# Saliva???



## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

Ok my new baby Una is ubsessed with my mouth and spite. 

Why?


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## JennieLove (Jan 2, 2007)

My Bob loves to try and climb in my mouth and licks my lips! Then he also likes to stick his nose in mine! xD


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

Yeah but why??


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## Stephanie (Mar 25, 2007)

LoL cause it is a hole LoL and it smells like food sometimes my boys always try and open my mouth then other times it smells all minty so omg something new to smell and check out LoL


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

Hmm simple yet complex...


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## ladylady (Apr 5, 2007)

Ok im sorry your getting all the questions but when did you get your new rat? Did you need to get another when you are struggling to pay for the vets bills of the present lot?


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

The reason your baby is obsessed is that it is natural to her. If you watch a litter of babies with their mom, they are constantly sniffing and licking her mouth. The smells/tastes let them know what is good/safe to eat, etc. Your baby is viewing you as her mom. When I took in a tiny orphan boy, I had to teach him what to eat by putting it in my mouth first...before this if I offered him anything he would take a tiny nibble and then stop (a cookie! can you believe it?), once it was in my mouth once, he devoured it. He learned from his Human Mom.


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## fallinstar (Nov 26, 2006)

because rats are dentists lol the strange lil ppl


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## OnlyOno (Apr 4, 2007)

picasso thinks it's hilarious to pull nose and chin hairs out of my poor boyfriend. lol, hey, at least he likes my rat!  think he's a keeper.


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

ladylady said:


> Did you need to get another when you are struggling to pay for the vets bills of the present lot?


I didn't "get" her go to my post <New baby and she is soooo cute> in genral topics your answer is in there.


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## ladylady (Apr 5, 2007)

Wow, what a story


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

And it's all true I'll even make my friend join and tell it in his own words if you really want.

God Una is so funny! She'll try to open my mouth even if I put my hand in the way! lol


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## Nazarath (Feb 20, 2007)

I just thought these pics were not only cute but also appropriate I just got done eating an apple.


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

........8O I don't let any of my girls IN my mouth....8O


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## Poppyseed (Feb 1, 2007)

I call it the cave game, only Spazz, my ferret, likes the cave game XD


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

.......8O.....


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

I think my little baby Una is going to rip my lips off. lol


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## ManBeard (Apr 10, 2007)

YEAH! I was about to make a thread asking about that. One of my rats is CRAZY about my mouth and will climb in till her front paws are behind my teeth! She gets pissed when I pull her out!


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## ManBeard (Apr 10, 2007)




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## JennieLove (Jan 2, 2007)

Oh gosh >.< lol, thats adorable! Love the hawk, used to have one myself.


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## ladylady (Apr 5, 2007)

Now you can sack your dentist!


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

Can't let my mom see this or she'll never let me near a rat again.... LOL

She always harps on me about how I'm going to get sick and die if I don't stop doing halve of what you do!! I mean If I were to get sick it would have happend 7 years ago when I first got the ratsys.

Parents just don't understand.....*shakes head*


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## ladylady (Apr 5, 2007)

its ok if you swallow a few bugs or get some in a cut cus your body has a range of difenses against invasion (with the exeption of a few types) and each time your body incounters a bug the defence grows stronger. poppy geting very interested in my mouth so we'll see how strog I am!


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## ManBeard (Apr 10, 2007)

Besides, a little penicillin goes a long way


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## Poppyseed (Feb 1, 2007)

Just don't let your rat in your mouth after you've taken your dose of penicillen lol


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

Eeewww......

Una is going to far......

How can I stop her?


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

... Don't let her in your mouth?

Distract her with other things?

Obsessive behavior - if it's that bad - isn't good for any creature.


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

I don't let her in my mouth and I've tried distracting her but......SHE WON'T STOP!!!!!! HELP!!!!!!


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Have you encouraged her to do it in the past? It could be a learned behaviour, and now she's seeking the praise? Else you could always let her after you eat something beautifully hot and pungent... :twisted: Might teach her a lesson. :lol:


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

....I HATE hot/spicy foods.... for that reason. lol 

They burn my mouth really bad....

Any other ideas?


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Maybe negative enforcement? Spritz with water, make a loud noise, etc?

Works with dogs... and they're kinda like little dogs in rat suits... :lol:


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

Maybe...... but I don't know....


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

Negatice reinforcement definitely shouldn't be used. The same goes for dogs and cat, too. But that's just my personal opinion.


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

I know what you mean Night but she wont stop!!


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

Just don't let her near your face or on your shoulders.


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

Sky14 said:


> I know what you mean Night but she wont stop!!


All you have to do is remove the opportunity. Don't let her near your mouth if you don't want her to check it out...


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

She's relentless.....


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Night said:


> Negatice reinforcement definitely shouldn't be used. The same goes for dogs and cat, too. But that's just my personal opinion.


I'm sure it is. But pets, like children, all react to various training methods differently, and some aren't very open to positive reinforcment and distraction.  The method should be tailored to the personality in question, I suppose.


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

Well, when you have her out, what do you two generally do? Does she have toys or accessories she can play with/in?


