# Aggressive biting



## Vixie (Jul 21, 2006)

Ed is becoming vicious. To the extreme.

He has bitten me twice and my mom once; drew blood from her, split my nail.

If he continues biting like this I'm going to have to get rid of him.

I've tried the forced socializing thing, not working.

His cagemate, Jake, is just fine. He's a sweetie who loved to be tickled throgh the cage wired and to be pet and snuggled with.

I'm on the verge of putting him in a shelter, I can't handle this hellian anymore.


Anyone have ideas?


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

Is Ed neutered? If not, it sounds like he needs to have that done ASAP. I have had my fair share of hormonally aggressive males, one even sending me to the ER at 3 AM, so I know how frustrating it can be, but there IS hope. He is just overwhelmed with hormones right now. Neutering calms male rats down nearly immediately (though sometimes it can take 2-8 weeks for all of their hormones to subside). I have all of my males neutered because of the fact that I got tired of moody, bitey boys. All of them are now sweet, ultra clean (yay, no buck grease!), and rarely fight with each other. And believe me, some of them had some REAL behavior issues before their neuter.

Rest assured, if you take a bitting animal to a shelter, it WILL be euthanized immediately, no questions asked.


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## Vixie (Jul 21, 2006)

It may be that...

I have their cage up on my desk because they used to be too near my bed and would pull in my pillows...and rip them to shreds. XD

But yes, whenever I leaned forward or got close to the cage he'll huff and flop around like my girls do whenever the dog is near...

I know of a vet in my area who boasts of rat experience on their website...but I'd have to get some info...blah.


Question, though, I've heard of people putting thier neutered males in with females. If I put two neutered males in with females will they fight over the girls? I thought not because they'd had the urge removed but I've never heard of TWO males being put in with females.


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

Yep! Neutered males with females is a great match. I have two spayed females in with eight boys, and everyone gets along great (of course, the girls are the alphas). You just have to wait 3-4 weeks before introducing the newly-neutered males to the unaltered females because they still might be able to reproduce until then (it takes a little while for all of the little swimmers to die off)


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## Vixie (Jul 21, 2006)

Haha, great!

I wasn't planning on moving them in together unless I got the gigantic(holding a max of 10 rats, I think) cage I've been eyeing but once I get the boys neutered that'll be a good possibility! W00t, no more two-cages mess. x3


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

Yeah, having one main cage is a blessing. I've been in situations where I had 3-4 different cages all at once, and it was REALLY stressful. I just can't wait until my two girls, Fergie & Emma, are old enough/big enough to finally be spayed. 

What cage are you planning on getting?


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## Vixie (Jul 21, 2006)

The cage I'm wanting is a custom-made cage at a local shop. I've checked it out wuite a few times, tested the wires, taken a billion different measurements, talked with the guy who made it, all kind of things. He knows what he's doing(I got my last baby boy, Jacob, from his wife who just recently retired from the show breeding professon after her fifth beautiful litter).

He had started on the cage for his wife as a present, but in the middle of him building it she told him she was retiring! xD

So he finished it and figured he could make a few bucks.

It's got a good amount of floorspace(which is was I really like), and is about 5 levels high. (I'd give the measurements but I have to dig them up from the piles of paper beside my desk, hehe)


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

I'd love to hear more about the cage! I'm a bit of a cage ho  I'm obsessed with cages, especially my own.


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## Vixie (Jul 21, 2006)

Haha, not much more to it, honestly.

I'd have to have my mom drive me out and get some pictures to give any more detail. Hopefully he hasn't sold it since I was last there. xD


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## fallinstar (Nov 26, 2006)

night getting rats nutered isnt always the answer its very dangerous and many rats dont pull thu!


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

Any surgery is dangerous, sure. But, I've known/had over 200+ rats that have gotten neutered/spayed, and none have passed away from it. It's only dangerous with a vet who isn't used to working on rats.


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## fallinstar (Nov 26, 2006)

any rat that has to be put under has a risk of dieing end of the day 2 put it bluntly rats live 2-3 years and its not worth putting them thu all that!


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

Well, I respect your opinion, though I find it rather strange, since that's like saying rats aren't worth vet care since they only 2-3 years, or they're not worth good food, et cetera.


