This is a really gentle and kind way of teaching them not to bite. I have two girls who are showing similar behaviours and I can’t wait to work with them. Thank you for the tips!
Thank-You SOOO Much! Firstly, Love the haircut! Looks great. I've struggled with one of my girls for a while, and you've inspired me to keep trying and work with her. I will get her to a Vet, as I think she needs to be spayed. (She has some dominance aggression, and I think that could help. She's also a bit too aggressive with the other girls, when they're in heat.) But I will not fear being bitten again, and keep working with her. Currently I just avoid having my fingers near her mouth, but that means no kisses either. If there is food, she never bites, it is only when my hand is in the cage, or she's in a hide-out. Your reminder that all rats are indivudals is another thing I needed to hear, we can not make them who we want, we must respect them as they are, and work from that place. None of my Girls really like to be held, they are sweet, but not overly cuddly, but I don't have any good role-models for them to look up to. I got them all as rescues, and due to the pandemic, was not able to meet them prior. Anyway, I really appreciate the time and effort you've put into this video, and I thank you!
I noticed Eddie on the last video and wondered who she was. I've just lost a dear friend who was called Eddie. I'm glad you're keeping her so we can watch her grow ❤
The timing of this video couldn't have been better, thank you! One of the four baby girls I adopted two weeks ago tends to bite when she's behind cover (probably trying to quickly grab my presumably edible finger and get back to safety, because she does the same with food on a spoon) and I'm pretty sure it's a confidence issue. She isn't actively scared of me, she _is_ curious, just also the most cautious of the bunch. She's definitely benefitting from her more confident sisters though. Guess I'll have to learn not to be scared of getting bitten (although she does break the skin when she nips) and try to get used to picking them up - so far we've only done in-cage bonding because these girls are slippery and I don't want to freak them out by grabbing them, and they're curious enough to seek me out themselves when I bring food. But in a way this'll be a confidence exercise for me too 😅
Best of luck with her, definitely worth persevering, if your finding the fear of being bitten is putting you off you can wear gloves, just go for something fairly thin as whilst they won’t turn a determined bite they will blunt a quick nip and you have much better ability to handle and interact than a big cumbersome glove
@@IsamuRatCare thank you for the tip, I've been handling this week in leather gloves and it's giving me the confidence boost so that if they do nip I won't flinch and give them more power to continue 🐾
Hi Isamu, Rat Daddy here... good to finally see you. I liked the video and you are still doing great work. We just spent almost 3 years with a hormonal psycho boy, of course I fixed his human biting problem on the spot, but sadly he randomly murdered his roommate and was never safe to keep with other rats. On the up side, he did bond with my daughter as best as he could given his mental issues and he became a rather good house rat. He didn't do any damage, used his cage as a bathroom and pretty much kept to himself when he wasn't hanging out with my daughter. As for me... I saw him once in every blue moon... literally. "Sadly" he passed away and we have two "normal" new little boys again. Tag me back and we can catch up perhaps on discord. So many rats, so many stories and so few people who really get it. Again great to see you still around!
im a new breeder and have you to thank :) am about to take two girls a client of mine got from pets at home, she is only young and bought them without realizing they would be different from the two she got from me. they bite so ive told her to give them to me and i will swap them for two of mine that have been raised correctly, now im here learning from who i consider the best on youtube so wish me luck!!!
Thank you so much for this video and those about socialising rats ! I'm currently working with two bucks of my rescue and your advices help a lot. One had to be spayed, he clearly showed hormonal problems and kept on attacking his cage mate. I'm waiting for his hormones to fully settle down and leaving him be for the moment. The other one, Jack, was terrified of hands (but elbows are OK). I'm currently introducing him to one of my boys, turn out one is great with scared rats and I'm already seeing progress (and they're not fully living together yet...). I would never have guessed the importance of a role model rat without you so thanks a lot ! I wish the best for your two rescues, I hope my english isn't too bad, if so, sorry >
one of my new girls has started biting in the last week and I'm pretty certain it is exactly the same situation as Eddy as she is definitely at the bottom of the ranking alongside one of my other girls and I've noticed when she wins a scuffle with the other she's more tolerating of me! This video has been so helpful and I'm actually looking forward to the morning even knowing I'll get bitten as I know how to handle it! Thank you!
Thank you for this video. My boy is in the vets tomorrow for his neturing... The hormal aggression is still an issue, so I'll try to keep your advice in mind x
Just thought I'd let you know surgery has gone well for him... He's still hissing at his brother a little but hoping this will die down. Would you suggest trying to reintroduce them over a few days (bearing in mind he did take a chunk out of his brother before we separated them). I'm concerned if this doesn't work I'll have to try and find 2 rescue females for both of them x
I’m really glad it went so well. I would probably try them together at around 5 days post op and do a carrier method style intro, just so they both have company. If they won’t settle then you will need to leave him until 4 weeks post op and try again, then maybe 8 weeks post op (it can take a while for hormones to settle). If your other lad is alone then if it’s that long I would be looking for alternative company for him
Bless them. I had a gerbil once that was proper aggressive biting. He would make a b line straight from one side of the cage and grab my finger hard. I got him to stop by just letting him keep on trying it. It was always when I was changing his food over for fresh. He ended up very friendly, it just suddenly happened one day when I put my hand in and he just stopped doing it
Forgot to mention. He was a white pink eyed gerbil. When he was aggressive we named him sid viscious after a devil. but when he became tame we named him Casper after the friendly ghost
@@IsamuRatCare ruclips.net/video/Fv7599fWLJM/видео.html Heres a pretty old video of one of my first gerbils, his bro died of a scent gland tumour but this lad carried on to age 5!. They were ex clasrrom gerbils that had been badly neglected. This lad was named nutboy and he was really tame. They are normally more of an observational pet to watch burrow and make networks of tunnels
I think I'm having the same trouble as you had with Eddy. I have 2 rats (Attila and Breda). Attila bites without puffing up, she just comes over and straight up bites me. I'm planning to do what you're doing but with gloves since I'm pretty particular about my hands. Whenever she bites do I just attempt to grab her? I got them from petco and they havent been socialized at all and this is my first time having pet rats. They are also the albino rats with red eyes. Thank you for this insightful video
I have 4 very nervous rats. One of them bites me when I start rummaging around the cage as she goes into the “scared mode” when she just freezes and pounces on my hand when she has an opportunity. Would you recommend putting all four of them into a tiny cage like what you have in the video and holding them there until they get used to handling. Or would it be better to have them all in a decently sized 4 rat cage with no places to hide? Currently they are living in a big enclosure, so it’s quite easy for them to avoid contact with me (which they do).
