# Biting :(



## ZombieMama (Nov 19, 2012)

My rat brain has always been a biter.. I'm always afraid to pick him up.. He almost always bites me or at least tries.. But once I have him in my hands or he's on my shoulder he's all cuddles.. I don't get why he always tries to bite me though... My hands are covered in scratches and bites now.. Ouchies! 


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


----------



## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

Hard bites or nips?

Do you wash your hands before handling them?

Is he maybe blind, and doesn't realize it's you? It's best for rats to make a noise before touch them.


----------



## ZombieMama (Nov 19, 2012)

Oh gosh hard bites for sure! My hands are so destroyed from him. 

Hmm i wonder.. He may be blind.. That is a possibility that I had considered. 

I do wash my hands most the time before picking him up, i make sure they don't smell like food or anything. 

I've had to start using a towel to pick him up but I feel bad.

I've started to try making noises but now when he even slightly moves or wants to even sniff me I get rly scared cuz he's done that before n still bit me  

He almost always squeals when I pick him up also.. =\


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


----------



## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

Try making a noise, like a click, before touching him and make sure he Sees you before touching him.

Look at his eyes, If you see any hazing he probably has a cataracts (the most common eye problem in rats). make sure to wash your hands with only water, it will get the food smell off but won't mask your smell. Rats rely a lot on smell so if he is truly blind and your using hand soap or anything else he is probably thinking your someone else.


----------



## ZombieMama (Nov 19, 2012)

It's so hard to tell though cuz he's albino. His eyes just look red to me. =\ I will try that though. I don't usually wash with soap before handling him, I have a few times but not usually. I'll keep this is mind, thanks for the tips! I really appreciate it. 


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

I've had rats with very different personalities, but I've yet to have a stupid one. As to biting... most of the rats I've had can pick the dead skin from your lips or trim your cuticles. For the most part if a rat is biting you it means to be doing just that.

On the other hand, some rats do have serious vision issues and others need to be handled in specific manner. 

I've never had a blind rat, but I did have a part wild one. With my wild child, she needed to hear your voice, then she needed to sniff you, and then she would jump up on your hand. She wasn't blind but did stay close to the walls and in the shadows, I can't say it was because of poorer vision or just a wild rat thing. And she never bit my daughter even though my daughter handled her pretty roughly sometimes... However, when my neighbor, a stranger to her, tried to grab her, he wound up with a blood soaked towel wrapped around his hand. Being grabbed just wasn't ever going to happen without somone losing a lot of blood. I suppose, I might also believe that a domestic rat that has been mistreated by someone who grabbed him before you got him might react poorly to a hand he sees as a threat, but that's a pretty thin explination as rats can tell the difference between people and different hands.

For both wild type and nearly blind rats; talk, sniff and calling him up on hand should work. Once the rat knows it's you, you shouldn't have any problems. If your rat still bites, you have some kind of other problem going on. We have a wild caught parrot and he can be pretty nasty and destructive so sometimes he doesn't get out of his cage alot. When he first gets out after a while of not being handled, he can get pretty nippy, but when he's out he calms down. Same is true if he's out more often. It's as if he gets angry about being neglected and lets it out on the first person he can get at. He's on my shoulder right now and he's been out for the past few days and he's being a sweetheart.... well actually I can't touch him with my hands but he's making friendly cooing noises and that's as good as it ever gets.

I'd try to determine if your rat is blind, I'd also try the talk, sniff and up on hand command approach outside the cage to see if your rat needs you to follow certain rules. I'd also try to handle him a few times every day so he doesn't feel neglected. If that doesn't work, I'd assume that he's got some kind of a dominence or agression issue and deal with it appropriately. While it's acceptable to make certain allowances for blind rats and for rats that need special handling, rats that bite are simply not ok. I shouldn't have let my parrot get away with it 23 years ago, but I did and it's worked out badly both for the bird and his family. He gets neglected and my family and rats get attacked... Of course, the next time my big girl rat gets anywhere near my parrot, she's going to kill him. Unlike me, my big rattie girl has no tollerance for nasty birds.


----------



## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

Here is an example of cataracts in red/pink eyed rats. So far almost all of my rats (3 out of 4) had have very small cataracts. Though it doesn't affect them as it is small.

Oh and these are more advanced cataracts

http://ratguide.com/health/figures/cataracts_figure_3.php

http://ratguide.com/health/figures/cataracts_figure_1.php


----------



## ZombieMama (Nov 19, 2012)

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll keep trying l. I love my babies. Brain's inside my jacket right now sleeping lol I was able to pick him up without him biting me. Hoping I can get him to be more friendly towards my hands  n his eyes seem fine but idk


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

I'm very very lucky to own a rat with remarkable eyesight, she can recognize people from long distances and find her own way home or back to the car from over half a mile away navagating visually. She is also amazingly comfortable in wide open outdoor places and will graze around on a lawn as long as her people are nearby or lead us places.

