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Pet Forum / Mammals / Rats / December 2007Biting
Over the last three days Scoot has been trying to bite me through the cage. Any time I place my finger near the cage he tries to bite me! I have no clue what has caused this change in behavior. Any ideas would be greatly appreciative. I love him and dont want to have to get rid of me, but honestly if he keeps biting I'll have to. I have officially decided to stop feeding him through the cage as I fear he may be getting confused, but I really dont know what to do. Thanks guys! >Over the last three days Scoot has been trying to bite me through the cage. >Any time I place my finger near the cage he tries to bite me! I have no clue [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >feeding him through the cage as I fear he may be getting confused, but I >really dont know what to do. If you've been feeding him through the cage, that's exactly why he's biting. It will take a long time for this behavior to go away once it's started. --Theresa http://tiger_spot.mapache.org > If you've been feeding him through the cage, that's exactly why he's > biting. It will take a long time for this behavior to go away once > it's started. yup, hate for you to have to give up your rat because of mistakes you yourself are making Thanks I guess... well, there's the food bite and the aggressive territorial lunge/bite. which one is scoot doing? > Over the last three days Scoot has been trying to bite me through the > cage. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > feeding him through the cage as I fear he may be getting confused, but I > really dont know what to do. Thanks guys! I have to admit to occasionally feeding my boys through the bars occasionally, mostly I open the cage doors though even for treats. But I never did that for the first month of them being here, they know the difference. As Scoot is an only rat now how much out of cage time with you does he get? He will need alot more time out of the cage with you. I get my 3 out together for play time, but still get them out one at a time for some individual attention. Have you had his health checked? Of Scoot is feeling unwell that could promote a change in behaviour. Did you get the kitten you were going to get? Maybe he got a fright , could the kitten have scared him in anyway? The main things to do are: Make sure his health is OK Make sure he feels safe in his cage from the kitten. Give him loads of out the cage time. Stop feeding him throught he bars. Make sure your fingers don't smell of food or kitten. If you feel you can't keep him would it be possible to rehome him to the peopke who took Scat? You make a very good point that I didnt think about. Honestly I need to let him have more time out of his cage. I have been so busy lately, and though its not a good enough reason, I have failed him. If I have to get rid of him, he would go with Scat. I wouldnt do anything dramatic though. I'm just warning people not to put their fingers near their cage since he is still fine if you open the door to the cage and get in that way. I am going to let him out more, and since Monday I have not fed him through the cage. I open the cage up, and only give him food in two specific places in his cage so he doesnt get confused. Hopefully this will help. Thanks! i strongly believe that a rat with average intelligence can learn quite quickly the difference between food and finger. > You make a very good point that I didnt think about. Honestly I need to > let [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > he > doesnt get confused. Hopefully this will help. Thanks! Oh, Scoot has figured it out, because once he started biting, the treats stopped. I stopped feeding him treats, and as of today no biting. I stuck my fingers in his cage and he was perfectly fine, even licked me. I think he is fine now, but I'm still going to stop feeding him through the bars of the cage. > Oh, Scoot has figured it out, because once he started biting, the treats > stopped. Yup, rats am smart, all right! Unlike a certain biped species I could name -- it never fails to astonish me when a visitor sees my rat cage and prattles on and on about how terrified they are of rodents... and then they turn right around and jam a finger in between the bars of the cage! If they get bit, it's because the rat thought food was coming in (in fact, it's rarely the actual bite that draws blood -- it's the abrupt withdrawal of the finger from between the animal's teeth that causes the skin to catch and tear) and not because the rat was vicious in the least. - Dr Strangemonde I used to have a female rattie so territorial that she would lunge at the site of you. I called her The Viper. Samantha in OK > Over the last three days Scoot has been trying to bite me through the > cage. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > feeding him through the cage as I fear he may be getting confused, but I > really dont know what to do. Thanks guys!  SignaturePosted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com "The Viper" haha what a great name! I'm glad to hear that Scoot is improving. Rats are pretty smart. They don't want to overturn the gravy train. -Marlo > I used to have a female rattie so territorial that she would lunge at > the site of you. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >> feeding him through the cage as I fear he may be getting confused, but I >> really dont know what to do. Thanks guys! |
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