# My rat is biting! Someone help!



## Amanda982ford (Nov 28, 2012)

I have 2 girls, both around 10-11 months old. 
One of them have started to bite me when ever i put my finger near their cage, like when i go to open it or give them little pats through the bars. 
Sometimes she bites really hard, and has broken the skin on my finger a few times. 
She doesn't bite when my hand is right in the cage, or when she is out, or when im holding her. 

Does anyone know what is going on, or can anyone help me with tips to get her to stop? 


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## JinX (Jan 16, 2007)

thats the "sausage-effect" (fingers look like sausages ), she probably thinks its food. If you usually give them treats trough the bars they expect food every time. When she doesnt bite when your hand is inside the cage, or when she's out you dont have to worry. I warn people to not put their fingers trough the bars cause mine do that too, not all of them but better warn people than give out bandages  (and i dont feed them trough bars)


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## JinX (Jan 16, 2007)

to make her stop doing that, just put your finger trough and dont pull back! then she recognizes its you and after a few times she probably stops doing it. And stop feeding through the bars


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## Amanda982ford (Nov 28, 2012)

I've done it with her since she was a baby, maybe she just caught on  
I dont give her treats through the bars though. 
Thankyou for your advice!! Appreciate it so much! 


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Maybe your rat just wants to get out of the cage and play... I've seen this with parrots. When they get left in the cage too long they go cage crazy and start attacking fingers.

How many hours do you have your rats out to play every day? And do you have any problems during free range time?


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## Blaze (Jul 16, 2012)

Rats are naturally nippy if not trained otherwise. It's a behavior that you can break, but it's not always easy. My pink-eyed white girl is blind, so she still does it occasionally. (Did it today, actually. My hand brushed the cage when I walked by and she grabbed my finger and bit down hard.) The problem usually develops when people feed rats through the cage bars, or stick their fingers in when they have some kind of grease or smell from food. Always open the cage door to hand food to your rats.

When a rat bites, you can make a loud noise to distract them. It's not a bad idea to train them what "NO!" means.


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## deegaf (Dec 2, 2012)

one of my males was a notorious cage defending biter. I just started making a fist when I put my hand in the cage for a week or so, now he doesn't bite my fingers since he got a taste of my skin and realized my fingers are not food.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Yes, some rats go blind and then they strike at things that frighten them. Otherwise, rats know exactly what they are biting.... Rats aren't stupid! I regularly give my rats treats off my hands or fingers and last night I was passing them cooked corn kernals and letting them lick pizza sause from my finger tips. Sure I felt their teeth, but I certainly didn't get bit. Most likely your rat is biting you on purpose.

So do check out her eyesight, but otherwise I'd still like to know how long she spends out of her cage playing with you every day and how she interacts with you when you have her with you. I know some girl rats are hard to manage out of the cage, I have girls too, and they often don't cuddle much but they need lots of you time, even if it's only to romp around and climb up and jump off you for a couple hours a day.


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