Thank you, such a helpful video on such an important topic (esp for new rat owners, very through and informative!!)-- ❤️🐀: Lol-- .."she's being a bit of an a$$hole..." (I laugh with you, not at you...), Thanks again for your help and expertise in all your videos 👍❤️🐀😉💯
So, I have three boys, from a breeder, quite a reputable one. They're quite eager to see us, but I did receive a test nip through the carrier holes, on the way back home. They're, as their breeder says, affectionate, and people-oriented, though I do worry about possible defensive nips, or test nips that are too eager. It's been less than twenty-four hours, though. Any advice?
Thank you for this video. It's nearly a month since I brought my 3 boys home and they still don't want much to do with me which is disheartening. They'll take yoghurt or chicken bones from my hand but other than that they wait me out at food time and I have to do something else. They're not very food motivated. One of them is bolder than the other, but not enough to draw them out. One is nippy. They have and use a wheel which is great. They're in a furet xl but I think I need a smaller cage to get used to me faster. They're from a hobby breeder but they're not as tame or socialised as I was expecting. I'll be patient and persevere though! Thanks for all of your guidance 🧡
@Anne MacLeod thank you so much for your kind post. I do feel at this rate a pet shop rat couldn't be more anxious than these 3. They huddle together as far away from me as they can get but do have a nose at me on the bars. Hopefully I won't need to add to my group for a while but the choice will be more discerning I think. With social distancing it was hard to see how shy they were. They were well looked after, just massively timid. But they're mine now. Never rehomed a creature and I won't start now. They'll have a good loving home whether they like me or not! Thank you again for the realistic potential timeline. I'll be patient, just wasn't expecting it would take this long. Take care 🧡
@Anne MacLeod thanks again, I feel so much better about how long it might take now. I was hoping the most confident one would entice the others but they're all largely petrified bless them. Indeed, I have considered adding more rats with more confidence! It's only been a month though so I'll not alter their world more for now. Yes I can't wait for them to be happy to see me, instead of bailing as I get close. Take care.🙂
Anne has converted things really well, but if you’ve not seen them already it’s worth watching the socialisation playlist, I go into a lot more depth with tips and things to try with the rats which may help a lot. I normally find if I work at it regularly I can get through to most rats in a few weeks, some do take longer and I do have a lot of practice now but I find actively taking the initiative with them works better than waiting for them to get over the fear. I do believe you will get there. If you do have the opportunity to take on a couple really well socialised babies from a good breeder or similar then that will help a lot but this isn’t always practical
@@IsamuRatCare thank you, yes I have watched the socialisation video. That's why I might get a smaller cage for a bit from your suggestion. I like them having their wheel at night though. I might be more pushy with them in their carrier and see how I get on. Take care.
@Anne MacLeod thank you again for bolstering my confidence. When I got back from work I decided I'd just be bold and go for it. I scooped up Maurice (they're named for the bee gees and he's the sweetest!) he's the bravest, and held him for a few minutes. He pooped himself poor lad but didn't struggle much. Then when I put him back in, he walked up to the open door, which he doesn't do. So definitely a step forward! 🧡
How would you handle a rat that is scared? I recently adopted a girl who is skittish. I don't force her to interact with me but earlier I put my finger out, away from her, and she came over, bit, then ran. There was a bit of blood. I want the best for this little one. She is not fixed, about 5 months old now? I've only had her one night, so obviously she hasn't settled in either. She is a rescue too.
When I put my hand in the cage it’s always the same rat that comes up to my hand to bite me and go away and she once made me bleed now I’m scared of that rat idk
Is that a fig box in the larger cage? How did you get it to stay up there or where did you get it from please? It's great to see the progress you have made. The girls have really come out of themselves and look happy too. Thankyou. I love rats and really appreciate anyone willing to give them the time and love. You get kisses too 🥰
I have a large digging base (about 45cm deep) and some perspex litter trays higher up (that you can see with shavings in). These I got the Perspex/plexiglass cut to size and taped together. If you have a look at this video it shows you how to measure up ruclips.net/video/HnlXxd9Snp8/видео.html
Aww Eddie and Po are adorable. My 2 girls are exactly the same. The one is like Po. Loves people and food oriented. The other is exactly like Eddie. I've had her for 4 months and had her since a baby. Handled her every day and still she is like Eddie. She'll come to me and take food from me, if definitely more confident with another rat but at this point is it worth stressing her? Or just accept that she won't be a 'people' rat
@@IsamuRatCare yes she's fine for quick look over and climbing on me on her own terms but it seems the more I'm trying to make her a people rat the further I'm pushing her away! All my rats have doted on people so having one that doesn't is a strange feeling. Like have I done enough to make her feel safe? Have I done something that brought this on? But if it's just her disposition then it's fine with me.
It sounds very much like this is just her personality, I would definitely stop beating yourself up and enjoy the relationship you have on her terms and see how she does
I forgot to add that because she's an anxious alpha, she tends to want to over compensate with establishing her dominance where it turned into a tumble scuffle with my old girl
Great video, 2 of our baby girls have started biting 😂 but they are not aggressive. I'll try these techniques. I did (and sorry) but I slapped (more of a tap), one of my others lightly once and she never did it again. But I prefer these suggestions 😁 I also had a male tat who was very aggressive so I had to pin him down a fee times like rats do. To show I am the alpha. I didn't like doing that but it worked. Teddy loves me now 🤣😀
Any advice for a rat that seems to flip personality wise? Most of the time he's is cuddly, shy, and just wants some treats. But sometimes for no apparent reason he'll get tense and bite hard (has happened twice) and won't let go. He goes from extremely sweet to extremely aggressive and I can't tell why. He is kind to his brother, except when he's in that tense mode and if his brother tries to play he'll freak out and pin him down (no biting).
