# She won't stop biting me!



## Elyse (Dec 2, 2011)

I got a hairless rat a while back from a local pet store (not a petco or petsmart) and she just won't stop biting me! I've done a lot of research since I got her and I've tried everything short of negative discipline to stop this behavior but nothing works. She won't take treats from me (not even if I leave them in the cage and walk away) Whenever I put my hands in the cage I have to be careful not to get to close to her of she'll lunge at me. She even tries to bite me through the bars. Today she drew blood for the first time and I was planning on getting her a cage mate this weekend but the other female I'm getting (from a breeder) is only a month old and I'm afraid Molly (my little biter) will hurt her. I'm really at my wits end here, I was so excited to finally be getting a rat and now she's turning me off to them completely. I just want her to like me but I don't know what to do. 

Some advice would really be appreciated.

(Additional Info: In the Petstore she was kept in a cage by herself, could this have made her mean?)


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## stephaniechung (Mar 9, 2010)

It sounds like she's being territorial. Have you tried dealing with her outside her cage?

There's a slight chance that she could be pregnant which can cause the behavior (but without knowing her full history or if she's ever been with a male, there's no way of telling short of an ultrasound). 

It could be hormonal which can be reduced by getting her spayed.

She might have been mistreated in the past which means you might need to take the introductions a bit slower and just sit with her a little bit everyday until she calms down.

Out of everything I said, hormonal or pregnant sounds the most likely. I've seen the lunging in the cage before and that girl ended up getting spayed and she was better after.

If somehow you can coax her out of her cage and into a secure area, it might be worth seeing if she's protecting her home and being territorial or if she's just being aggressive overall.

Don't use any negative discipline. It could worsen the situation for the both of you.

Edit: I just read the last line of your post. She might also be depressed which could cause unwanted behaviors. There's a 50/50 chance a new rat can make her better but there's also the chance she's being territorial and a new rat is not a good idea.


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## Elyse (Dec 2, 2011)

When I get her out of the cage she just runs from me. I was advised to try "forces socilization" and so i put on a pair of gardening gloves and took her out gently. Once I had her out of her cage she was fine, she kept trying to get away but she didn't bite me (accept a few tiny nibbles I wouldn't call bites) but as soon as I put her back in her cage she tried to bite me hard once more. What would I do about the territorial thing? Would it be safe to introduce another rat, especially a smaller one?


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## 1a1a (May 6, 2011)

Maybe better to try the 'introducing 2 smaller rats' thing, that way, the little ones have each other for moral support, also potentially advantageous, rat introductions will occur outside her territory hopefully reducing her urge to be aggressive. 

For your socialisation efforts, I recommend taking the both of you and setting up camp in your bathroom or laundry (only if there is no where to hide). In a place like a bathroom, the space is small so even if she runs away, she can't run far, and barren making you the only hiding place in the room. Best of luck with trust training, it's a mega leap in rat keeping perception when you realise the rat may never love you back but you'll love it and cherish it and care for it all the same. (And never fear, even if she does turn out to be an ice queen, you'll meet other rats who are as sooky as puppy dogs sooner or later).


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## stephaniechung (Mar 9, 2010)

It's a 50/50 chance if she would hurt another rat. I can't tell you for sure. If you do get a second rat, you should try introducing them slowly (you'll probably need a separate cage for your next rat). Make sure you introduce them in an area where neither rat has been just to keep the territory neutral. Keep a towel in hand so you can break up any fights. They most likely will fight just to establish dominance. If she is continually aggressive, I would say to look into getting her spayed (which is invasive and costly in itself so I don't recommend this lightly).

As for forced socialization, I had to do that with my current rat. He didn't have biting issues but he ran away every time I went to pick him up and he would hide with his buddy inside his house for hours. It sounds like your girl will bite you either once she's out of the cage so it's a good chance that this can work for you too. Just to avoid having to wear gloves which really doesn't help (except keeping you from getting bit), maybe you can wait to handle her after she wanders out of her cage and then try and pick her up. Then she won't be pissed that you try to go inside her house and you won't have to start out nervous with her biting you.

If you choose to keep trying with the forced socialization (which is what I would do), try to keep her on your body (like I did with him on my lap). Go for short 10 minute periods and then maybe let her wander off for a few minutes and then pick her back up and start another 10 minutes. This can take a few days to a couple weeks for her to become 100% okay with you. It took me 3 hours a day for 2 weeks but I love my rat so much now and he runs up to me all the time and follows me around. It's rewarding!

