# Uh oh. Big biting problem. Drawing blood.



## Blackfish (Feb 8, 2007)

I didn't think to post the first time she bit me, because I assumed it was an accident. I thought she was trying to bite the rim of my glasses but got my nose, and I thought she only bit harder because I was squeezing her from shock. Blood was pouring from the wound, I had to pry her jaws off my nose. I went to the hospital that first time, and they gave me some antibiotics, but I didn't bother taking them.

Just today though, she bit me again! And this time I don't think it was an accident! A week later from the first bit, and here she is again, this time, gave me a brand new piercing in my ear! She was scurrying around in my hood before school today, and when she was leaving my hood, she clamped right down on the lob of my ear, and wouldn't let go. I gave her a second, not touching her, to see if she would let go, but she just bit harder! Once again, I had to pry her jaws off, and it was bleeding like crazy!

I just don't know why she's doing this! Does she like the taste of blood? Does she think things that hang off my face are food? 

I'm taking the antibiotics now, just incase. It's kind of a good thing I didn't take them the first time, or I wouldn't have had them now.

What should I do with her? She's just over 10 weeks, and I have no idea what her problem is!


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

When my rats do something bad I softly flick their nose squeak a really high short distress/pain sorta squeak and say in a semy loud voice "NO or BAD". It taks awhile but they learn quick and in the future if they hear that squeak or the word(s) no,bad they almost imedeatly stop or go down in a submissive posture or if in their cage run into their igloo or box. Some people might disagree with this method but it works for me and cuases no obvioss injury or pain just slight discomfort. As for why she is bitting tell more about what you're doing when and before the actual bite. You might be startling her into aggreshen.


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## Blackfish (Feb 8, 2007)

I don't think I'm doing anything. The first time, I knew it was partly my fault. I was just lightly holding her and she was pawing my glasses, and then she bit the bridge of my nose right where the connecting part of my glasses is, I kind of freaked out, and squeezed her, and then she wouldnt let go. So I think she was just trying to bit my glasses but got me instead and I startled her into biting harder. She was really frisky that night too, bouncing all over the place.

But this time, it didn't seem like anything could have provoked her to do it. She was just hiding in my hood, and she came out on her own, and she just bit down on my ear. All of a sudden I just felt it. And I left it for a second, thinking I might startle her if I reach for her, but she just kept biting harder. So I had to grab her and pry her jaws off my earlobe.


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## Blackfish (Feb 8, 2007)

P.S. She doesn't bite my hands. Not that I know of. She likes to lick my hands though, sometimes when I stroke her she licks my hands, or sometimes she just licks them because I guess they taste salty or something weird like that.

So, is it just something about my head that bothers her?

Its a mystery to me.

She's really jolty too. She jolts in and out of her hideout, sometimes it scares me.


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

females are going to active, some more then others. i wouldn't worry to much about the jolty thing. but it does seem like she needs to learn some manners. she got away with biting you really hard once without any squeaks of pain from you or punishment, she may just not realize that that ammount of pressure hurts. do as sky14 says if there is a next time. she also seems to be having some distingushing issues. agree with you about the glasses, do you wear earings? perhaps she mistook those for something else. did you eat before handling her? perhaps you rubbed your ear after eating and the smell of some yummy treat was on your ear. remember a rat's nose is far more senstive then ours and will smell food residue that we can't. perhaps she can still distingush food and your hands as she's familar with the difference but mistook your ear for peice of scrap.


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

twitch said:


> did you eat before handling her? perhaps you rubbed your ear after eating and the smell of some yummy treat was on your ear. remember a rat's nose is far more senstive then ours and will smell food residue that we can't. perhaps she can still distingush food and your hands as she's familar with the difference but mistook your ear for peice of scrap.


That is a big factor. If you smell like food they ether lick,test bite or bite to grab. Mine learn young so they almost always lick or test bite before they bite to grab even with the actual food they are careful not to get me. They know the penalty... 8) They'er always careful even with food thats on my fingertip.


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