I can't afford another cage and my buck is not giving me a chance 🥺 his name is rerun I'm seriously thinking about finding him a new home and just getting another kitten the same size as my kitten Cupid
Bless them. Could you do a video on rat “dieting”? 3 of the rats I’ve recently taken on are rather plump, I’m trying my best to get their weight down but would love a video with your thoughts on how to do it x
I will add it to the list, it’ll be good to do it next time I have one that needs dieting a fair bit which to be fair might be Twizzel as she’s a bit chubby lol
@@IsamuRatCare lol! The others I have are decent weights for their size not too small not too big but if they got poorly they have a tiny bit a safety fat, but these 3 are “the size of dinner plates” as my mum so kindly put it🤣 im honestly not even sure how you make rats this fat - one has bingo wings! I’m currently just trying to make the cage layout so she HAS to jump up and around if she wants to get to her nice hammocks and things, as I scatter feed I’m not sure how I would even stop the fat 3 from eating lots? Never had to deal with this until now 🤣
Do you have any advice for rats who bite every single time we put our hand in the cage and break the skin and draw blood every time? Mine is full on aggressive but I’m not sure if it’s hormonal aggression as he doesn’t hurt the other rats, only people. He’s impossible to avoid too, as soon as he detects us nearby, he’s at our hand chomping it 2 seconds later before we get a chance to react and he’s not scared at all, does it very confidently.
one of my girls is skittish but will come up to me for food. but she's been trying to grab my hand and has drawn blood a few times. i tried some other things but they haven't worked. she only tries to grab my fingers tho normally the kuckles. i don't think it's aggressive but i'm not entirely sure
I have two young boys, 16-18 weeks old. At first they were extremely timid and skittish but they've started to bite and break the skin. I don't think they're old enough for it to be hormonal and people who breed rats have told me it is genetic aggression. They said that they're aggressive which doesn't have many options other than rehoming or euthanasia. I don't know what to do since these are my first pet rats.
Personally I would castrate if you have a good vet who knows what they are doing, I have seen hormonal aggression start as young as 3 months in a particularly well developed rescue lad. Whilst castration may not fully resolve behavioural issues it helps remove one of the motivators to be an arse giving you more room to work with them in terms of handling and such. I know in some circles though it’s the preference to put rats down without putting any work/handling into things. I tend to get pretty good results from handling them appropriately and neutering if i think it would help
Thank you for this ~! Your videos have been enormously helpful to me so far. I have recently taken in three young ladies (about 9 weeks old now). And they are all very frightened of people. It's taken me a little over a week to get them brave enough to (very nervously) sniff my hand and lick food from a spoon. However, with their slow growing confidence has come biting. We've had one very nasty bite, and quite a few dominating nips. They're a bit too quick for me to catch in the heat of the moment, but I'm trying to let them know that this behaviour is still not on (not retreating from the cage when they do it, giving a firm no). They are still wonderfully energetic and curious, but I don't think they've ever had a positive experience with a human before coming to me. Do you have any advice for taming/ socialising potentially traumatised rats? I would love to start freeroaming them soon so that they can get out of the cage and burn off some energy, but I wouldn't feel confident doing that as things stand right now.
I have the same situation… it’s really not easy make progress, I had them for four to five months now and they still cannot be handled, only be touched very carefully in the cage.
@@charlygestern6556 it's pretty rough, isn't it? 😅 I've had my girls for a month now, and they are still very suspicious and do not want to be touched. My currant approach is to stroke them with a soft paint brush (which is not always successful, but when they're in the right mood, it really relaxes them), and I'm also trying to encourage them to climb on me when they come out of the cage. It's a very slow, 2 steps forwards, 1 step back situation. Are you able to free roam your rats atm? I hope things get better with them soon x
@@obsesivefunatica yes, I let them freeroam in my hallway/corridor (don’t know the correct english term), I just put their cage inside of it and let them come out, they usually go back in themselves after an hour. They do clime on me, and I’m trying to lead them onto my hand with some treats. I think it’s getting better but I‘m really worried because it’s always hard to get them in the carrier to go to the vet, and one of them has a mamarry tumor surgery tomorrow… I took her to the vet two times this week and now she really hates going in the carrier. I think I have to grab her, today it actually worked because I did it quickly, and with one of the others too. The pant brush Idea sound really good! I will try that with my girls. :3
@@charlygestern6556 Yours is a very similar free roam to us. At least you know that they're getting enough stimulation and active play! My girls put themselves back as well, it's so sweet ~ I really hope the surgery and recovery goes well for your little one!
I got two new girls yesterday from my local rescue and the one girl was fine while I was handling her at the foster but once we got home and sort of set them up in a temporary cage, she became extremely fearful and would back away if I tried to hold her or even when I attempted to pet her. My mom has now been bitten twice but she is a little impatient when she deals with my anxious girl, her sister however is very calm and inquisitive and very similar to Po. I really want to help my anxious girl but she's an anxious alpha and is also very fearful of the idea of being held or handled and I'm also sort of mid way through introducing these new girls to my current old girl. Do you have any advice?
I'm getting 2 male rats this weekend I've been told they will bite through the bars and you can only pick them up if they let you........ Any advice please
I just adopted a 10 month buck (Dougle) who during intros had a few aggressive fights with a male buck 2 yo (Cook). No fights now, piling, just power grooming by Dougal etc. I was told Dougal was well handled buy he quite skittish and curious around me. He initially nipped, I'd eep and he'd then groom. Day 2 he nipped and then completely latched onto my thumb. My confidence has definitely been knocked. Vets advised he definitely neutered and that Cook would also need neutered if Dougal was. Do you have any thoughts on this?
I have a biter. I don't know why he does it. Both of my boys were feeder rats and I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it. He gets excited to see me. And runs to me when he sees me but if my hand gets near him he bites it. I'm getting too anxious to try and pet him now.
