# I need advice about rat nipping



## rufusandme (Jun 11, 2011)

I love my rat Rufus, but sometimes he makes me nervous when he nips. I've read that you're supposed to just let them nip you because they are grooming. Is this true, or is their another way to stop them from biting?
He also lives alone, which I know is frowned upon, but he was alone in his cage at the pet store so I didn't get him a friend because I didn't know you could add another rat from another litter. Would it help the biting if I got another rat?

Thanks in advance for your input,

Abby and Rufus


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

think like a rat... squeal/eep at him when he nips you. he will know it is hurting you. make sure your hands are clean, and not smelling of soaps or food. if he is not drawing blood he could just be test nipping... with bad eyesight and whatnot sometimes they feel things out with their mouths, especially if he is young.

and yes, having a lone rat can cause them to become neurotic and have behavior problems like that. he should mellow out with a friend or two.


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## rufusandme (Jun 11, 2011)

Thanks for the advice!


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## Qku. (Apr 29, 2011)

My rat was rather nervous and nipped me quite a few times when I first got het, but she became a lot friendlier, calmer, and a lot less bitey when I got her a friend a few months later. She's still the more skittish of the two, but getting her a partner has done a lot


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## thebofh (May 24, 2011)

Rebound will occasionally nip if she doesn't want to come out of her bed, (she's really lazy until about 11 at night & then goes mental!), but she doesn't hold on or draw blood, I will give her a little tap on the nose when she does it & eep loudly. She's fine once I've picked her up though so it's probably just being defensive, neither of them are aggressive in any way usually.

It also seems to coincide with the times she wants to play rough with Sprocket.


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