# Adult male rescue rat keeps biting hard



## baxonline (Mar 31, 2012)

*Our rescued adult male rat keeps biting hard.*

We've recently rescued an 18mth old male rat from a neglectful home, where they hadn't even named him! We've named him The Dude (after the Big Lebowski). He's been understandibly very shy and frightened but we have made some slow progress. 

When we offer him yoghurt drops at the door of his cage he takes them and then returns to bite down through our fingers or knuckles (top and bottom) with slow deliberation then retreats to a corner.

*BITE TODAY*
The last few days we have begun a programme of forced socialisation. We take him out of his cage in a towel and hold him close until he calms right down, talking to him all the while. 

Today we were holding and stroking him in our arms (hands and arms covered by long sleeved tops) and he began bruxing and boggling (much to our delight). 

He still refused to take a treat so we decided to treat him by letting him scamper about the sofa (covered with a clean sheet), with us sat with him, which he seemed to enjoy. Whilst my partner was distracted I saw him walk casually towards her & sink his teeth through her exposed index finger (nail and flesh). He then went and cowered in a corner. We made reassuring noises and put him back in his cage.

*RESCUE CIRCS*
His previous owner was selling a rat cage online with a footnote that it contained a rat. We went to visit the owner and found Dude cowering in a corner of a filthy sawdust filled cage. It transpired the owner had been using him & a female to breed from to feed the owners reptiles (which occupied purpose built cages going from floor to ceiling in a terrace house kitchen). The owner's girlfriend had left with the female and some babies, leaving the male alone FOR THREE MONTHS.

Can anyone offer any advice on how to stop him from biting and when we might introduce him (with strategic planning) to our two 7month old rat brothers (kept in a different cage in a different room but clearly suspicious about why we're talking to thin air in another room)?

Many thanks.


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## HelloClarice (Feb 1, 2012)

wow! Hope someone can help you tame the beast! [just kidding I'm sure he is great] Maybe look into getting him fixed?

Hope some one can help!
Alisa&Clare


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## 1a1a (May 6, 2011)

Sounds like he's being Nasty. If you are game, I'd try dominating him when he bites like that, flip him onto his back and 'powergroom' his belly. A neuter quite possibly would help to but it'd be nice to try some trust training first. (As for not getting bitten, be very, Very vigilant).

Cues for when it Is time to neuter include sidling and fur puffing up like a toilet brush.


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## baxonline (Mar 31, 2012)

Thanks for your suggestion. He is a big fella and I have to say, once he's nipped it's hard to find the courage to do anything other than withdraw and stiffle a like sob. But he's not sidled or puffed toilet brush style yet. 

Could be he reacts to our fingers as we suspect his children were taken from his cage and fed to reptiles in the same room as him.

We are wondering whether slowly intergrating him with our 7 month old male brothers would improve his mood but are concerned what he may do to them.

If anyone has any other advice it would be appreciated.


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## moongate (Mar 12, 2012)

I would certainly recommend putting them together, he may just be acting out because he's lonely. I found my big guy was much more friendly once I got the little guys to entertain him. I was lucky they all got along right off the bat and kept wanting to go into each other's cages! A big part of that I think was because the Captain was very much lacking in the company of fellow rats.


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## baxonline (Mar 31, 2012)

That is reassuring. The Dude used to live with 2 lady rats (for the owners nasty breeding program) as well as their offspring. There was probably a lot of rat love going down.


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## 1a1a (May 6, 2011)

baxonline said:


> Could be he reacts to our fingers as we suspect his children were taken from his cage and fed to reptiles in the same room as him.


That's downright Perverse!


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## Flashygrrl (Feb 8, 2012)

Yeah that'll traumatize him. However, given that he was kept in such a situation suggests that you may want to keep him QT'd for a while since it sound like they probably didn't care for him very well.


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## ratjes (Mar 26, 2011)

Let him calm down for a few weeks without putting pressure on him, like trying to handle him. Just feed him (throw his food in his cage so he learns that your hands provide good stuff) and let him realize that you are not a threat. If we hurry this training, it will back fire with bites. He must have had bad experiences or no socialization, which makes him view people as predators.
Sop take it easy; they are smart enough to come around.


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## baxonline (Mar 31, 2012)

Well, it's been a few months since we found Dude. He's so much more socialable now. We've introduced him to our other rats and he's become more active and trusting. We still keep our fingers away from his face to ensure he isn't tempted to bite if crotchetty, but he does take food from our hands now. All in all, a little patience and love has paid off!


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## ratjes (Mar 26, 2011)

Yoohoo! I love trust training animals. Did it with a rooster that had attacked everyone in his barn. He never did it with me because I took the time and stayed out of his personal zone until he trusted me. He was a great rooster until a bob cat took him as he must have stood in front of his hens. 
This is how you do it: you find out their personal zone by gently approaching the animal and see when they start getting uncomfortable with your presence. Then you throw them the best treats and back off. Over time this zone becomes smaller and smaller but you have to let the animal be your guide. It takes time but a trusting animal is your payoff.


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