Thank you so much for this! This explains so much about my girl Ruth, so I'm hoping this will help me learn how to help her better. One question- how do I tell the difference in body language between a rat that's biting because she's scared, and a rat that's biting to test like Eddie? (and would that change the advice about how to work with the rat?) I'm pretty sure Ruth is testing and not nervous because she'll happily climb all over me during free play, but then she'll come up and sniff my neck or chin or toe for a few minutes and then nip out of nowhere. But she is also quite timid and doesn't much like being handled.
A rat whose afraid will often get themselves cornered looking very tense then lash out or run at someone to drive them off then leg it again. There’s a degree of nerves in Eddie’s behaviour too, you can see how she hangs back a little before testing me rather than confidently trotting over and nipping without reaction. I should say as a bit of inspiration, Eddie is doing amazingly now. I’ve had to rehome her to a trusted friend as my group didn’t suit her (too boisterous babies lol) but she went in licking straight away and whilst she was a little nervous with the change she’s already showing the sweetheart she is. No return to nipping despite a very good excuse
@@IsamuRatCare thank you so much! I'm really glad to know it's worked well for Eddie, and gives me some hope for poor little Ruth, who is really having a hard time getting comfortable (poor girl is stuck with a first time owner and I'm learning as I go, so I'm sure I could be doing better for her). Thank you for all your helpful videos- my rats and I are all so much happier because of it!
Thank you for this! I have a young buck who I adopted but I believe he was originally from p@h so I was expecting difficulties and he is a fear biter. I’ve had him for nearly 3 months now and originally tried the patience method but was getting nowhere so tried the confidence method, which I started about six weeks ago..he stopped biting for a few weeks but now he has started again and he really goes for it every time. It is definitely fear and it breaks my heart as he is the only rat in my group who’s not interested in interaction. Is there anything else I can try or is it a case of time and consistency? Thanks so much
This is not unusual ( rats often will either only bite in or out if the cage depending on there drivers). In your girls case she is likely being protective of her space. This is something you can work with but it does take time, and a lot of sitting with your arm in the cage without approaching her
Hiya, I was reading about someone who’s rats had cannibalised and dismemberd a dead cage mate, I didn’t know this when getting into rats and the idea horrifies me. With my mice generally They have been put to sleep before it gets too unbearable and the two times mice have died in the enclosure the others left them be. How common is it with rats and is it as disturbing to find as it sounds? I’m not at all squeamish generally, offer quite the opposite but perhaps not when it comes to my beloved animals.
It happens but isn’t that common. To put it in perspective I’ve never actually had it in my group however I have found one of my friends rat’s that has been canabalised (thankful I found her not my friend). However it can become common in a particular group as an almost learned behaviour so that repeatable do it.
I have a very aggressive rat who has drawn blood and tries to bite me very painfully most times I interact with the cage. Her previous owners took her from pets at home and she had been left completely on her own for the first two months of her life with absolutely no socialisation so biting was the only way she knew how to deal with humans. Ive had her for a year now, and while there has been some improvement and she doesn't immediately go for me, she will still try it now and then and if I try to pick her up to show her the tactic isn't working, she'll bite harder! I have a few scars because of this one rat. I love her dearly and she gets on really well with all my other girls. Is it worth trying these tactics with her, even though I've had her quite a while? The advice I had previously was quite different to the advice here and hadn't worked and so I was just sort of leaving her to her own devices and if she wants to interact with me she can.
The ones she was giving me were minor nips, you can get nasty bites from pet rats though, thankfully rare from a well bred rat, somewhat more common from rescues and those from poor backgrounds. It takesa but to get then into that state but they can do a fair amount of damage, it can involve steri strips and antibiotics
I’ve recently added 3 more rats to my 2 that I’ve originally had. I thought I would try getting rats from a breeder as I’ve never done that before. The guy I got them off was extremely nice he had rabbits and snakes and I even got to meet his snakes and rabbits before I left. I got two and named them Loki and piggy as he was quite chubby and he was the biggest one there. I found out that Loki was a girl and contacted the guy. He said I could swap them so I went back and exchanged them but I took the smallest two their names are now squishy and Wilbur, Wilbur is his temporary name. Wilbur was extremely sweet and then as we were bonding he just bit me extremely hard on the finger he took a big chunk out. I was extremely concerned and watched my body language after that but then since I’ve bonded these rats with my original 2 rats they were fine at first for 2 months. I’ve started to notice small bites on my rat Dobby and I realised it was Wilbur. I separated them and now I have him in the cage they were in when they first were here along with squishy. He still bites extremely hard and I have tried everything possible. I will be getting him neutered as soon as I can but he is only 3 and a half months old so it’s a bit away. He is just so aggressive out and in the cage. Sorry this was long but I need to ask what I should do because I don’t want to give up on him but I’m on the verge of doing so.
Your story is like mine, 2 of my male rats like to bite me. When I first got them which was 16th of december they would just bite like a warning ... but one of them bit me super hard it went thru my finger nail and bled a small amount. its made me more afraid and I don't know what to do.. my other one does not bite me ( I have 3 rats ) which now I know was a bad idea because the 2 that bite seem to protect the one that doesnt from me and whenever they see me petting him they come for me. I also got them from a breeder he brought 8 over to my house and I had to pick which I wanted. He said he handled them each day, which was a lie .. signs simply show that they arnt used to attention. I put my hand near the open door they sniff me and run off, the white one (that doesnt bite) shows signs of excitement he bouncies around everywhere when i'm giving attention but he still doesnt want to be handled. I tried to hold him on my neck, and let him run around up there but he ran down my arm and jumped in his cage. I know its early days yet. I hope they start to like me but I feel like a failure owner already
@@lauralove00 Don’t feel like a failure, since I am still young and living with my father I knew there was something wrong medically. I made sure that they were getting everything they needed but I still thought something was wrong. My Father would not let me take them to the vet to get them checked out nor would my mother. I just now have the finances to take them to the vet so I did, I found out that they were perfectly healthy although their teeth were overgrown, they were in pain and at the time I found out I felt so down as I thought I just wasn’t doing enough for what they needed and it made me so depressed as I already felt like I wasn’t caring for them enough. I am so sorry for your rat biting through your finger and just about a week ago the same thing happened to me. The blood would not stop coming and I had to go to the hospital ending up having a surgery because my finger stopped moving and he had bit through so many tendons. I also found aggression against my other rats so I decided I would find the two rats a good home. Luckily I found a sweet older couple in just a few day who would take them (in their 60s) who have had rats for over 15 years they had everything I was wanting for them and therefore I thought it was the best option for the 2 rats. I was so upset to let them go but I just realised it was for the best. I was getting the one used to me just by putting a towel on my lap and nearly everyday I would put their food on my lap so they had to go onto me. He was getting better but then the aggression against my other 3 rats grew dramatically. There were actual fights and blood so I just thought it was too much. I hope you find a solution to your rats problems and you grow a bond. Have a great day!
