# Gentle biting.



## notscaredtodance

I was handling a brand new rat that I was looking at to possibly take home and make my pet. I had put my hand in the cage and after about 5 or 10 seconds he came to investigate, just sniffing, and then he started gently biting, once or twice. 

I've heard that gentle bites to the fingertips are affectionate and loving and it means the rat trusts you, but this rat didn't know me at all, so I'm curious if he was just trying to see how far he could have gotten, and if gentle biting may lead to more serious biting if you don't correct.


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## Stace87

He could have been testing you with his teeth, sort of finding out what you were.


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## amadeusmom

My rat ALWAYS play bites me. He really likes acrylic nails. I don't wear them, but many friends and my daughter does. Normally, when I introduce him to a stranger, I tell them "if you put your hand out, he'll lick your finger" and he does. If they have fake nails he bypasses the finger tip and goes for nibbling on the nails.
When he wants to play rough he bites my nails. I say OUCH whether it hurts or not and he stops. He also knows OFF, NO and COME!!
I would say it probably won't lead to more serious biting. Rats use their mouth and teeth to explore. Even with each other. Sometimes leading to fighting.
One thing I have always done is sit close to the cage and dangle my fingers through the cage. A rat that only gets food through the cage will probably bite...expecting food. And they're not polite about it, they grab it and run usually. So if they think your finger is food, there goes your finger tip.
I only give adult, trained rats food through the cage. If it's not my rat, I don't use this technique. I just don't want any of the many children around here to get bitten.
I train my dog "no bite" also. Just like "leave it".


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## marshmallowfriend

He was trying to figure out if you had a treat


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## Little-Fizz

marshmallowfriend said:


> He was trying to figure out if you had a treat


Agreed, My rats do that sometimes when I have the sent of food on my fingers.


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## m4xwellmurd3r

My younger rat, Nami does it to me a lot, but I think she's trying to groom me haha. she'll nip at my finger nails and all over my hands, then Saya will come up and start licking my hands all over when I scratch her shoulders (a lot of times, I'll scratch Saya and she'll start licking me, and nami will come bouncing over and start nibbling/licking me as well)

it's a lot of fun. Nami never did that much until sometime earlier this week (I've only had them for almost 2 weeks now I think. Saya was a friends and she can't keep her where she is, and I got Nami as a playmate for Saya. They both have been acting a lot happier recently too, so that's good)


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## Kinsey

haha, mine does that when he's either grooming or wants a game


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## lilspaz68

Those were test bites, you want to nip them in the bud by "eeping" when he does it. Smoe rats dont' realize its not appropriate behaviour (adolescent rats usually or rats that have lived alone most of their lives were never taught ratiquette by other rats). Some rats will warn you to stop doing things, but I don't usually allow a rat to start biting, Aggressive hormonal males start off biting lightly and then get worked up until they are doing some serious chomping.


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