then pet them, they are scared but haven't attacked me this way yet. Going to try to get them to unlearn this behavior and trust us again, so they will learn not all humans are stupid and cruel. Time will tell. Anyway, just rambling. I hope you little one isn't going to be afraid of the ratties now and heals fast!


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## buzzwizz619 (May 31, 2015)

I disagree i dont think you should avoid feeding them through the bars, i think you should teach them the difference between fingers and food, teach them to ask first, snatch later (assuming youve had them since babies). 

My first 3 boys i had from 7 weeks, i can poke my fingers through the bar, feed them through the bars or let them lick baby food off my fingers through the bars. They sniff or gently taste (by which i mean veryyy gently place teeth on finger).

Ronnie and Reggie rescue boys (1 1/2), Reggie (RIP) had major issues (suspected brain tumor though) he would lunge forward finger, food, spoon whatever it was he would bite hard, but Ronnie as exactly the same as my first 3 boys, thinks first snatches later.

Pumpkin and peanut (1 year) Pumpkin snatches food, he doesnt lunge but he does snatch and it stops him from being trust worthy with fingers! Peanut kind of strikes like a snake, food, spoon etc he doesnt care he used his little paws to try and grab too, im sure i would get a nasty bite if i stuck my finger in near him! They can both be trusted liking baby food off my finger if the cage is open and if they are calm, if the other rats are around they get over excited/over competitive and then unforuntaly my finger comes worse off.

My latest 4 boys at the moment are too timid to take anything from me through the bars but i make a point of each day poking my fingers through and letting them sniff me or ticking them under their chins etc.

I firmly believe that its important to get them used to having fingers and food placed through the bars, they need to learn that not everything that comes through is food, and its best to teach them this from a young age. If they learn early on the things poking through the bars are always edible then they will never learn to check first. Especially if you have children, or have children visit, because odds are at some point the tempation to stick their finger in is going to get too much and thats how they get bitten.


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## Nieve5552 (May 20, 2014)

I definitely agree that they never should be fed through the bars. But sticking fingers in there from time to time is fine, especially if there are going to be kids around doing that where you live (I dont.. but still dont feed through the bars anyways).
If you stick your finger through the bars they learn to just come and sniff, which would prevent them from biting anything that comes through the bars. I personally dont see the point of getting them to learn the difference between food between bars or finger between bars, unless you have a really good reason to absolutely HAVE to feed them through the bars (I cant think of a single reason for this?).


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

I've been mistaken for food plenty of times by certain rats that had a tendency to be overly greedy, but I've never had a rat that couldn't tell the difference between my finger and food once they got their teeth on me... Basically they just let go, no harm no foul.. I think that every rat we've ever had has test chomped me at least once... with love in their hearts... and it wasn't painful... so they know the difference. 

I really don't see any difference in our rats when feeding them, through the cage bars, through the door of while fending them off of my candy bar while they are jumping all over me... they won't let go of my snickers, but they won't bite the fingers that feed them.


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## buzzwizz619 (May 31, 2015)

> I personally dont see the point of getting them to learn the difference between food between bars or finger between bars, unless you have a really good reason to absolutely HAVE to feed them through the bars (I cant think of a single reason for this?).


 For me it helps when giving medicine, i have one boy who has to have medicine twice a day. If i get him out of the cage he wont eat the babyfood/medicine because hes more interested in escaping and exploring so i have to kindda distract everyone else so he can eat the food/medicine without everyone stealing it.

Also when you have a large group of rats giving treats in the cage can get pretty crazy you either have the dominant rats eating all the treats or everyone tried to escape and when you have more rats than hand its gets stressful especially if your in a rush and they are giving you the puppy dog eyes so you want to give them a treat to stop yourself feeling like the worlds worst rat mummy because youve got to go out haha.


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