# New rat behavior - Putting teeth on hands/fingers?



## TheFuzzySphere (Nov 30, 2013)

I have 3 male rats: Henry, Frank, and Jack. Henry and Frank were rescued from a feeder bin about a month ago. Jack is our new and last addition to the group. We got him this past Sunday from the same feeder bin. Henry is VERY excited about Jack being apart of the group. I was told that a rat had a litter born in that feeder closet in the pet store. It seems as if all 3 grew up together and that they are possibly brothers. They are all relatively the same size too, though Frank is a bit bigger (always has been), so I'm assuming they're about the same age. Frank and Henry have had about a month to get to know me and bond. Jack, being new, has only had a few days, if that. He's still rather shy, though he's warmed up to people way faster than either Frank or Henry. It took them almost 2 weeks to stop being terrified of everything and Jack is exploring and handling attention well within 2 days. The only thing he does that confuses me is when you're petting him, he turns towards your hand, and puts his teeth on you. Not biting down and it's not exactly painful. It's almost like he's testing something. He sometimes lays there and lets you pet him for a while, bruxing even, but he usually tries to crawl away when you try to love on him. Considering how bad they were treated by people at the pet store as feeders, I'm very patient with my boys. Frank and Henry are becoming more and more loving every day. They come when called, Henry looks for and runs towards me when he hears my voice, and Frank is a lover boy who gives kisses all the time. I want to respect Jack and let him know that I'm not going to hurt him. Why is he putting his teeth on my fingers? Is this a sign to stop petting him? I don't know what he's trying to tell me :/ I wish I could speak fluent rat, but I'm still taking lessons.


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## Minky (Apr 4, 2013)

Rats explore the world with their teeth (as well as their other senses). Yes, they "test" things by gently biting them. I think he's just trying to figure out what you're all about. I also am going to _guess_ that it's a sign of affection. Since they weren't really handled or loved much, it might take Jack awhile to get warmed up to the idea of cuddling. Just go slow and be patient, and eventually he'll realize that you're the bringer of Good Things.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

It might very well be he's saying enough petting, or maybe he's returning affection in his way... experiment with the behavior... if he holds your finger and you stop petting him what happens next? If you keep petting what happens next? Just like humans rats don't all speak the same language. They try different behaviors to reach out to you, so just try trial and error until you understand. If his behavior is already consistent then he may already be satisfied with the communication. For example if he holds you finger and you release him onto the floor every time... that might be exactly what he means by it... put me on the floor. 

Fuzzy Rat wanted to teach me an open the door command... she tried running around in front of the door, but I usually wouldn't open it, then she would run down my arm towards the door and that usually didn't work either because I wasn't necessarily interested in going out or through the door... Then suddenly she started pounding the back of my neck... I thought this behavior was so odd that I tested it and opened the door pretty much whenever she pounded my neck just to test if that's what she wanted and sure enough when she wanted me to open a door and go through she would pound the back of my neck with her fore-paws. There is no 'normal' rat behavior that includes pounding the back of a human's neck, but she kept trying different things until I did what she wanted and that became her way of telling me she wanted to go inside, or downstairs or outside. She never pounded my neck for anything else. That singular behavior always meant open the door and go through it.

Whenever we got home, I would stop to look for my keys and she would be pounding my neck to tell me she wanted to go inside, She pretty much did the same thing the same way every day. And when she smelled food cooking downstairs and knew it was dinner time, when I walked by the hallway door and was about to pass it she pounded my neck to remind me to go through the door and take her downstairs for dinner. Similar but less frequently when I walked by the front door she would pound my neck to tell me to open the door so she could go outside as it was time when she wanted to play outdoors... 

So try to understand a rats behavior in context... in my case the behavior occurred whenever I was near a door, that was my first clue, the rest was trial and error.

Best luck.


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## TheFuzzySphere (Nov 30, 2013)

Wow, thanks to both of you for your amazing advice


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