Biting?

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

tmarc - 14 May 2007 13:15 GMT

Hello folks, (sorry if my english is not perfect)

few weeks ago I got rat from a friend that gives rodents to his snake.
The snake didn't want to eat this one rat for two weeks. I felt sorry
for this little creature and finally I bought a wire cage for him and
took him home.

He's been scared at the beginning but with passing days and lots of
snacks the rat started to feel more confident. I let him go outside
the cage once or twice a day so he can look around and hide behind the
bed or under some boxes.

Recently I've tried to teach him to walk upon my hand so I can carry
him. Since I have plush rat (a toy), I've took it and used it to show
what I want my rat to do: I put the toy on my hand, lifted it and
carressed it. Then I put it away and offered a hand to rat. He came
out of his cage and ... bite me, which he never did before (well, he
did once or two if I tried to put my hand into his cage). I thought
that maybe he mistaken my hand as food, so I offered it once more - he
jumped on it, bite it and run away to cage.

I'm not really sure what I'm doing wrong. Does he feel threatened by
this other "rat" and maybe sees me as it's ally? Did I cross some
teritory line with this other rat? Or simply - can he think that I
want to make a toy of him, too?

Thanks for any suggestions. I'd really like to make friends with my
pet without stressing us both.

Tom

Reply to this Message

NRen2k5 - 15 May 2007 18:05 GMT

> Hello folks, (sorry if my english is not perfect)
>
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
> Thanks for any suggestions. I'd really like to make friends with my
> pet without stressing us both.

Is it a tentative bite – grabbing your finger for a moment but not
breaking the skin? Do you hand him treats often? I often hand treats to
my girls through the bars and they occasionally mistake a finger for food.

Reply to this Message

Jackie - 15 May 2007 18:21 GMT

Do you think it may mean he is still quite fearful that if you pick him up
he will be put back in a snake tank. Lots of TLC and patience is needed.

Signature

Jackie - <:_)~ and the Boys, Ronald, Scratch, Rupert and Wilbur, Toffee,
Bonker and Chewy.

http://community.webshots.com/user/mullins9

>> Hello folks, (sorry if my english is not perfect)
>>
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
> breaking the skin? Do you hand him treats often? I often hand treats to
> my girls through the bars and they occasionally mistake a finger for food.

Reply to this Message

NRen2k5 - 15 May 2007 22:59 GMT

> Do you think it may mean he is still quite fearful that if you pick
> him up he will be put back in a snake tank. Lots of TLC and patience
> is needed.

It's possible, but if the snake had never even tried to eat him, I'm not
even sure he would develop such a fear response.

Of course I don't know how strong the *natural* fear response to snakes
would be in a domestic rat.…

Reply to this Message

Dewi - 15 May 2007 23:03 GMT

> Hello folks, (sorry if my english is not perfect)
>
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
>
> Tom

I'd say your little guy needs heaps more TLC and heaps of patience. He
has had a very stressful time in that snake tank. It was a human who
put him in with the snakes. Take things more slowely. Get him use to
sniffing your hand and more used to his new environment.

It was very good of you to rescue this rat. I hope he has a very happy
home now. Any chance of convincing your friend to feed his snake food
that have been purchased dead, and hopefully more humanely killed?

Dewi

Reply to this Message

tmarc - 16 May 2007 10:23 GMT

> I'd say your little guy needs heaps more TLC and heaps of patience. He
> has had a very stressful time in that snake tank. It was a human who
> put him in with the snakes. Take things more slowely. Get him use to
> sniffing your hand and more used to his new environment.

Thank you all for all responses.

NRen2k5 asked if the bite was delicate - yes, it was only like my rat
wanted to grab me with his teeth and immediately release. I'd take it
as mistake for food, yet he never did this before outside the cage.
And yes, I usually try to hand feed him, from what I've read this is
the way to make friendship with the pet (but I also read that the rat
may think that I'm some weaker creature from which he can steal food,
which is confusing me but I'm patient and I'm not trying to do
anything by force).

As for the snake tank - it was in different place, so I believe that
the rat feels more confident now.

> It was very good of you to rescue this rat. I hope he has a very happy
> home now. Any chance of convincing your friend to feed his snake food
> that have been purchased dead, and hopefully more humanely killed?

The snake never wants to eat something that is dead. If he can't kill
his food himself, he's just not interested. That's why I was amazed
how my rat managed to survive about two weeks in the tank. He even
rode on the snake sometimes, unaware that snake is very unhappy and it
takes very little to make him aggressive and attack.

Thanks again,
Tom

Reply to this Message

Dewi - 16 May 2007 11:19 GMT

I wouldn't believe that stuff you read about rats seeing you as weaker
if you hand feed them. That's just adapted from some ideas people have
about dogs and food. I hand feed my rats all the time and have no
problems with them nipping me because of that. Some of the new rats
I've gotten have given me nips like you described. I give them lots of
food treats and gently handle them and in time they relax and become
friendly.

In some countries, like the US, you can buy snake pheromones, that you
add to the food (the dead food that is), that makes it more appetising
for the snake.

Dewi

Reply to this Message

The Rat Lord - 16 May 2007 11:22 GMT

>> I'd say your little guy needs heaps more TLC and heaps of patience. He
>> has had a very stressful time in that snake tank. It was a human who
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
> Thanks again,
> Tom

don't worry that he will think you are weaker because you give him treats.
think of him more like a mini-dog. he'll love you more when it's treat time.

Reply to this Message

NRen2k5 - 16 May 2007 16:07 GMT

> NRen2k5 asked if the bite was delicate - yes, it was only like my rat
> wanted to grab me with his teeth and immediately release. I'd take
> it as mistake for food, yet he never did this before outside the
> cage.

Neither have my rats. They seem almost completely uninterested in food
when they’re outside of their cage, so of course they don’t bite my
fingers mistaking them for food. :)

Reply to this Message

Hank stalica - 21 May 2007 08:07 GMT

I got my first bite a couple weeks ago from a very, very frightened rat
who was stuck upside-down between the bars of a basket he was playing on
- screaming bloody murder.

His teeth sunk deep into my ring finger and the sucker bled for quite
some time. A trip to the doctor for a tetanus booster and some
antibiotics and everything is fine. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt all
that much even though he almost bit completely through my finger.

The point is, when you get bit by a rat, you will know it. And I
understand if you keep rats for any length of time, it's not a matter of
if, but when.

Everything else is just them testing for food or a mistaken little nip.

Reply to this Message

Joanne - 16 May 2007 13:50 GMT

> Hello folks, (sorry if my english is not perfect)
>
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
>
> Tom

He could very well be threatened by your hand. It's a matter of reading
his body language. If it a soft nip then it's most likely just a
"testing" bite, checking for food and texture of your hand. But if he's
also rubbing the sides of his cage or doing a digging motion with his
front paws then this could be territorial. But all is not loss, continue
to socialize him and he should be able to break from this habit. I would
recommend scooping him out of the cage and playing with him away from
the cage. Getting bit by a beloved pet is a horrible feeling so you want
to avoid that at all cost. Feeding with him with your hands/fingers is
actually a good thing so he can see that you are there with treats and
not to take over his cage. But I wouldn't do it through the bars, always
open the door and offer it.

Signature

Joanne
Owned by 23 rats.
Webshots: http://community.webshots.com/user/joanneb70

-------------------------------------------------------
~Ignorance is not innocence but sin. *Robert Browning*

Reply to this Message

Pet Forum / Mammals / Rats / May 2007

Biting?