# SPCA Rescued Rat and Bitting



## willard73 (Nov 1, 2012)

Hello,
I have been reading over the forums for a while and just now decided to register.
I am new to the rat world. 

Our family has 2 fancy rats that have adapted well to us.
I recently went out and rescued a rat named Willard from the SPCA. 
He seems to be older guy. His teeth are razor sharp and yellow.
his fur is long but thinning.

All the info I got from the SPCA was that a women trapped him in her home and brought him to them. 
That was 10/14/2012 
I picked him up last week.

He doesn't like to be handled. He is scared of people and he bites.
He put a nice size whole in my finger last week which bleed forever.
I am trying to work with him everyday and hourly.

I have had him a week and made little progress. He does like his head rubbed though.
I tried slowly acclimating him to my other rats on neutral territory he bit the other rats paw. So we are not trying again just yet.
Im asking for help because we want to love him and help him.

Yesterday he bit and drew blood on my son so I do need help.
I believe biting is his defense mechanism to defend himself. He has obviously lost faith in humans and been abused or abandoned.
I need to know were to go from here. 
could you guys please help.


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## willard73 (Nov 1, 2012)

Just a little more info on willard. 
I tried to do the introduction of willard to our other rats in the bath tub.
I have realized willard can jump right out of the bath tub. Im so scared to be bitten again that I put him back in his cage till I can get more help from you guys.
He tries to bite and he squeeks when I pick him up. 
Him biting me hurt so bad that Im just scared to be bitten that way again.
I have given willard a digging box with seeds that sprout in hopes I can gain his trust. 
I go in repeatadly to try to hold a touch him.
I truely hope this info helps you guys so I can help him. 
I know he needs a cage mate and he does need attention from us I just need him to trust us.


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

Poor guy.

Sounds like he was a Feral rat for a while. He probably became skittish over time from that, especially if he didn't have any good experience with humans, Or if his mom was a domestic rat who had him in the wild. We don't really know his Background story.

He will probably take a lot of time to get used to people. What I would do for know is just to open up his cage door and hold a treat in your hand. Hold your hand inside the cage and see if he will take it without bitting. Once he gets used to this move it so that he has to go to the cage door. Then eventually (this can be a few hours or a few days) that he has to come to you. This also helps with rats who don't want to come out of the cage but he'll associate you with food. Then you have to train him that you don't always have food but you are a nice person.

I've never dealt with a rat this aggressive and have only heard stories so I'm sure someone else will chime in with a similar or different suggestion.


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## willard73 (Nov 1, 2012)

Thank you for the reply lightningwolf.
I have had him a week and Im making small steps.
He took food from me tonight but ran from me. He keeps trying to bite me and I remind him to not nibble.
He doesn't like to be picked up and he is a jumper. He can jump far. 
He keeps hiding in the corner of the hutch he is in.
I just want to help him.


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## Poodlepalooza (Aug 9, 2012)

You may want to put a piece of your clothing in the cage with him to get him used to your scent. Also, as Lightning said, just keep taking it slow & easy with your hand/ treats in the cage. If he does nip at you eep at him. This is ratspeak for "Stop! Too much!". Good luck! With time & patience I'm sure he'll come around!


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## gal5150 (Aug 14, 2012)

Ok, until you have the biting situation under control absolutely NO handling, petting, physical contact between Willard and children or the public...friends, visitors, etc. absolutely sounds feral and you're going to have to do a lot of work with him to get him trustworthy enough for children. Physical bites hurt, emotional scarring is worse. You're felt it yourself when he jumped out of the tub. Read every post on socialization on here and keep us posted.


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

Hm... hope they didn't give you a wild/half wild rat! What color is he?


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## Yoggy (Oct 29, 2012)

I read on another website that to help get a scared rat used to you, it helps to put soft food on a spoon, like applesauce or yogurt. That way they can't grab the food out of your hand and run back to their corner; they have to stay near you to eat the food. If Willard keeps running away with the treats you offer him, it might help to try that. Good luck! I think you're doing a wonderful thing for the poor guy, who sounds like he might not have a whole lot of time left, if he's getting old and his hair is thinning. Just make him as happy and comfortable he can be. If he's quite old, a cage mate might not work out at this point, but give it a try for sure in case he does come around.


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## willard73 (Nov 1, 2012)

Thank you all for your help. 
Im not allowing the kids to put there hands in his cage anymore. 

I have noticed he can climb in ways my other 2 rats wont.
I have a tv hutch converted to a multi tier cage for our rats. Willard is at the bottom 2 tiers where he cant get the other 2 rats but last night he seemed to want to investigate why I was cleaning the other rats area.
So he jumped up to the other shelve and into the area with the other rats witch scared me to death and I quickly grabbed him and he squeaked and I put him back down in his area only for him to do it again.
After that I didnt want to take any chances so I stop cleaning there cage for the night.
He is a fancy rat the SPCA said.


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## willard73 (Nov 1, 2012)

Okay Im not sure what I was thinking. I was just bit again. 
I now am using a pot holder which seems to help.
He doesn't bite that.
He actually likes his head rubbed. He does this movement with his head as his eyes close.
He pushes his head back towards me as Im rubbing down. Weird

You would think if he was a feral rat the SPCA would not try to adopt him right!


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## willard73 (Nov 1, 2012)

Pics of Willard


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## willard73 (Nov 1, 2012)

Pics of our other rats Jax








Coco and Jax








There house









Coco


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

He's not wild, but once again he could of been released into the wild or his mother could of have been (if she was pregnant before released). He was trapped in someone's house so.

That's a good step if he's letting you pet his head. Is he boggling at all? Maybe try petting his head with your fingers and give him some food while you do this. That way he associates you with a good action And food.


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## willard73 (Nov 1, 2012)

LightningWolf what is boggling?
He pushes his head backwards when Im rubbing his head. Kind of a nudge.
I tried doing the treat without the pot holder and he went for my finger to bite.
Put the pot holder back on and his eyes close and he allows me to pet him.


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

Boggling is when they grind their teeth (called Bruxing) Quickly enough to where their eyes "bounce" in their heads due to their lower jaw being directly under their eyes. Rats do it when they are very happy.


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## willard73 (Nov 1, 2012)

No I dont see that at all. I see his hair stand up as I come near him.


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

Oh, he sees you as an intruder then, that is what rats do when they get angry and feel they are under attack. Guess that isn't a good thing.


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## sherriwat (Oct 7, 2012)

are you sure he likes his head rubbed? or hes nudging back on your fingering trying to get at it to bite it? just wodnering. causemy preggo mama i thought she liked her head rubbed so i always rubbed her head and shed nudge her ehad up into my finger and one day not paying attnetion she nipped me (no bood but hard). so she didnt like ehr ehad rubbed she was just trying tog etmy finger.

though my preggo was very very nice before she got to almost ready to pop so shes just cranky so different than your situation but thought i would ask. dont stop rubbing his ehad though i was just curious.


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## willard73 (Nov 1, 2012)

I want to say thank you all for the continued support.
sherriwat,im not sure he like anything. I dont have alot of history on him.
I know he doesnt like to be handled. He swacks and sweeks when I try. 
He is just mean right now, but I understands he has been abondaned and let down by humans.
I almost gave up after the last bite yesterday, but I quickly reminded myself what I was trying to achieve here and that is to give the guy quality of life.


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## Yoggy (Oct 29, 2012)

Here's a nice story about a family who successfully socialized a rat who sounds a lot like Willard.

http://www.ratfanclub.org/trust.html

It can be done, but it takes a LOT of time and patience. It's really great of you to persist in trying to give Willard the help he needs. Hang in there!


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