# Bitey rat



## beckoned (May 29, 2007)

One of our rats, Loco, bites me every time I try to get her out of her cage, but she doesn't attack Mum at all. It really upsets me as she was originally mine and now seems terrified of me. Any ideas what I can do? Our other rats are fine with me, and usually come running when I go anywhere near their cages.


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

Can you give us a little more information? How long has she been doing this? Did something change around the time she started doing it? Do you pick her up differently to your mum? Do you use hand cream or lotions? Who feeds them and cleans them out? How old is your rat?

Based on what you already said, it sounds like you are going to have to go back to trust training, like you would with a new rat. Tempt her out with treats, sit and talk to her, pet her while she's in the cage etc... baby steps. Once she starts to trust you reasonably well, you could consider forced socialisation, though not everyone agrees with this method. You could also consider having your mum break contact with her for a while, so that she has to come to you for treats or food or playtime. It's hard to say without a little more detail.


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## crapola (Feb 12, 2007)

loco only started doing this a couple of weeks ago... and it was when beckoned moved back in with me. she doesnt use handcream, i do, and only after washing dishes. i'm the rat mummy and i do the feeding and cleaning (which i need to do when i've finished this). i just swoop in and pick her and ginger up, whoever is the closest to the door gets picked up first, then the other. we think loco is about 9-10 months old.

she has taken a couple of nips at me... one of them was pretty hard but didnt break the skin, but beckoned is really upset because loco is her rat and when she bit, loco broke the skin.


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

So was Loco with you before Beckoned moved back in, or did Beckoned bring her with her?

It sounds like Loco is more tolerant of you because you're the one that looks after her... Beckoned just wants to pick her up and fuss her and she's a squirmy girl that doesn't care for that too much.

Are you a little more sure in your handling, perhaps? Rats can sense if you are anxious or nervous, so it may be that she nips you less because you are more confident with her?

Perhaps you could switch positions for a while and have Beckoned be the only one that feeds and handles her... see if that encourages her to be a bit nicer? Other than that, the only idea I have is to start again with her as a new rat and build up her trust... rewards for good behaviour, possibly forced socialisation etc.


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

I had a simalar problem a couple years back. My Seka *Rip* REALLY loved me she would go to the back of my neck and groom the base of my skull. Man that tickled!! but I'd put up with it becuase it was her way of saying "I love you!!" BUT she hated everyone else. She bit my mom a number of times and a few of my friend that were "brave" enough to try petting her. No matter what I did it took her over a year to stop bitting other people....

ANYWAY one thing that helped was that I'd hold her and let other people pet her near her tail so she couldn't bite'em. 

I hope everything works out for the best and I hope it doesn't end up like my problem did.

Good luck!!


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## beckoned (May 29, 2007)

Loco was with crapola before I moved back in but also before I moved out initially.

She only bites me when I either get her out of her cage or out of Mum's top, so somewhere she can't escape from. When I get her off the floor or chair or even Mum's shoulder, she's fine and will quite happily run down my top and hide. It's also not even when I'm reaching towards her, she repeatedly bit my finger when I got Ginger from Mum's top one day.


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

It sounds like she's territorial over your mum, then... and possibly the cage. Your mum mentions she's nipped her a couple of times - was this when she was getting her out of the cage?


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## crapola (Feb 12, 2007)

I'm pretty sure it was. I hope it's only that she's territorial over Mum and her cage, then it means it isn't a problem with me.

*Edit* Err, this is beckoned by the way. Apparently my computer is set to log Mum in automatically, lol.


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

OK, does anyone have any advice on dealing with territorial rats, please?

I haven't had to deal with this before and my book doesn't say much about it, but I would suggest trying to entice him out of the cage with treats. Make him want to come out to you, instead of grabbing him. Hopefully, others will have an idea what else you can try for this.


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## d00mg1rl (Jun 27, 2007)

the only thing I can think to add would be for beckoned to handle Loco move and help with the cleaning and feeding


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## crapola (Feb 12, 2007)

beckoned wont get loco out of the cage any more, which means if she gets all the rats out, loco is left on her own until i get her. she has gone to my grandmothers to housesit for the next 2 1/2 weeks, then on to my mothers for a month of housesitting there, so there wont be any bonding done at all.

i wasnt home the other night, so beckoned had to feed the ratties, but apparently she made sure loco wasnt within striking range before she put the plate in that cage...


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## d00mg1rl (Jun 27, 2007)

do her hands smell of food?
I once had a rat that only bit if I'd been cooking
or eating something it was interested in


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## crapola (Feb 12, 2007)

no, i really think its to do with loco being possessive of her cage and me, although she does bite me sometimes. beckoned really isnt here all that much so the ratties think i'm their mum, and they all gravitate to me anyway.

beckoned wants to get a couple more ratties when she's finished with her housesitting, and those rats will be hers alone. i wont handle them unless i have to... how hard will that be...


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## d00mg1rl (Jun 27, 2007)

if they are as cute as all rats,
very lol


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

I'm sorry to hear you didn't manage to resolve this problem


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## crapola (Feb 12, 2007)

yeah, me too. beckoned gets upset when the ratties dont want anything to do with her, after all, it was her idea to get them in the first place, and loco is her rat. this is why, if she gets more, i will resist the urge to even look at them...


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

If she doesn't get to interact with them, they won't be too certain about her.

My roommate's the same way. Bacardi is "her" rat... I don't think she's picked him up in weeks.


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## uldaman (Jun 11, 2007)

I was just about to post about this same problem

My two rats get along fine, but the larger one bites me at least once every time Im holding her, and today she finally drew blood. And I had just showered so IM sure my hands did not smell like food this time. The other rat has never even nibbled.

Shell just be sitting on my lap or something and Im not paying attention to her while im on the computer or something and suddenly chomp! right on my finger, seemingly unprovoked.


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

maybe she wanted your attention and doesn't understand that you don't have fur to deflect a harder bite. squeak high pitched and loud when she bites and this should get her to stop biting as hard at least if this is the issue for it.


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## crapola (Feb 12, 2007)

beckoned wanted me to let you all know that she can now get loco out of the cage... as long as loco isnt in a corner, asleep or in a box!!


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