# Should I feed my rats from my hand in their cage?



## TastyCarcass (Feb 4, 2014)

I've been told by friends who own rats not to feed rats from my hand when they're in the cage.
If I do this they'll bite my finger because they associate it with food or something. It's fine to feed them when they're out of the cage.

Is this true at all?


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## Ergala (Jan 23, 2014)

I feed mine from my hand but I tell them "treat!" first. I have yet to be bitten. Now if they were hamsters.......


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## lalalauren (Jul 3, 2013)

Not true. You can feed them in the cage no problem. The general rule is not to feed them through the cage bars, as this means whenever you stick your fingers in the bars (or a young family member does), they'll immediately think it's food and bite whatever comes through the bars at them. It's always best to make the effort to open the door to feed them treats. Whenever I stick my fingers through the bars, I get nibbles and licks and it's all very lovely 


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## tigerstripesk8 (Jan 24, 2014)

I like to feed them by hand mainly because it's adorable. I did the same thing with my hamsters and never had issues with any of them. None of my hamsters were biters, actually! Starscream bit me once, but that was while he was having a stroke or something and couldn't recognize anything. 

Basically, rodents learn that hand is not food as long as you make sure to socialize with them. Don't neglect and they won't bite.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

As long as your rat isn't blind and your hand isn't soaked with juice from food they'll not bite. 

Of course, what also needs to be mentioned is you need to make sure to do other stuff in the cage. If you only opened the door to treat or feed, then yes everytime you opened it they'd assume what was offered was food. So, a well socialized rat who is often taken out or pet or generally loved randomly throughout the day won't assume every visit brings food. We all have well socialized rats so this isn't often realized when we give advice. 

There are also some other tricks to the trade. For example, don't hold it out pinched in your fingers. Accidents will happen. Offer it in the palm of your hand, flat. Also, if you have hoarders/grabbers make sure to offer it directly in front of them, not held off so a hyper hungry girl will come running and dig her teeth too deep in your pile of goodies in her haste. If it is right there, they are less likely to chomp at it in a rush to get off to her hoarded pile. 


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## melcab (Jan 29, 2014)

I'm new to rats, but my guys don't automatically expect treats when I stick my fingers in the bars because I'm ALWAYS sticking my fingers in the bars. The larger percentage is just my finger, so instead of them expecting treats, they expect fingers. They can also immediately smell the treats as soon as I open the container so they know when it's a treat.


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## anawelch (Sep 25, 2013)

When I feed them in the morning I give each one a rat block and put the rest into their bowls. I do this every morning and theyve never bitten me. I'll usually scratch or pet them after I give them a block.

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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

nanashi7 said:


> As long as your rat isn't blind and your hand isn't soaked with juice from food they'll not bite.
> 
> Of course, what also needs to be mentioned is you need to make sure to do other stuff in the cage. If you only opened the door to treat or feed, then yes everytime you opened it they'd assume what was offered was food. So, a well socialized rat who is often taken out or pet or generally loved randomly throughout the day won't assume every visit brings food. We all have well socialized rats so this isn't often realized when we give advice.
> 
> ...


I actually did not know that you should offer food in your palms until someone told me a couple months ago. The entire time I had been giving all my rats treats by fingertip. Never had a single accident. Even when feeding a little bit of hot dog to my ravenous boys once. They took care not to bite me during their frenzy. I never stopped because I've never had an issue.

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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

My boys are super polite in all things and I don't find they're nearly as food motivated as my girls. My shy girls are also demure. But god. Those food motivated hoarders can mess up. It never really hurts, but it isn't enjoyable. I'm talking the ones that run grab a treat stash it return. Who can't possibly learn a trick because all they want is your treat. 

I have a blind rat with that personality as well so this really helps to not get chomped. 


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## The Rat Cage (Feb 3, 2014)

One of my boys scare the s**t out my friends when comes racing like a rocket to rip the treat out of my hand! He never bit me though..???


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## melcab (Jan 29, 2014)

Maybe a liquid treat on a Popsicle stick? As a lure? To trick train I mean. Hold on tight, though. lol


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