# I HATE one of my rats...



## Bowie (Feb 28, 2016)

Okay, let me start by saying I know its not her fault, its who she is and i guess i have to deal with it, but i dont want to. At all.

So, i got her from petsmart. I've owned rats before so i got her to be with my girl, who was old. she was about 2 months old, so right now shes about 8 months. From the moment i got her, she's been ****. The first few weeks were alright but after that it was ****. She would bite me when ever i tried to talk to her from the cage, i cant even touch her with out her squeking. I've tried and tried everything, from fored socialization, to taking it super slow. She wont even let me talk to her without screaming and running away.

She litterally tries to kill herself, no lie. It sounds weird but she will jump from the top if the cage onto the floor FACE FIRST. over and over again. Im... so beside myself. She fights with my girls, she bit my baby brother when he was standing next to the cage. She just lunged her face out of the bars and took a bi chunk, i could see the fat in his skin, and it almost required stitches.

What can i do?


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## Kokorobosoi (Jan 14, 2016)

Did you read the immersion thread? (I'm sure you did, but it's a great starting point.)


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## Mene (Mar 13, 2015)

I've had a similar experience and it's frustrating. You know that you just want to love her, but she sees you as the scariest, demonic monster that walked the planet. I tried immersion with my guy. But, honestly, I probably should have spent loads more one on one time with him. Unfortunately, I didn't have that kind of time. Soooooo....I accepted him for how he was. I moved very slowly around him and spoke softly. When he allowed me, I gently petted him with my finger and gave him love through the tones of my voice and my consistent care for his needs. Of course, he saw me interact with the other rats and also saw that they trusted me...some more than others. Eventually, he became a bit more trusting. It took close to 2 years, but he never allowed me to cuddle him or play with him. Always on his guard. I still loved him.


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## Bowie (Feb 28, 2016)

I am a student, and work, but i still try a ton of one on one with her, for about 2-3 hours a day sometimes. some days she will let me pet her, others if i even try i get a bite ( i now wear gloves.)


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## Grotesque (Mar 19, 2014)

All I can do is offer you a short story. We once had a rat named Mocha who we acquired from someone who rescued her from someone who rescued her from a snake that wouldn't eat her. So needless to say, she was passed around from home to home. She wasn't really socialized in any of her homes because she was a vicious biter. REALLY wanted to hurt you... tons of blood was spilled by this little rat. 

Every day we just let her be her. We were terrified of her but we pet her, offered her treats, and tried to keep her away from our faces because she LOVED to bite faces. One day... something changed. I can't really pinpoint it but it seemed like she decided she was safe with her. She became one of the sweetest, most loving rats you could ever know. (Although she was quite the dominant rat in the cage.)

Moral of the story - sometimes rats will truly surprise you. Mocha was quite the challenge, but in the end she became oh so worth it.


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## Bowie (Feb 28, 2016)

I was getting worried and took her to the vet today. She had a brain tumor, i dont have the money to get it removed and the only other option was getting her put down. Turns out the reason she was jumping face first like that was because the tumor was growing i guess. Its been there for a while i guess but i never saw anything like a lump.  poor baby.


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## raindear (Mar 3, 2015)

I'm sorry to hear that. Well, now you know that it wasn't her fault or yours that things didn't work out. I hope that is some consolation.


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## Bowie (Feb 28, 2016)

Thank you. I actually had to take her to another vet (not the petsmart one) because the vet at petsmart says i can't be in the room, and it was 45 dollars. I went to a emergency vet and had her peacefully gassed there, and i got to comfort her too.


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## raindear (Mar 3, 2015)

I'm glad you were able to say good-bye and comfort her.


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## Grotesque (Mar 19, 2014)

Oh gosh! I am so sorry to hear that.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

Bowie said:


> I was getting worried and took her to the vet today. She had a brain tumor, i dont have the money to get it removed and the only other option was getting her put down. Turns out the reason she was jumping face first like that was because the tumor was growing i guess. Its been there for a while i guess but i never saw anything like a lump.  poor baby.


Sorry for your loss. Did the vet say that the tumor could be removed? How much did he ask for?


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

I'm sorry to hear about your loss. I've heard two personal stories about rats with brain tumors. And both involved the rats becoming very aggressive. They killed their cage mates and bit their owners. It is rare, but it does happen.

There are some rats that you just can't help. No doubt there's another rat somewhere, that's healthy, friendly and needs a good forever home that is in need of your love and care.

Best luck.


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## Finnebon (Jul 15, 2013)

How did you get a definitive diagnosis of brain tumor? They can't diagnose that in rats without doing an autopsy. It's all based on speculation from symptoms up to that point and if they're showing symptoms of cushing's syndrome. Which usually is slow to onset and involves more symptoms than just aggression, also usually happens in older rats.

I think it's really disturbing that a vet would diagnose suddenly like this and then want to put to sleep right away. There is also no possible way to remove a brain tumor in a rat. Did they suggest a surgery to remove it??? This whole thing seems very suspicious.

I'm sorry the little rat is dead. If you lived in CA I'd be more than happy to take her.


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## Bowie (Feb 28, 2016)

I don't know how he came up with that diagnosis. I described all of her symtoms and he did an exam, and he said it sounds like a brain tumor. I asked how he knew but i got upset and left the room. My dad said he said that shes showing symptoms of a tumor and it would be best to put her down, as they prob cant remove it. I agree with it being sketchy, but she wasn't right and i knew it... shes already killed 2 babies and that jumping thing, also she was starting to get a very itchy skin tail and gaining weight (slowly)

Did i do the wrong thing?


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

No... most likely not. Your vet was probably right. Both of the cases I am familiar with died soon after developing symptoms which were pretty horrific at the end. 

In dealing with rats, sometimes we don't know some things for sure, some times vets can be wrong, but sometimes you just have to go with the most likely cause. Sure you could invest a couple of hundred dollars on a necropsy to know for sure... but seriously at that point what's the benefit? Based on your vet's experience and advise, you most probably did the right thing.


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## Finnebon (Jul 15, 2013)

I'm not suggesting that she should have done a necropsy, because as you said, what's the point once the rat has been PTS unless you're really curious about what happened. Based on what you've said, you probably did do the right thing, I didn't mean to imply otherwise. It was mostly aimed at that vet and what they said (Especially the part about removing it. That I still don't understand why he would suggest that... That's not even possible for most humans to get that surgery.)


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