Rat
Rescue :: Rat
Article
Dealing with pet rats who bite
As any rat lover will tell you, rats make wonderful pets – they
are extremely friendly, intelligent, funny and loyal and having
a rat is like having a very special best friend. However, like
all species, there will be occasions where you get a rat that
bites.
This may be because they have not had much handling since birth
or just that they are very nervous. If the rat is an albino
rat or has pink eyes, their eyesight is worse than their counterparts.
In this instance and like any animal with bad eyesight, if they
see a shape come out of nowhere at them (in this instance, your
hand) they will bite first, thinking that you are a predator.
If, however, your normally loving and friendly pet rat suddenly
starts to nip you (as opposed to the odd one-off that can happen
when you inadvertently wake up a grumpy rat or when they mistake
your fingers for food), then this means that they are probably
not well. Get them to a vet straight away to be checked over.
At the rescue we get a lot of ‘phone calls and emails from
people saying the same thing: I’ve just got a rat and she bites.
Now I'm frightened to handle her..what should I do?
If you have recently got a new rat and she bites, you are bound
to feel disappointed and, if you are a new to having rats, even
a little frightened. At the rescue, we have lots of rats that
come to us as they are no longer wanted due to them being so-called
"aggressive" etc. However, the good news is that in
nine cases out of ten, with time and patience, they can be turned
around into loving little ratties.
The first thing you need to do is to build up your rat's trust.
Sit near to the cage (with the cage door open) and read a book,
relax and let her come out of the cage in her own good time.
Keep the room quiet, with no loud noises, other animals or distractions.
Your rat will be wary and may well go in and out of her cage
several times before feeling brave enough to venture further
– this is quite normal. Do not move the cage away or shut the
cage door when your rat ventures out – this will make things
worse as she will panic without having the security of her cage
to run back to.
Once your rat is out and about, let her be in control. Speak
gently to her but do not try and touch her (remember that loud
noises and even a ‘tut’ can be ear piercing to a rat, so try
go softly, softly.)
As an aside, if your rat hisses at you, then whatever you do,
so not hiss back – this is a sign of aggression. Also, do not
blow on your rat - again, this is seen by the rat as you being
an aggressor and you want her to trust and eventually love you.
You may need to do this for a few days or even weeks until
your rat feels confident enough to come out and start to investigate,
probably including climbing over you.
Let her climb over and after a few sessions like this, gently
brush your hand against her, but do not pick her up. If you
don’t get bitten, then reward her with a treat (such a piece
of sweetcorn). If you don’t manage to touch her before she runs
off or if she nips you, then do not give her any food.
If she gets a bit nippy, say a firm "No" (do not
tap her on the nose or anything, the tone of voice will be enough)
and put her back into the cage.
She will learn that 'good' behaviour is rewarded, 'bad' behaviour
means being put back in the cage.
(If you are worried about handling her, get a big, clean coffee
jar..she will climb into it and you can lift her back to her
cage. Use this method ONLY if she tries to bite you when you
pick her up. IT should never be used as a substitute to one-to-one
contact).
Also, do not show your rat any fear (even if you are scared
of being bitten, which is quite understandable!) Rats, like
most other animals, can pick up on the vibes and will react
accordingly - if you are 'feeling fear', the rat will think
there is something to fear and be on her guard, which usually
means, bite first, ask questions later!
Once she has got used to being brushed against, try going one
step further and gently pick her up, cupping your hands (you
can always wear gardening gloves if you are still fearful) and
scooping her towards your body. Cuddle her then put her down
and reward her with a treat.
Start to pick her up regularly so that she gets used to you,
but not all the time. For example, when he is out, brush your
hand against three of four times, then pick her up – this way
she gets used to the contact gradually.
You may see progress in as little as 2 weeks and up to 3 months
(though we once had a rat who it took 6 months to be able to
pick and cuddle – and it was worth the wait as he turned in
to such a cuddly, lovely boy).
Please be patient, treat your rat like you would a scared child..she'll
come round eventually and you can both enjoy a wonderful friendship.