@@aperson5311 Oh Gooosh that bite was sooo awful I'm so sorry you had to go through that. Hope your finger has recovered if not, fast recoveries. I've just came to an agreement with my mum that I can sell their current cage but first she's going to buy me a new cage one that's easier to maintain and clean out because the one they have right now is so so so difficult it makes me feel like giving up completely just because I can't reach down to the second level to clean out and my mum is causing me so much stress on top because of it. I have also decided to sell one of my rats since the new cage we'll buy won't be suitable for 3 rats. I hope that the new cage helps me bond with them, since they wont have much hiding places (only their tunnels and beds) of course I won't force them out, I will be able to sit on the floor with the door open and be same level as them unlike their huge 3 tier cage they have now. I'm feeling a lot better that my mum has agreed to buy a new cage for them. Hopefully this works out for me. And Good luck with your ratties too, hopefully no more bites for you and me
And advice for a truly cage aggressive rat? I'm at my wits end. You can't go into the cage to move things or wipe anything or else you will have a rat come running, lunge and attached to your hand. I have been avoiding the problem so far as I have no idea how to tackle it without getting mauled again. I still have a stubborn blood splash on the bathroom wall. If I were to pick Trudy up like you do in this video I expect I would lose a finger... She puffs up and gets so angry.
@@IsamuRatCare Getting her used to my hands being in the cage, enticing her with treats, and avoiding handling or grabbing her. After her quarantine I put her in with a group of foster girls that are older than her. She seems a lot more relaxed and doesn't try to isolate herself anymore like she did with her original group. She still bites me when I'm petting the other girls, but like you said it isn't meant to break skin, just her letting me know I make her uncomfortable when I'm in the cage. I think her being with this group of girls has really changed her personality a lot :)
That sounds like good progress. I would probably try calmly picking her up next time she approaches to bite, much like with Eddie this doesn’t need to be for more than a few seconds to just start to accustom her. I would also try some time out of the cage with her one on one just wandering around with her on you or in a pouch
Hi again! I was wondering whether you would be willing to touch on the subject of rats that are a little rougher than Eddie is. I've got a girl who, while I wouldn't call her aggressive, does tend to bite under certain circumstances. She is a very sweet girl, who is perfectly comfortable being handled during free roam and almost all of the time while in the cage. However, sometimes she gets frightened easily. She goes from the calmest, sweetest girl to jumping at every noise and fast movement, especially when having first woken up. I want to be clear that I have no fear at all the she will bite me if I go in to scoop her up or pet her if she is awake and moving around. Even when her anxiety seems to be ratcheted up, she still never bites EXCEPT when she is sleeping and something sneaks up on her and "startles" her awake. She has unfortunately drawn blood (always a scrape more than a true puncture, but still not good) on human hands as well as once when her blind cagemate stumbled upon her sleeping place by accident and stepped on her. She has always been anxious, one of those rats that doesn't do well on vet trips or during quarantine/hospital care. We are concerned that this biting behavior may be an issue that is getting worse, as she has a problem in her tail (possible infection?)l that causes her pain and the biting and moodiness seemed to increase with the tail wound. We are working with a vet and attempting to nail down the cause and treat it but suspect that it may need amputating, as the infection seems to travel. As soon as we get one spot healed another pops up. She is receiving pain medication. We suspect that her biting behavior is a mixture of the "fear" of something attacking her in her sleep mixed with the stress that she is under from her tail wound. Is there anything that you could suggest to help with the biting issue? Or do you think that her anxiety is something that is preventing her from having a good quality of life? I would also like to add that she is not at all aggressive with the other rats, or with us under any other circumstances, and while she mostly seems happy to have her own space, she gets along with and sleeps with all of the other girls without a problem. This only happens when she sleeps alone. Finally, I want to add that immediately after she bites, she always seems remorseful, sweetly coming out of her bed and "checking on us", almost as if to apologize, making sad eyes at us until we pick her up and love on her to let her know she is okay. It's very sad for us because she is so very good and sweet 98% of the time, we have just had to be careful not to touch her while she is sleepy. I apologize for the giant post, and thank you in advance for any advice that you can offer. We aren't sure what to do for her.
What’s her hearing like? I wonder if she’s deaf or hard of hearing. I will say that i wouldn’t be harsh in my opinion of a rat that bit when surprised or startled in a cage (eg woken up from a deep sleep), it’s not desirable (and you wouldn’t breed from them) but it’s something that you can work up methods of making them more comfortable eg making sure they know your coming, making plenty of noise and if they are deaf maybe shaking the hammock gently or tapping the ground beat them. The fact she shows remorse shows that it’s not an aggressive bite just a poor reaction to being startled when sleeping alone I do think the tail pain is something that needs tackling, they can sprain the base of the tail and that is very painful. I do wonder though if there’s something spinal going on causing the pain lower down, or even neurological. Could be worth stopping the anti inflammatories and moving to say tramadol, then 24-48h later seeing if steroids alongside the pain killer give a stronger response (they are more potent anti inflammatories than NSAIDs like metacam).
