Pet Forum / Mammals / Rats / October 2006

This is OT but I must comment on Bandit's markings. Most unusual.

I also noticed you have a fooferdome. I bought one for my rats earlier
this year. They loved it but one of them shreded in the end. Now it's a
top with no base.

Dewi.

I would definitely neuter him immediately.
I have had about fifteen aggressive male rats neutered to date, with
one little devil booked in for this Friday.  Some of those rats have
been so petrified that they were paralyzed with fear and would lunge,
hiss and chatter at anything that was introduced to their cages, even
hammocks and foodbowls.  A few have done permanent damage to me with
the bites that they have inflicted.  I have one boy, Jasper, who
screamed bloody murder every time I touched him.  Even if he would
accidentally brush up against me, he would scream.  Jasper is the
biggest marshmallow of a boy now, even though he doesn't really like me
picking him up.  I scratch his face through the cage bars and kiss his
belly with absolutely no fear.
I don't believe for a second that I would have been able to turn around
the boys that I have had come to me, terrified and aggressive, without
neutering them first.
After neutering, you have to give them a few weeks in order for their
hormones to dissipate.  During that time, I would keep them a bit
segregated from the main group.  I would visit them several times a
day, speaking to them softly and providing them with a treat if they
were responding well.  I do this anywhere between 8-10 times per day,
keeping the visits very short, but also very frequent.  If they
snatched at the first treat, or lunged or acted aggressive, then I
would leave and not provide a treat.  No scolding, I would just walk
away.  If they were gentle with taking the treat from me, then they
would receive another.  Rats are extremely intelligent and catch on
very quickly, as I am sure everyone here knows, it was a very short
time before they realized that being nice and gentle would get them
another treat.
After a couple of weeks, the change in these rats has been very
significant.  I would then start a regime of putting on heavy gloves
and allowing them freerange time.  Many times I would place their cage
on the bed and allow them to exit on their own, but needed the gloves
to put them back in.  At first, they all hid in the blankets or pillows
that I provided, and I let them do that.  All the time, I would sit on
the bed with them, speaking to them and offering them treats.  Again,
within a short time they started to explore and approach me during
freerange for a quick stroke and a treat.  The stroking became more
frequent, as did the treats.
A couple of weeks after that, I would move them to the living room
where the rest of the rats were.  Sometimes they take a small step back
at this point, with the sounds and smells of so many male rats being so
much closer.  Again, the frequent visits and treats would continue.
Freerange would take place in the common rat area.  By this point, they
are not being aggressive anymore, even though I would still take
precautions in taking them out of the cage with the gloves on, but they
never bit me again.
Jasper was introduced to four young boys that I took in from a rescue
that took place on the east coast.  They tortured him, rode him like a
bronco, and ganged up on him powergrooming him mercilessly.  They still
do today, and he takes it every time with little complaint.  Neil, a
very neglected, lone boy that I adopted from the OSPCA was introduced
to a young male that I took in from a local woman, and the two of them
are inseperable.  Milo pounces on Neil and powergrooms him all the
time, and Neil always takes it.  Most times they are cuddled together
in their hammock.
There has been one boy that I haven't had as much success with,
although he has never been aggressive to me since the neuter, that I
have never been able to integrate with other rats.  I discussed with my
vet any chances of doing drug treatments with him, to make him less
uptight around other rats, and Valium was mentioned as being quite safe
a treatment for rats.  The dosage would have to be played with a bit,
as it is not a common treatment option, but could prove to be very
successful.
Hope that helps.

Hi

There is no way on this earth that Mr Billy Bear will be flung outside the
house or PTS, the worst scenario is that he does not get better but he will
remain living with me in his spacious cage and be a loner rat. I am putting
my hand in daily which is gloved and I also have a toothbrush I can use to
scratch him. I can't go with the method of just picking him up and carrying
him around for twenty mintues because he will attack me badly and I am not
prepared to put myself at that risk. I will pick him up when he is much
better but i'm wearing tough workmans gloves and he's almost cutting my
flesh through those. I have a 9 month old baby so I can do without any
serious injuries to my hand. In case your worndering, the rat is safely kept
away from the baby so neither of them will come to any harm LOL. I would
really appritiate if your friend could help, that would be great. I am a bit
nervous of my boy being put under the knive, none of my verts locally are
really rat savvy so I would be rather worried. I'll keep you all updated on
the little guy!!

April