# My Baby Boy is becoming aggressive?



## RattieLover1331 (May 21, 2013)

Hey guys!

So I'm posting this because I REALLY need your guys's help..

My little baby boy is becoming aggressive 

He's been handled since he was born, and I handle him everyday.

He was never from a pet store or shelter..

I handle him and his brother equally, and I pick him up first..

He's already bitten two of my friends, and I don't want anyone else to get hurt. My friends didn't do anything wrong either. One, went to pet him, and he full out bit her, and my other friend went to hand him a treat, and he took it, and bit her.

He hasn't bitten me to the point where it hurts. But he has bitten me.

I just want my sweet little boy back, and I don't know how to do it. My other boy is really sweet.

I'm a first time rat owner, and I..don't know what to do.

Please Help. Thank You


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

You discourage biting behavior sternly and decisively I'd explain better but I don't want to get too graphic.

Young rats will playfight you for alpha status, if you don't fight back and win they get more and more pushy and aggressive and eventually bite... If a subordinate rat ever bit his alpha or another pack member the alpha rat would enforce discipline in no uncertain terms. 

If you can't communicate your feelings to your rat, you might have to go through immersion with him. If discipline and immersion don't help there is neutering, if that doesn't help you really can't keep a biting rat in your house. It is not a pet. Most likely either discipline or immersion will solve your issues.

Last thought is he may have a health or a vision problem that is causing him to bite. You should test his eyesight, check him for sore spots and if you don't find a problem have a vet take a look at him.


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## Patientzero (Jan 12, 2012)

I have been teaching my baby rats that hard biting isn't acceptable before going to their new homes since 2 families with children will be owning some, I have been using a high pitch squeeker from a dog toy, and anytime they bite to hard I squeek the toy and it sounds like a rat squeeking when bit to hard, they will immediately stop and be more gentle, if they continue I will squeek the squeeker and then flip them on their backs to 'pin' them, and they have been great with it and don't bite hard(I allow playful ones that don't hurt while playing). You might want to try this out.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

My part wild rat only bit me once and it was most likely by mistake. She was actually trying to kill the mouse I was holding in my hand... but she thought better of it and never tried it again... I'm pretty sure she had an epiphany some time between being launched from my hand, hitting the far wall and sliding down to the floor. When she came back to me she was all polite, friendly and apologetic. The toss was a reflex as she removed a nice chunk of my palm (apparently wild rats bite and tear), but it made for a wonderful learning experience for a rat with an otherwise short fuse.

Now my approach was both accidental and nearly involved overkill... but once your rat starts seriously attacking you and biting, you are usually beyond squeaky toys. Try shouting NO! and if that doesn't work use "necessary but not cruel or excessive force". Remember you are saving your rats life. A biting rat is not a pet, it's an insurance liability.

There are no doubt a few people lurking on this forum with twisted up biting rats languishing unloved in their cages without fixing the problem. The one thing I'm sure they will all tell you is that once a rat goes anti-social and you don't fix it, you are going to get bit again, and again and again... well you get the picture. Don't let your rat stray down the wrong path attack the problem now, see a vet, use discipline etc before you are too far down the wrong road.


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## RattieLover1331 (May 21, 2013)

Cookie actually bit my little 2 year old niece 

She stuck her finger through the bars, and he came over and really BIT HER. HARD!

It wouldn't stop bleeding for like forever..

I just don't know what to do..


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Read my sticky thread on immersion under rat behavior, it might give you a few ideas and a place to start working from.


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## Gannyaan (Dec 7, 2012)

How is cookie? Did you decide what to do? 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## RattieLover1331 (May 21, 2013)

Gannyaan said:


> How is cookie? Did you decide what to do?
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


He's doing a little better..Not too good though :/

Although, I can hold him without him biting me..

I just don't know what to do


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

After reinforcing your alpha status and bond and having your rat checked out by a vet for health problems I'm pretty sure there isn't much you will have to do other than spend as much time loving him as you can.

Rats bite basically for 3 reasons, there's a breakdown in their social structure, they have health problems or eyesight issues and they are being neglected or abused.

I think we should be able to rule out at least neglect or abuse, eyesight is easy to test and a vet can determine if he has health issues. Immersion theory will help to shore up your social structure issues.

I'm intentionally discounting the "hormonal rage" concept... because mostly rats go hormonal when their social structure and alpha bond is weak or nonexistent, Once a rat becomes an alpha, or thinks he is, his brain releases hormones that make him bigger stronger and more aggressive, so he can defend his pack from enemies. As a caged rat has no enemies and not much of a pack to defend his behavior gets really screwed up and he can take his aggression out on his humans or packmates. Fortunately studies have shown that when an alpha rat gets dethroned his hormone levels usually return to normal over time. So it's a causality loop... the rat thinks he's an alpha, he starts over producing hormones and he becomes more aggressive which in turn creates conflict so he produces more hormones and eventually becomes dangerous to his own pack and owners, who now can't handle him so he gets more out of control until eventually he winds up as an exhibit rather than a pet or neutered or euthanized. 

If your problem is with your not being assertive enough as your pack's alpha get on it as quickly as you can... the longer you wait the worse things will get. Same with health issues, untreated things often get worse.

If your rat is blind or sight impaired, you have to talk first, then let him sniff you and then pick him up. It's a matter of him knowing it's you and not a predator.


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## RattieLover1331 (May 21, 2013)

Rat Daddy said:


> After reinforcing your alpha status and bond and having your rat checked out by a vet for health problems I'm pretty sure there isn't much you will have to do other than spend as much time loving him as you can.
> 
> Rats bite basically for 3 reasons, there's a breakdown in their social structure, they have health problems or eyesight issues and they are being neglected or abused.
> 
> ...


He does have ruby eyes. But I always talk to him, and let him sniff me before I pick him up. I am calling the vet this Friday (The only day the rat vet is there )

And how can I be more assertive with him? Do you have any good tips?


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Now you are likely to benefit more from my sticky thread on Immersion- The guide but for example, when my part wild rat bit me, mainly by accident, she was really more intent on killing the mouse in my hand than biting me... She really mostly figured out what a bad idea biting me was on her own, somewhere between being launched into the air, flying across the room, splashing up against the far wall and sliding down and landing never so softly on the floor....

Now keep in mind wild rats are pretty durable and I didn't do this on purpose, it's just my natural reaction to getting a chunk of the inside of my palm extracted. But she never bit me again. You most likely want to be less assertive than my example, but within about 30 seconds of hitting the floor she was all over me apologizing. 

I hate to sound heartless and cruel, but biting rats are not pets and shouldn't be kept as exhibits. Fixing a biting rat is life or death for the rat.


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