@@IsamuRatCare I'm not certain, but I don't believe she is deaf, as she reacts quite strongly to sudden noises like crackling bags or objects hitting the ground. My girl's biting is definitely not desirable, but I don't blame her for her behavior, I believe that she is just naturally very anxious, and it seems the most so when awakened suddenly. We have created a hard rule of NO touching Bear while she is sleeping, and no sudden movements toward her. Generally we wake her up by talking as we approach the cage, then getting the other girls' attention, maybe feeding a bite of food to the others to make her curious and want to climb out on her own. This usually works and as long as nothing frightens her in the first few moments awake, she opens up quite quickly. I definitely don't consider her to be aggressive. We don't believe that her tail is presenting as a sprain, it continues to have open wounds, seemingly out of nowhere. As soon as one closes up and scars another "blister" looking mound appears and ruptures over the course of a couple of days and then remains an open wound for a couple of weeks. We worry that it may be a bone or muscle infection or cancer, and may travel up her tail to her spine and infect her body, so we are considering amputating about half of her tail. I worry, of course, how this will affect an already skittish and anxious girl who doesn't do well during vet trips or in a hospital cage separated from her family during surgery recovery (she has previously had a tumor removed and chewed through TWO plastic cages. I found her curled up underneath her sisters' cage, as if she was wishing she could come home). I will speak to her vet about the course of medication you recommended. Thank you for your advice, I get so much from each of your videos!
I would probably consider amputation but perhaps first get a sample from one of the lesions sent off for testing. It vaguely reminds me of a friend that had rat pox in her group though I really hope it’s not that
I have 3 males that are about 7 months old that I got from a breeder about 2 months ago they had to be rehomed from their original owner. One of my boys has started biting really hard within the last week when he is out of the cage. How can I tell if it is hormonal aggression or something else. the vets where I live charge over $300 for neutering and it is also not a procedure they regularly do so I am hoping to avoid that. I have been working on bonding with him more and positive reinforcement but he got me really bad last night during free roam before going back in his cage. Do you have any tips on how I can deal with this? They are my first rats and I am a little nervous now to handle them and play with them because I feel bad keeping him out of playtime but he makes me nervous now after leaving some big bite marks in my hands on multiple occasions.
At 7 months it is quite likely that there’s hormonal involvement I’m afraid, it’s classic age. Would your vets consider a hormonal implant? (Suprelorin dog sized implant)
@@IsamuRatCare I don't think so I live on a small island with not many exotic vet options. I have made some changes to how I deal with the particular rat (avoiding handling at all costs and not playing with him with my hands) and that has been helpful so far the last couple of day i am hopeful that is going to help and i know how to pick him up in emergency without getting bitten thanks to your videos! Just very sad that he might not get to be as happy as the other two boys i have. Thankfully he has not been bothersome to his cage mate as of yet, but if he starts to harm them i might have to get him done :(
How do you deal with a rat that’s going out of its way to bite and break the skin? One of ours started doing this the day before yesterday and we have no clue what to do :/
@@IsamuRatCare it’s a doe and she generally bites once I put my hand in the cage be it to change the food bowl or to socialise, if she’s in a hideaway I won’t go anywhere near it but when I’m not looking she’ll lunge
She sounds very cage defensive/terratorial. I would typically approach this by removing places she can get cornered in like igloos and then spending time in the cage. If she approaches to bite then move quickly and pick her up and say a calm no like I did with Eddie, but also try and back it up by giving her a treat or even just ignoring her when she doesn’t go for you. You may want gloves to help with this. How old OSS she and has this recently changed?
@@IsamuRatCare I tried this today and she kept trying to lunge but would brux in the corner before doing so. She is 8-9 weeks old and only has started doing it recently after I tried the method where I took her out fast to pet her and give her treats. Since then the sight of hands makes her aggressive. With baby food and treats she won’t bite seemingly if I have treats on my hand. I put a spoon in the cake and she won’t go for it but if anyone is near the cage itself she lets us know not to go near her. I put my finger in the cage to open the door and she chomped through my finger and nearly bit through my nail. The pain was real haha
I love the transition from “I have a bit of a soft spot for her” to “I’m keeping her” 😂 great video as always and really helpful, thank you!
lol yes these things do happen
This is a really gentle and kind way of teaching them not to bite. I have two girls who are showing similar behaviours and I can’t wait to work with them. Thank you for the tips!
Thank-You SOOO Much!
Firstly, Love the haircut! Looks great.
I've struggled with one of my girls for a while, and you've inspired me to keep trying and work with her. I will get her to a Vet, as I think she needs to be spayed. (She has some dominance aggression, and I think that could help. She's also a bit too aggressive with the other girls, when they're in heat.)
But I will not fear being bitten again, and keep working with her. Currently I just avoid having my fingers near her mouth, but that means no kisses either.
If there is food, she never bites, it is only when my hand is in the cage, or she's in a hide-out.
Your reminder that all rats are indivudals is another thing I needed to hear, we can not make them who we want, we must respect them as they are, and work from that place.
None of my Girls really like to be held, they are sweet, but not overly cuddly, but I don't have any good role-models for them to look up to. I got them all as rescues, and due to the pandemic, was not able to meet them prior.
Anyway, I really appreciate the time and effort you've put into this video, and I thank you!
Thank you, best of luck with your girls
I noticed Eddie on the last video and wondered who she was. I've just lost a dear friend who was called Eddie. I'm glad you're keeping her so we can watch her grow ❤
She’s a special lady so I feel very lucky to have her in my life
Love this. I take rescues in and biting is something that people are scared of. It's such a reward when you watch the change take place x
Thank you for so much useful info in this and other videos!
The timing of this video couldn't have been better, thank you! One of the four baby girls I adopted two weeks ago tends to bite when she's behind cover (probably trying to quickly grab my presumably edible finger and get back to safety, because she does the same with food on a spoon) and I'm pretty sure it's a confidence issue. She isn't actively scared of me, she _is_ curious, just also the most cautious of the bunch. She's definitely benefitting from her more confident sisters though.
