# I LOVE My Pet Rats BUT I'm VERY SCARED Of Them! Please Help!



## scicero20 (Dec 16, 2012)

I have had my two female (medium-sized) pet rats for about a month now and I love them to death BUT at the same time I'm also absolutely terrified of the  They are currently living in one of those Habitat Defined Rat cages (which I put an igloo and a couple hammocks in) and they are so so fun to watch! BUT no matter how much I "try" and handle them they bite me every time without fail! And what's worse is that not only have they drawn my blood on several occasions; they've also bitten my friends! Now whenever I have to clean their cage I must use my puncture resistant gloves just to avoid being bitten. I don't want to be scared of my own pets  Is there anything I could do to stop this!? Note: I've tried talking to them all the time, petting them DESPITE being nipped at and/or bitten every time, and I've even tried earning their trust through different hand-fed treats and food. Whenever I try and pick them up they go into a sort of flailing "death spin" and I'm so so scared that one day they're going to get lose in my room and I'll never find them again. Please helpp, any advice is greatly appreciated. (They are so bad at being handled that when I got them from the pet store the workers there were so scared to pick them up that I had to do it!) Note: I've had virtually every pet rodent out there (ferrets, hamsters, guinea pigs, and even sugar gliders) so why are these rats giving me so much trouble!?


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

Unfortunately this is one of the reasons we don't recommend buying from pet stores. A lot of the time the rats are completely unsocialized or undersocialized, especially if you got them from a feeder bin.

Here is our sticky about intros. I would try forced socialization with the gloves or a towel personally. http://www.ratforum.com/showthread.php?39776-Timid-or-Aggressive-Rat-Trust-Training


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## ZombieMama (Nov 19, 2012)

I know the feeling.. I have 3 boy rats and 2 that i got from the pet store not knowing that i could have and should have searched around but mine were nice when i got them.. N i just didn't realize how awesome rats were n that i should hve handled them more. I find myself partially scared of those 2.. One more than the other. I use a towel to pick them up and when they are in the cage i try and pet their head/back of neck, they tend to be ok with that most the time, but if they jump that's when it scares me. They are usually great when I have them out of the cage and I'm holding them though.. They only bite me when I stick my hands in the cage. I think mine are just pigs n think I'm food lol. They are so fat and cuddly tho! 


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## RatGirl_Red (Nov 26, 2012)

i have worse experiences with hamsters and guinea pigs..guinea pig leading to 5 stitches on my palm and a pinky that doesnt work 100% anymore. 

i got my one girl from petco and the other one is from an opps litter born from a feeder rat she got from a pet store. i honestly cant tell the difference between them. Rodger (petco rat) is very demanding with her need for affection on her time, she is always grooming me, or crawling on me. Lillian is more reserved and calmer. neither are mean so i feel lucky, especially because the rats are my 4 year olds. lillian is sooo much calmer, which is great. but rodger is always up in your business and very socialable. 

i think any rat can be fear aggressive or not wanting to be socialized, it comes down to their personality


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Sigh, If I may begin by restating the problem....

1) You bought two unsocialized semi-adult rats that most likely have been screwed up by neglect or abuse. They are fast and agile and have very sharp teeth.

2) You brought them home and let them acclimate to their new enviornment and create a social order without you as their alpha. Now you don't fit into the pack.

3) You were not prepared for the challenge of socializing screwed up rats and either you were fearful of them to start with or you became fearful after being bit, but either way it's preventing you from taking charge of your pack.

4) Every day that goes by, your problem gets worse in terms of fixing it.

Well, your situation is almost as bad as it gets.... Biting rats aren't pets and they make for very hazardous exhibits! Simply put you have two reasonable choices, socialize your rats or re-home them and start over with cute little rat pups that will love you unconditionally as soon as you get them home.

I would wish every new rat owner the opportunity to start out with a loving cuddly baby rattie to raise into a perfect bff, but that's not where you are. 

So, here's the good news, I've worked with people here and we've had some real success at salvaging screwed up rats. But it wasn't easy!!! This requires that you drag your girls out of their cage and you lock yourself into a room with them for several hours at a time and you work though their agression and take charge of your pack like an alpha rat would, and at this stage of the game that's going to involve a battle royale with you armed with gloves and a towel and the girls armed with very sharp claws and razor like teeth that can bite through soft metal... And if you show fear and back off, you are going to lose.

Honestly, I admire those folks that have made it through the immersion process. They were really animal lovers that made a real commitment and they were rewarded with knowing that they made a real difference in their animal's lives and with new little best friends. 

If you click on my name, you can review old comments I've made on similar threads and you will find that I've covered the immersion procedure in detail. You can also read up on something called forced socialization, not my favorite approach but closer to immersion than trust training that won't work in your case. If you want to save your rats, start there and if you have further questions message me or post your further questions and I'll help as time permits. Your problem is fixable... but it won't be easy. The longer you wait the worse your problem will get, rats without an alpha human often wind up becoming agressive towards each other, then you wind up with a rat you can't handle hurting it's cagemate, that you also can't handle.... That's when your situation is as bad as it gets.


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