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## fallinstar (Nov 26, 2006)

no is that **** what i was saying i would do anything for my rats but i dont wanna risk the short time i have with them by jepodising their lives over a non needed operation!


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

Well, as long as you think he's happy alone, and he gets 4-6+ hours outside of his cage with you everyday, the situation is alright.


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## fallinstar (Nov 26, 2006)

i do not need your approval about how i keep my rats i am a very good rat owner and dont appreciate you trying to put me and the other chatters down


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

I never said you needed my approval, and I wasn't putting you down at all. I acknowledged your opinion/situation and said I was okay with it. You don't like me, that's all


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## fallinstar (Nov 26, 2006)

i dont like people that cause rows ok! and i dont need 2 no its ok with u or not! end of


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

Night said:


> I never said you needed my approval, and I wasn't putting you down at all. I acknowledged your opinion/situation and said I was okay with it. You don't like me, that's all


i know i said i was going to ignore you from now on but you have to keep being so irritating. when you said you "acknowledged [his] opinion/situation" you did so back handedly. you then went on to say that "that's like saying rats aren't worth vet care since they only 2-3 years, or they're not worth good food, et cetera." how do you NOT see how you are coming across?? you showed NO respect for his position at ALL with this comment and made it seem like he needed your aproval, or you were at least LOOKING for him to agree with you and so gain your approval. 

quite frankly i don't think you are well suited to this forum. you seem happy in your other one and i doubt if i'm alone in saying that you will not be missed from this one. please leave.


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## fallinstar (Nov 26, 2006)

well said twitch (im a girl not a he lol dw) i second what u said


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

Because we were already pass that point in the discussion, Twitch. And, I did show respect for her situation, I just don't particularly agree with it. People can disagree, it happens.


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

look, you like argue far too much and for no other reason then to get the current chatters here riled it would seem. you've been ask now by 3 people to leave and i believe even more are of the same opinion. you do not want to listen to us and only want to critise without backing yourself up. either stop being such a tard or just leave. quite frankly, i'd prefer you do the later.


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## Nazarath (Feb 20, 2007)

Your not showing respect for anyone on here, fact that more than one person has stated should mean something. Once again i more than agree with Twitch i get to 3rd this time.


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

'Kay, I'll stop being "such a tard" (nice, mature language there, sport!) if it will appease you people.


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

you weren't responding to anything else...


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

It made me giggle a lot.


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## Nazarath (Feb 20, 2007)

There are some people on here that are under the age of 18 so we edit what we say so that they do not get in trouble for being on this forum. Didn't you read before you joined?


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

Nazarath, you're talking to Twitch, right? 'Cause I haven't said anything even remotely immature.


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## Nazarath (Feb 20, 2007)

my god, ok Twitch took the younger people on this forum into consideration by not cussing which (can't speak for her) might have been what she wanted to do.


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## nerdchick (Feb 26, 2007)

Um, just popping in to say that "tard" is equally offensive as cuss words. Also, as there are younger people on this forum, using words like "tard" is inappropriate. It is a hurtful word no matter what context. I used to do some volunteer work with special needs students, and seeing the hurt on one of the boy's faces when another kid called him a "tard" made me stop saying the word, even in my head. It's sad that a discussion meant to help one member has turned to name calling on one side.

-Caty

edited for typo


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## Vixie (Jul 21, 2006)

Ok, look, I'm 15, I refrain from too many cuss words just because it's common courtesy. In that same respect I avoid derogatory terms that would offend the people I'm trying to get help from!

If I was just lazing around with people I've become comfrotable with and I know don't find those words to make them uncomfortable, yeah, I'll shout out a word or two unbecoming of a young woman. But in that situation, it's all in good fun and everyone knows it.


Night, one day you might just ask us a question, and not a one of us will be willing to help because of your snobbish nature. We've asked many times you either leave or cut it out, because none of us want to put up with it.(That and I think the site RULES state something aboute rude and offensive behaviour)

My mother(whom I have a very deep respect for) lives life by her golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Though that doens't justify someone being nasty right back at you, it's very true. When you treat someone like an idiot, they will mark you as a jerk and it will stay in their minds when it comes to you needing the help.


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## fallinstar (Nov 26, 2006)

vixie i think you got it in one very well said


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