Guess I'll have to learn not to be scared of getting bitten (although she does break the skin when she nips) and try to get used to picking them up - so far we've only done in-cage bonding because these girls are slippery and I don't want to freak them out by grabbing them, and they're curious enough to seek me out themselves when I bring food. But in a way this'll be a confidence exercise for me too 😅
Best of luck with her, definitely worth persevering, if your finding the fear of being bitten is putting you off you can wear gloves, just go for something fairly thin as whilst they won’t turn a determined bite they will blunt a quick nip and you have much better ability to handle and interact than a big cumbersome glove
@@IsamuRatCare thank you for the tip, I've been handling this week in leather gloves and it's giving me the confidence boost so that if they do nip I won't flinch and give them more power to continue 🐾
That little clip at the very end. Soooo sweet.
She is fast turning into my most licky rat, it’s like a switch has flipped and she’s like “oooo I can lick rather than bite and that is good”
Hi Isamu, Rat Daddy here... good to finally see you. I liked the video and you are still doing great work. We just spent almost 3 years with a hormonal psycho boy, of course I fixed his human biting problem on the spot, but sadly he randomly murdered his roommate and was never safe to keep with other rats. On the up side, he did bond with my daughter as best as he could given his mental issues and he became a rather good house rat. He didn't do any damage, used his cage as a bathroom and pretty much kept to himself when he wasn't hanging out with my daughter.
As for me... I saw him once in every blue moon... literally. "Sadly" he passed away and we have two "normal" new little boys again.
Tag me back and we can catch up perhaps on discord. So many rats, so many stories and so few people who really get it. Again great to see you still around!
im a new breeder and have you to thank :)
am about to take two girls a client of mine got from pets at home, she is only young and bought them without realizing they would be different from the two she got from me. they bite so ive told her to give them to me and i will swap them for two of mine that have been raised correctly, now im here learning from who i consider the best on youtube so wish me luck!!!
Is Eddie a blue hoodie? That's my favorite color.
Thank you so much for this video and those about socialising rats ! I'm currently working with two bucks of my rescue and your advices help a lot. One had to be spayed, he clearly showed hormonal problems and kept on attacking his cage mate. I'm waiting for his hormones to fully settle down and leaving him be for the moment. The other one, Jack, was terrified of hands (but elbows are OK). I'm currently introducing him to one of my boys, turn out one is great with scared rats and I'm already seeing progress (and they're not fully living together yet...). I would never have guessed the importance of a role model rat without you so thanks a lot !
I wish the best for your two rescues,
I hope my english isn't too bad, if so, sorry >
I am so happy they’ve helped and that you are giving these guys such a great chance
one of my new girls has started biting in the last week and I'm pretty certain it is exactly the same situation as Eddy as she is definitely at the bottom of the ranking alongside one of my other girls and I've noticed when she wins a scuffle with the other she's more tolerating of me! This video has been so helpful and I'm actually looking forward to the morning even knowing I'll get bitten as I know how to handle it! Thank you!
Thank you for this video. My boy is in the vets tomorrow for his neturing... The hormal aggression is still an issue, so I'll try to keep your advice in mind x
It can take 6-8 weeks for hormones to fully settle down so don’t worry if it takes time
Just thought I'd let you know surgery has gone well for him... He's still hissing at his brother a little but hoping this will die down. Would you suggest trying to reintroduce them over a few days (bearing in mind he did take a chunk out of his brother before we separated them). I'm concerned if this doesn't work I'll have to try and find 2 rescue females for both of them x
I’m really glad it went so well. I would probably try them together at around 5 days post op and do a carrier method style intro, just so they both have company. If they won’t settle then you will need to leave him until 4 weeks post op and try again, then maybe 8 weeks post op (it can take a while for hormones to settle). If your other lad is alone then if it’s that long I would be looking for alternative company for him
Thank you so much, will try them tonight and see how we go
Po is the cutest!
We have taken on an 18 week old Albino . His bitten and drawn blood 4 times. His very cage aggressive but calm out of the cage.
Bless them. I had a gerbil once that was proper aggressive biting. He would make a b line straight from one side of the cage and grab my finger hard. I got him to stop by just letting him keep on trying it. It was always when I was changing his food over for fresh. He ended up very friendly, it just suddenly happened one day when I put my hand in and he just stopped doing it
Forgot to mention. He was a white pink eyed gerbil. When he was aggressive we named him sid viscious after a devil. but when he became tame we named him Casper after the friendly ghost
Aww that’s really sweet
@@IsamuRatCare ruclips.net/video/Fv7599fWLJM/видео.html
Heres a pretty old video of one of my first gerbils, his bro died of a scent gland tumour but this lad carried on to age 5!. They were ex clasrrom gerbils that had been badly neglected. This lad was named nutboy and he was really tame. They are normally more of an observational pet to watch burrow and make networks of tunnels
I think I'm having the same trouble as you had with Eddy. I have 2 rats (Attila and Breda). Attila bites without puffing up, she just comes over and straight up bites me. I'm planning to do what you're doing but with gloves since I'm pretty particular about my hands. Whenever she bites do I just attempt to grab her? I got them from petco and they havent been socialized at all and this is my first time having pet rats. They are also the albino rats with red eyes. Thank you for this insightful video
Do you have any videos/advice about how to deal with fear biting?
I have 4 very nervous rats. One of them bites me when I start rummaging around the cage as she goes into the “scared mode” when she just freezes and pounces on my hand when she has an opportunity.
Would you recommend putting all four of them into a tiny cage like what you have in the video and holding them there until they get used to handling. Or would it be better to have them all in a decently sized 4 rat cage with no places to hide?
Currently they are living in a big enclosure, so it’s quite easy for them to avoid contact with me (which they do).
Thank you, such a helpful video on such an important topic (esp for new rat owners, very through and informative!!)--
❤️🐀: Lol-- .."she's being a bit of an a$$hole..." (I laugh with you, not at you...), Thanks again for your help and expertise in all your videos 👍❤️🐀😉💯
So, I have three boys, from a breeder, quite a reputable one. They're quite eager to see us, but I did receive a test nip through the carrier holes, on the way back home.
They're, as their breeder says, affectionate, and people-oriented, though I do worry about possible defensive nips, or test nips that are too eager. It's been less than twenty-four hours, though. Any advice?
