# Unhappy Petsmart Rat



## TexasRatties (Jun 2, 2013)

So I went to Petsmart today with my two kids that I am a nanny for. I don't usually ask but today I asked if I could hold a little male dumbo. She said I could and she picked him up and handed him to me. His fur seemed kind of dull if that's a good word and he was trying to escape my hands. The kids were just petting him with one finger and he decide to take a good bite on my finger. I was bleeding pretty good I got some on my pants and my finger was soon covered in blood. I don't blame the rat in the least but I was wondering why he might have been unhappy. I know pet store rats are often not given the care they require. He was also by himself in his cage so I thought maybe he was scared because he was alone. I was just curious about this as I know biting is unusual for rats.


----------



## Mitsy (Apr 8, 2013)

Some male rats are very hormonal and can not control their hormones so they act aggressive. Also if you had a food sent on your hand he could have thought it was food sence some rats have bad eye sight. those are my thoughts.


----------



## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

What mitsy said is true but it could be he is fearful. When I explain to people that rats don't bite and they are friendly I explain it like rats are dogs. If a dog is treated bad and made to fear humans then they will bite. A dog comes into this world as a blank slate what happens to them from there on determines how they are going to be for the rest of their life. It's the same way with rats. Pet stores are notorious for mistreating their animals especially rats. The rat was probably mistreated previously and built up a fear of humans. So from his perspective. Two large humans grab him from his cage. Their hands are large and similar looking to the talons of a predator. Two small humans are poking and petting him while the large human won't let him go back to his cage. He begins to get more freaked out because their is so much going on and he is afraid of humans. All he wants to do is get back in his cage but he can't so he chomps down on your finger because he doesn't know you aren't going to hurt him. 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## TexasRatties (Jun 2, 2013)

The petsmart lady said he has never done that before he could have been scared by the kids but again like I said I didn't blame him as he was just unsure. I really think he needed another rat in their though to cuddle with.


----------



## TexasRatties (Jun 2, 2013)

This was a dumb post I wish I could delete it..... uhhh anywhoo


----------



## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

It's not dumb  Sorry if that came off the wrong way. It's seriously something a lot of people don't realize and it turns them off to rats. You see all those ads on craigslist of people trying to get rid of their rats because it bit them but it's not the rats fault.


----------



## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

This thing with pet shop rats is that really, it's a pick and mix. Rats personalities vary from the super-tame lap rat that can have it's belly rubbed for hours, through to the explorers who just want to run around all day but stop in for attention, to the super-scared, defensive and abnormally fearful rat. The issue is that pet shop rats are very rarely socialised and as such, are skittish and afraid from the get go. When picking a rat, always go for the calmest and most receptive to human contact despite any kind of initial choice based purely on aesthetics. You will be happier in the long run and coat colour does certainly not make the rat. A rat biting from such a young age is not a good candidate to be kept as a pet, even if it could be changed with proper socialisation. That is a pure warning sign. It's likely not just bad socialisation but also a naturally defensive temperament which caused it, the poor guy. I'd stay away.


----------



## Mball77 (Jul 3, 2013)

My rats are from Petsmart, I looked at my local breeders but most has stopped updated there sites. I just wanted to look at some rats before I commited to getting an animal I've had no personal experiance with and the Petsmart I went to was 1- cleaner and nicer then Petco 2- only has two fancy and two dumbos (no white feeders) 3- had 3 workers that loved rodents and would regularly interact with them. Unlike a lot of places I went to these guys where more socialized, but you have to understand you are a new human, new smell and the energy from the children might have put him off. I ended up getting the two rats (the one went right up to my hand and let me hold him and I fell in love), and they are good rats. I regret not getting from a breeder. While the STORE (another one was terrible and the rodent lady had no idea what she was talking about) I went to was awesome the suppliers of mass produced animals are always shady. The one is happy and social but has not stopped sneezing and is on a long regiment of antibotics. He came that way. Its in the back of my mind that he will not live as long or be has healthy as a rat from a responsable breeder.


----------



## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

To be honest pet store rats get too harsh of a wrap most of the time. None of mine are from true 'breeders' (Lily was from a backyard breeder) and they're just fine. It's more the conditions they're kept in really which is the issue and the unfortunate lack of socialisation. If a store actually handles their rats while young and the rat has a 'good' personality to begin with, they can be brilliant pets. My girlfriend's girl Bella is the best of our rats and she was from a pet store here in the UK.


----------



## TexasRatties (Jun 2, 2013)

Ya I understand I am sure he was just scared and overwhelmed.


----------



## loomie79 (Jan 20, 2013)

Probably just scared. My Sniffy was just a good rat, but if she was sitting behind me & I suddenly reached round to scratch my back, she would get scared & bite! 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## loomie79 (Jan 20, 2013)

Such*


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Daniel (Jun 24, 2013)

Now that I have gone around and looked around a bit at what my local pet stores offer, I can agree that they are a mixed bag. Some make a little extra effort, though. My PetSmart (and they made pains to tell me this) get their (male only) selection from a local pet breeder who socializes them, and they are priced a little higher intentionally to avoid them having to become 'feeders'. My Pepper was a PetSmart rat - he was shy, but clearly he had been handled to at least not be skittish of people. His brothers were even more social. This PetSmart does not sell any rodents as feeders.

There are a couple kinds of feeder rat pet stores around here, though. One store just has everything in store - young, medium, and large all thrown in together. When a female is pregnant, they move them to another tank while they are nursing. Basically an up-front breeding operation right in the store. Then there are some pet stores who get their feeders from a local supplier - alot of times, they are all PEWs and completely unsocial, having probably been raised in a dark room.


----------

