# Advice needed! nipping/nibbling



## crittercrazyJazz (Nov 29, 2013)

Hi there everyone, I got my first ever rats on Tuesday! I got two boys that have grown up together and are about 10 weeks old now. One is a double rex and one is a gray and white blazed.I havent named them yet and they seem to be settling in well.My gray is very quiet and shy and hides alot but does come out and say hi quite often whereas my double rex is very outgoing and inquisitive and is already venturing out and on to my hand. The problem is they both snatch food very 'aggressively' from my hand or a spoon and my double rex nibbles/nips my fingers. He does not do it aggressively or out of fear he just seems to want to taste me, he will sniff my hand then go to nibble it but it makes me jump or pull away as I'm scared hes going to bite down hard. He also nibbles my sleaves. The breeder I bought them off said that they had been well handled from a few days old.So I would very much appreciate some advice on how to stop my double rex nibbling/none aggressively nipping my hands and how to stop both of them snatching food off me roughly? Thank youJazz x


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## Stefni (Aug 10, 2013)

Hi. Firstly congrats on your new babies
Im currently going through the same stage with my two new boys. Unfortunately these things take time and the more you're able to handle them the quicker they'll learn that your fingers aren't food lol Don't show fear by pulling your hand away though, this will entice them to bite harder when/if they want you to stop touching them etc. Don't be scared, my two still nibble and the bite my nails, but the more im with them the better they are getting around me. They will snatch food from you because they don't want to miss the opportunity for a treat. All my 4 boys run off and hide somewhere when they've been given a treat so that it isn't snatched away by one of their cage mates, which does happen every now n then lol 
Good luck, be patient and remember not to show fear, you're their alpha, they must learn to respect you, it just takes a bit of time. 

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## crittercrazyJazz (Nov 29, 2013)

Stefni said:


> Hi. Firstly congrats on your new babiesIm currently going through the same stage with my two new boys. Unfortunately these things take time and the more you're able to handle them the quicker they'll learn that your fingers aren't food lol Don't show fear by pulling your hand away though, this will entice them to bite harder when/if they want you to stop touching them etc. Don't be scared, my two still nibble and the bite my nails, but the more im with them the better they are getting around me. They will snatch food from you because they don't want to miss the opportunity for a treat. All my 4 boys run off and hide somewhere when they've been given a treat so that it isn't snatched away by one of their cage mates, which does happen every now n then lol Good luck, be patient and remember not to show fear, you're their alpha, they must learn to respect you, it just takes a bit of time. Sent from Petguide.com Free App


 Thanks you for the advice lovely! Its very much appreciated  Im sat with my ratties right now sharing some of my pasta dinner with them! I just love them so much already, they are so funny to watch and I love sharing my food with them! Xx


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## Stefni (Aug 10, 2013)

Haha awww sweet. I know just how happy you feel! My boys make me so happy too!!  My 1 boy Charlie is getting really fat, think I need to put him on a diet, he just doesnt stop eating lol 

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## crittercrazyJazz (Nov 29, 2013)

Haha yeah I think I'm going to need to keep an eye on how much I feed mine  I'm terrible for giving too many treats hehe xx


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## relken0608 (Jul 11, 2013)

My boys did that at first too, and still do if it's a super special treat! Mine were from petsmart, not a breeder, so i think the reason was that they were being greedy or survivalistic/ opportunistic, not knowing there would be more food later on. Once they realized that i'm going to be supplying them with food they relaxed. I put yogurt on my finger to try and get one to lick it off, he thought it was something he was supposed to grab so he grabbed my finger really hard and tried to run off with it, but only did that once. 

When you have food and they nibble you, i remember being frightened at first too, but it's them checking you out. Just seeing what you are, if there's anything left they can eat like any crumbs or such. You'll know when they bite you in any aggressive manner--the fur will stand up, their back arches, and mine go crazy with their front paws, like scratching erratically. And *those* hurt. 

Not trying to scare you, but what i'm saying is these little nibble are curious ones. As time progresses, you'll learn what they all mean. Do you or have you ever had a pet dog? Our boy Bones used to be somewhat aggressive, and so we got him neutered and the problem went away. My sister though (who doesn't live with me and my dad) is still really wary. When she comes over and dad plays with bones, he'll growl really loud and scary and she tells dad to get away because he's angry. But we *know* bones, we know his tone of voice and what it means when he growls loud or quiet or long or short. We know that was his play growl, even though it sounded almost exactly the same as his aggressive one. 