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Sky14 said:


> She's relentless.....


I'm sure she is.

The key, therefore, is for you to be moreso.

You're in control, not her.


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

Sky14 said:


> She's relentless.....


The rat is stronger than you? You can't keep her away from your mouth? :?


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## Stephanie (Mar 25, 2007)

*looks all guilty* i have used a squirt bottle on my cats but would never on rats unless they are babies and need to be squeaked at for biting. I would just keep her as far away from my mouth if i were you. Make sure she stays on your lap or on the couch. I never minded my guys being dentists LoL


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## ladylady (Apr 5, 2007)

Theres a difference between saying NO! DONT DO THAT! and DONT DO THAT YOU LITTLE F****ER! I dont support action designed to upset the target but using some thing to let then no they've crossed the line is ok. We used to bop my dog on the nose-not hard but she new it ment "stop it-noses out"


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## Poppyseed (Feb 1, 2007)

I think squirt bottle negative reinforcement is fine. I've never had to use it but once or twice on my cats and they will stop what they are doing that I don't want them to do. Definately better than some people who will just give up on their cats and declaw them DD: That urks me so MUCH.

But yeah, there is a difference from abusive training and determent I think. I would never smack and animal DD: But saying 'no' in a firm way is definately a very simple way of negative reinforcement.


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

Poppyseed said:


> I think squirt bottle negative reinforcement is fine. I've never had to use it but once or twice on my cats and they will stop what they are doing that I don't want them to do. Definately better than some people who will just give up on their cats and declaw them DD: That urks me so MUCH.


I used a spray bottle twice, when we were introducing our girls. That was all they needed. After that, just the sight of it made them stop and behave.

I think as long as you are careful not to spray it in their faces so it doesn't get in their ears, it's fine in moderation.


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

Spray bottle's okay, I just don't really like the thought of negative reinforcement in small animals, since I've heard tooons of stories about people tapping (read: hitting) their rats if they've done something wrong. And the people really think this is a viable way to train their rats.


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## Stephanie (Mar 25, 2007)

i have to squirt my cats on a regular basis LoL after a while it doesn't have the same effect and I HATE when my cats jump on my table! little punks LoL they sit on the counter and just look at me like "yeah get the wter mom i'll be off of here before you can reach it" attitude filled felines!


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

Night said:


> Spray bottle's okay, I just don't really like the thought of negative reinforcement in small animals, since I've heard tooons of stories about people tapping (read: hitting) their rats if they've done something wrong. And the people really think this is a viable way to train their rats.


Yeah, I also prefer rewards for good behaviour as I don't think that negative reinforcement really works too well. Our little one won't learn (read: obey) the word no for nothin'!

I see spray bottles as more of a distraction technique than negative reinforcement - the rat usually stops the undesirable action to clean where you've sprayed or just look at you as if to say "wtf?" :lol:


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

DonnaK said:


> I see spray bottles as more of a distraction technique than negative reinforcement - the rat usually stops the undesirable action to clean where you've sprayed or just look at you as if to say "wtf?" :lol:


Ditto.


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## Poppyseed (Feb 1, 2007)

Hehe I tried that on my ferrets once, and nothing happened. In fact I think they WANTED to be sprayed >_> They kept doing whatever it was. So yeah it's not a trick really for anyone other than cats.


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## cjshrader (Feb 15, 2007)

I like my rats and all, but I freak out if they get close to my mouth. Partially because of when my first rat bit my lip up kinda badly, but also because it's just gross to me. I wouldn't let any animal around there.

I know biologically speaking that they are clean, but that doesn't help one bit.


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

I know what you mean! My mom is the same. lol


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## JulesMichy (Apr 8, 2007)

I'd be wary of using water bottles on rats, actually. Unlike a cat, where you can zap them in the butt or the shoulder, it's sort of hard to avoid the head on a rat. Thus there's a possibility of getting water in their ears and risking ear infections.


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## JennieLove (Jan 2, 2007)

My boys always get away with stuff they arn't suppose to be doing! lol, I'm never mean with them if they do something bad. If anything I would pick them up and give them tons of kisses and tell them how much trouble they are >.<


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

............................................

*SIGH*

I think maybe she is starting to understand but latly she's been chewing on the bars of her cage and it's driving me CRAZY!!!!!! *Bloodshot eyes,twitching*


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## JulesMichy (Apr 8, 2007)

Sky14 said:


> ............................................
> 
> *SIGH*
> 
> I think maybe she is starting to understand but latly she's been chewing on the bars of her cage and it's driving me CRAZY!!!!!! *Bloodshot eyes,twitching*


Mine do that all the time. Especially Lilah, who would rather chew on metal or plastic than the wooden chew toys I provide. 

If you think she's chewing too much, you could always provide her with chew toys. Or Nylabones/Greenies. Mine go nuts over Greenies.


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

You mean the doggie tooth brush treats?


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## JulesMichy (Apr 8, 2007)

Yup. You can't give them too often, though. Usually I'll let my rats gnaw on one or two of them for fifteen minutes or so, and then take them away. They can last a good long time that way.


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

I'll try it.


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