Rats are wonderful pets so don't let this dissuade you. Even if you had a nicer rat that didn't attack you, it would still get a million times better. There's a light at the end of the tunnel! Some rats just start out more difficult than others, likely due to previous mistreatment by people but I've rehab'd some rats' behavior when I worked with a rescue so I know for sure it's not all hopeless.


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## Elyse (Dec 2, 2011)

I'm honestly to afraid to pick her up without gloves. She only stopped biting when she realized it wasn't hurting me, so if she bit me without gloves it would only set her back. Also I don't wanna get two more rats because my cage is really only big enough for 2.Also I simply can't find a treat she "can't resist", I can't even find one she'll eat. Here is what I've tried: Strawberries, Apples, Bananas, Bread, Broccoli, Cheese, Ham, Chicken, Noodles, Jam, and French Fries (I know I shoulda feed her this but nothing else was working.) What would you recommend? And is it the food she doesn't like or me? (I'll even leave the food in her cage and walk away and she still won't eat it.)


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## stephaniechung (Mar 9, 2010)

I'm going to take hormones out of the equation in this response but it totally can be just hormones and she needs to get spayed.

Socialization with (assumingly) mistreated rats takes a lot longer than a normal pet rat. Having said that, you really need to not fear your rat. I know it sucks being bit. I don't like it much myself. However, they really do know when you're being defensive of them and thus, causes them to be defensive towards you.

The reason why it's important to not use gloves when handling your rat is because she's already scared. It's scary for them. They don't see gloves as YOU. They see gloves as big cloth things coming after them.

So just because I don't want to tell you to get bit by going in there bare, you can try this strategy instead.

Get a jar of sweet potato baby food. They're pretty cheap and you only need the smallest jar you can find. Pour a little bit on the jar cap and then set the cap inside her cage right near the door way. Sit there and just read a book aloud or just talk to her gently. This is to help her get used to your voice. If she lunges at you or anything like that, just ignore it and keep a steady voice and keep reading or talking or whatever. Try this out for a week, 30 minutes a day and see if she takes to eating the sweet potato. Rats do love sweet potato. I haven't had a rat that didn't. You can take out the jar cap after you're done with the 30 minute session.

She'll eventually get used to your presence and hopefully after you stop trying to pick her up or touch her for awhile, she will stop trying to lunge you and start taking sweet potatoes off the jar cap. This will let her associate your presence with an incoming treat for her. After she stops seeing you as a threat, hopefully, you won't be as scared of her which then you can move to spoon feeding. To finger feeding. To eventually petting.

It does take time. Even if she takes the treat the first day, you need to let her do it a few more times before you move on to the next step. Remember that she's not being mean. She's being scared. With time and patience, you can teach her that she doesn't need to be scared of you.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions.


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## Elyse (Dec 2, 2011)

Alright I'll try this, thank you so much for all of the advice! But I've noticed one more thing. 
She sleep alot, and I mean A LOT. The only times I ever see her active is when I pick up the cage and move it and when she's eating/sleeping. Even when I get home in the middle of the night she's sleeping. I've been told by 2 people now that she could possibly be pregnant by her symptoms, could this be another?


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## stephaniechung (Mar 9, 2010)

Pregnancy is a definite possibility and would also coincide with her other behaviors (like being territorial). If you notice that her belly is getting rounder, you may want to go into the clinic to get her an ultrasound. Pet stores (not just major names) are notorious for selling pregnant rats unknowingly.


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## 1a1a (May 6, 2011)

I was gonna recommend plain yogurt but sweet potato sounds like a winner. Anything that cannot be grabbed and run off with.


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## Elyse (Dec 2, 2011)

I found out today from a friend who raises rats that she isn't three months old shes three years old. So now I'm not quite sure what to do I'm very upset that the shop would lie to me


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## 1a1a (May 6, 2011)

Wow, quite a difference. Bit of a stuff up on the shop's behalf. That certainly explains why she is so cantankerous. Can you somehow wrangle it so that you get a refund (or the two young rats you were thinking of) and to keep your old girl? Assuming you want to keep her....I'd be loathe to send her back to the shop personally.


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