You'll start to learn that with your boys and their bites. As Rat Daddy says, one of the ways rats communicate is with their teeth. There are curious can-i-eat-you nibbles, pay-more-attention-to-me nibbles, grooming nibbles, etcetera. Also, their claws feel a lot like their teeth, so sharp and quick-moving. Make sure it was his teeth not his claws that you felt "biting" you  When you feel their teeth nip at you, take into account what the environment is like. Are they in a new place? When was the last time they ate? Are you paying them a lot of attention, or maybe paying attention to your phone? Are they high-energy, just super excited and are grooming a little rougher than normal? 

Also be sure to check out the sticky under rat health about a good rattie diet; there are some surprising items on there to not give them, such as peanut butter and mangoes. 

Best of luck!


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Young rats can nibble a little too hard.. mostly they are being friendly or perhaps even play fighting.... I gentle bop on the head and a stern "no" immediately when they cause you discomfort can help them to understand your limits.

Rats are friendly and social creatures, but they will push you around if you let them. Rats tell each other when enough is enough, and they will expect you to do the same.

Best luck.


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## crittercrazyJazz (Nov 29, 2013)

Thank you soooo much for your advice relken0608 and Rat Daddy! It helps a lot! I know they arent being aggressive which is good I think they are just checking me and or think my fingets are food...maybe they where hand fed by the people I bought them off so now they think every time a hand comes in its carrying food!? I have started only feeding them treats off a spoon so hopefully they will learn that hands dont equal food haha Thank you again guys  xx


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## Sylver (Sep 5, 2013)

Years ago when I first had rats, I had quite a few who were food snatchers. Sometimes they'd miss the food and get the finger, very painful! I knew better when I got the ones I have now. When I give them treats, unless I'm trying to lead them somewhere with it, I put it right in their mouth. Quickly, before they have time to lunge. Then they can learn that they don't HAVE to lunge to get a treat, you're going to insert it right into their facehole.


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## crittercrazyJazz (Nov 29, 2013)

Update on the nibblers…My gray going well and hasn't nibbled my fingers since last week, he has been very nervous since I got him but he's got much more confident around me and even comes up to me during free time now!  My double rex has always been confident with me, he climbs all over me, sits on my head and always comes running to me during free time and lets me stroke him…however he is still a nibbler! He came up to me a few minuets ago whilst I was typing this and nipped/nibbled my finger, he wasn't being aggressive and it didn't break the skin or anything but it hurt a bit. I tapped him on the nose and said no..Im hoping that if I do that every time he will get the message. He is very veerryy active and into everything! Durning free time he is absolutely crazy!


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Keep in mind he may be nibbling you to get your attention, so it may not be a bad thing. He might just want to play, It's one of those awkward things where you want him to want to play but need to teach him a better way of getting your attention. Test it out an see if he wants to play when he's nibbling... still gently discourage the nibbling and try to engage him before he starts nibbling.. As in all he has to do to get your attention is to come up to you and he doesn't have to nibble... Just a thought.


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## crittercrazyJazz (Nov 29, 2013)

Thanks ratdaddy I will give that a try, how to you suggest playing with him? They have gotten a lot better with not snatching food so I think the nibbling was part of them trying to get food/treats quickly because they where kept in a cage with lots of other young rats so they all had to 'fight' to get the food/treats first...I love this forum! Its so nice to talk to other people about rats and get advice  I dont have anyone near me to talk to about them. Thanks again x


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Most of my younger rats like to chase around me on the floor or on the bed, most young rats enjoy rat tag, indoors and outdoors for shoulder rats and sometimes I'll play tug of war with a cloth.... My daughter tossed them around and plays rag doll, which surprisingly they seem to enjoy... With younger rats, it's a lot like playing with a very small dog, with older rats it's usually more mellow. I mean it's anything that you and your rat enjoy... and by the way, as a heads up, girl rats aren't big on being dressed in Barbie outfits, I think, they think it makes them look fat.

Basically use you imagination...


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## crittercrazyJazz (Nov 29, 2013)

Great thanks I will give them a try and see if my boys enjoy them  They love running after my feet during free time in my room  They are so much fun! 
Hahaha right I will keep that in mind if I get any girls!…Im guessing boys don't like being dressed in barbie outfit either…maybe ken outfits though?


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