Pet Forum / Mammals / Rats / April 2004

How long ago did you get them?  Where were they living before that?
Did they have any real contact with humans?  If they came from a pet
store, they probably haven't had any significant contact with people,
and are likely to be very frightened of you, particularly if you're
trying to grab them out of their cage.

Some rats feel very territorial and protective of their cages, and
will bite if they are disturbed in what they feel is their turf.  Do
they get to come out of the cage at all?  Do they bite outside the
cage?

If they're just biting in the cage or when grabbed, I would recommend
sitting quietly near the cage with the door open and letting them come
out on their own, rather than trying to pick them up.  You can also
try "forced socialization" -- this is where you wear an old sweatshirt
(because it will be peed on) and let the rat crawl around inside it
for a long time.  Don't let it leave, but don't try to interact with
it much -- you're just trying to get it used to your smell and the
fact that you're harmless.

A six month old rat is going to take a lot longer to get used to being
around people than a younger rat, so it may take a while before you
see any change in their behavior.  If you decide you can't deal with
them (and that's okay -- it's hard to deal with any biting animal,
particularly if you're not an experienced owner), I would strongly
suggest that you find a local rescue or another rat owner who might be
willing to put in the work necessary to socialize them, rather than
have them put down.

This advice presupposes that your rats are biting because they are
scared of you or are defending their cage.  While these are the most
likely reasons, there are other reasons that rats could be biting.

1.  Rats don't see well, so if you're only near them when you're
feeding them, they may be mistaking your hands for food.  Again,
getting them used to your smell should lessen this sort of behavior.
Also, if you squeak loudly when they bite you, they'll realize they
hurt you.

2.  If they're actually behaving aggressively (biting unprovoked),
then as a first-time owner you're probably better off passing them
along to someone who has more experience working with rats.

3.  It's possible that they're ill or in pain for some reason.  If you
have a good vet who is experienced with rats, you might want to ask
him or her for advice.

--Theresa
http://tiger_spot.mapache.org