I think this is a great clue to a good eye test. A rat with good vision has no trouble walking across the middle of the floor whereas a rat with impaired vision will follow the walls and stay in sheltered places. A rat with good vision will follow you with it's eyes and will come to you across the floor when you call and has no trouble following you.

Pink eyed rats often have problems with their vision, supposedly at best their vision is only half as good as that of a rat with normal eye color. And strong sunlight can hurt their eyes. But that certainly doesn't mean that all pink eyed rats are blind.


----------



## marcp1956 (Oct 12, 2012)

You said, "He almost always squeals when I pick him up also." Maybe he has a place on his body that is hurting? It could be a defensive, "Please stop hurting me" bite. I would hold him wearing a glove on one hand and carefully feel around his body for a sore spot with the other (If this is possible.) If he squeals when you touch a certain location you may want to consider a vet visit. Are you picking him up gently using both hands? Perhaps you are picking him up wrong or in a way he is not comfortable with? Just some ideas.


----------



## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

If he squeals when you go to pick him up, he dislikes what you're doing and you're scaring or upsetting him.

That being said, how old is he? Biting can be caused by hormonal issues, not just personality or inappropriate handling.


----------



## ZombieMama (Nov 19, 2012)

I just realized I had more comments on this post sorry.

I'm not sure exactly how old he is, I got him about 4 months ago so I'd say he's bout 5-6 months? But again I'm not sure at all.. I use both hands when I pick him up and I try not to squeeze him at all. But he's bit me before even touching him before.. I will have to try maybe checking his body, maybe he is sore  I don't exactly have money for a vet visit for a couple weeks because I myself just had to go to the doctor.

Could be that he's just a grump. Though lately he really seems to love this "new" rat I got. (my friend couldny keep hers) They got into a nasty fight at first (he was biting me and squeeling long before that though) but now after only 1 day together they are super cuddle buddies! 









He also has anther cage mate, all boys of course, they get along great. Maybe once my new cage gets here and he has more room to roam around he will become happier. I sure hope so.


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


----------



## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

It could be hormonal issues, since he's around the age where we seem to see the peak of them. Before he bites you, do you see him all fluffed up and agitated seeming? Does he seem confused? I really think he rather just doesn't trust you and doesn't want you touching him, in which case I'd work on trust training him. If he's always been this way ever since you got him, then it's more likely to be that, or maybe hormones, than a health issue.


----------



## ZombieMama (Nov 19, 2012)

It could be a trust issue, i don't think i held him enough when he was little 
...but once I have him in my hands he's fine. He'll even sit up on my shoulder n cuddle me some
View attachment 10669


I'll watch his fur and see what he does next time. 

He's always seemed more moody than his brother though. I've been trying to work with him but I'm really new at this.



Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


----------



## ZombieMama (Nov 19, 2012)

Ok so.. He's still biting.. I've tried EVERYTHING possible.. And now I think it's even worse... Now he won't even let me hold him. Maybe he just doesn't like being messed with? Just grumpy or something? Idk.. I'm almost ready to give up and just let him be.. Feed him and water him n give him treats in his cage. 


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


----------



## CherriBomb (Nov 13, 2012)

I understand your frustration and it is tempting to just give him his way but I do hope you don't give up on him yet. Maybe someone with more experience with neutering would have some advice on if that could help?


----------



## ZombieMama (Nov 19, 2012)

My cousin used to own rats and knows a ton about them.. He just bit me again. He saw me and knew i was there and so I started picking up poop outa his cage n he just jumped over and bit the crap out of my hand!


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


----------



## ZombieMama (Nov 19, 2012)

Well my cousins gonna come look at him later.  hoping for the best. 


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


----------



## marcp1956 (Oct 12, 2012)

Let us know - he sounds a bit aggressive and defensive of his area. He obviously has not acepted you as family yet. I don't have any real advice other than take it slow and easy and don't give up. I teach grade school and when I get kids from bad situations it often takes half the year to earn their trust, sometimes more. But once I've earned it they are dedicated and loyal. Perhaps it is the same way with rats? Once you have won him over you may have a very dedicated and loyal rat that will be like no other. Just my thoughts on the subject.


----------



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

There's something we are missing here. Maybe someone that sees the situation first hand can figure it out....


----------



## ZombieMama (Nov 19, 2012)

Well he used to love me and want to cuddle with me  but now he doesn't. He just wants to bite me and run from me. But I'm not one to give up. I won't be able to drive for a year sometime soon or eventually lol so I'll have a lot of time at home to spend with them. I don't want to give up.. But it's so hard. But I love the little (well big) guy so he's worth it. 


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


----------