Thank you for this video. It's nearly a month since I brought my 3 boys home and they still don't want much to do with me which is disheartening. They'll take yoghurt or chicken bones from my hand but other than that they wait me out at food time and I have to do something else. They're not very food motivated.
One of them is bolder than the other, but not enough to draw them out. One is nippy.
They have and use a wheel which is great.
They're in a furet xl but I think I need a smaller cage to get used to me faster.
They're from a hobby breeder but they're not as tame or socialised as I was expecting. I'll be patient and persevere though!
Thanks for all of your guidance 🧡
@Anne MacLeod thank you so much for your kind post. I do feel at this rate a pet shop rat couldn't be more anxious than these 3. They huddle together as far away from me as they can get but do have a nose at me on the bars.
Hopefully I won't need to add to my group for a while but the choice will be more discerning I think. With social distancing it was hard to see how shy they were. They were well looked after, just massively timid.
But they're mine now. Never rehomed a creature and I won't start now. They'll have a good loving home whether they like me or not!
Thank you again for the realistic potential timeline. I'll be patient, just wasn't expecting it would take this long.
Take care 🧡
@Anne MacLeod thanks again, I feel so much better about how long it might take now. I was hoping the most confident one would entice the others but they're all largely petrified bless them.
Indeed, I have considered adding more rats with more confidence! It's only been a month though so I'll not alter their world more for now.
Yes I can't wait for them to be happy to see me, instead of bailing as I get close.
Take care.🙂
Anne has converted things really well, but if you’ve not seen them already it’s worth watching the socialisation playlist, I go into a lot more depth with tips and things to try with the rats which may help a lot. I normally find if I work at it regularly I can get through to most rats in a few weeks, some do take longer and I do have a lot of practice now but I find actively taking the initiative with them works better than waiting for them to get over the fear. I do believe you will get there.
If you do have the opportunity to take on a couple really well socialised babies from a good breeder or similar then that will help a lot but this isn’t always practical
@@IsamuRatCare thank you, yes I have watched the socialisation video. That's why I might get a smaller cage for a bit from your suggestion. I like them having their wheel at night though. I might be more pushy with them in their carrier and see how I get on. Take care.
@Anne MacLeod thank you again for bolstering my confidence. When I got back from work I decided I'd just be bold and go for it. I scooped up Maurice (they're named for the bee gees and he's the sweetest!) he's the bravest, and held him for a few minutes. He pooped himself poor lad but didn't struggle much. Then when I put him back in, he walked up to the open door, which he doesn't do. So definitely a step forward! 🧡
How would you handle a rat that is scared? I recently adopted a girl who is skittish. I don't force her to interact with me but earlier I put my finger out, away from her, and she came over, bit, then ran. There was a bit of blood. I want the best for this little one. She is not fixed, about 5 months old now? I've only had her one night, so obviously she hasn't settled in either. She is a rescue too.
When I put my hand in the cage it’s always the same rat that comes up to my hand to bite me and go away and she once made me bleed now I’m scared of that rat idk
Is that a fig box in the larger cage? How did you get it to stay up there or where did you get it from please? It's great to see the progress you have made. The girls have really come out of themselves and look happy too. Thankyou. I love rats and really appreciate anyone willing to give them the time and love. You get kisses too 🥰
Dig
I have a large digging base (about 45cm deep) and some perspex litter trays higher up (that you can see with shavings in). These I got the Perspex/plexiglass cut to size and taped together. If you have a look at this video it shows you how to measure up ruclips.net/video/HnlXxd9Snp8/видео.html
Aww Eddie and Po are adorable. My 2 girls are exactly the same. The one is like Po. Loves people and food oriented. The other is exactly like Eddie. I've had her for 4 months and had her since a baby. Handled her every day and still she is like Eddie. She'll come to me and take food from me, if definitely more confident with another rat but at this point is it worth stressing her? Or just accept that she won't be a 'people' rat
I think of you can safely pick her up if needed and she’s hay and relaxed around you on her terms then that’s fine for me.
@@IsamuRatCare yes she's fine for quick look over and climbing on me on her own terms but it seems the more I'm trying to make her a people rat the further I'm pushing her away! All my rats have doted on people so having one that doesn't is a strange feeling. Like have I done enough to make her feel safe? Have I done something that brought this on? But if it's just her disposition then it's fine with me.
It sounds very much like this is just her personality, I would definitely stop beating yourself up and enjoy the relationship you have on her terms and see how she does
I forgot to add that because she's an anxious alpha, she tends to want to over compensate with establishing her dominance where it turned into a tumble scuffle with my old girl
Great video, 2 of our baby girls have started biting 😂 but they are not aggressive. I'll try these techniques. I did (and sorry) but I slapped (more of a tap), one of my others lightly once and she never did it again. But I prefer these suggestions 😁 I also had a male tat who was very aggressive so I had to pin him down a fee times like rats do. To show I am the alpha. I didn't like doing that but it worked. Teddy loves me now 🤣😀
Wdym pin him down Bru
them two black ones look great
Any advice for a rat that seems to flip personality wise? Most of the time he's is cuddly, shy, and just wants some treats. But sometimes for no apparent reason he'll get tense and bite hard (has happened twice) and won't let go. He goes from extremely sweet to extremely aggressive and I can't tell why. He is kind to his brother, except when he's in that tense mode and if his brother tries to play he'll freak out and pin him down (no biting).
Is he neutered at all
I can't afford another cage and my buck is not giving me a chance 🥺 his name is rerun I'm seriously thinking about finding him a new home and just getting another kitten the same size as my kitten Cupid
step one: give them a cage bigger then a small hamster cage, not even big enough for a hamster bro
Bless them. Could you do a video on rat “dieting”? 3 of the rats I’ve recently taken on are rather plump, I’m trying my best to get their weight down but would love a video with your thoughts on how to do it x
I will add it to the list, it’ll be good to do it next time I have one that needs dieting a fair bit which to be fair might be Twizzel as she’s a bit chubby lol
@@IsamuRatCare lol! The others I have are decent weights for their size not too small not too big but if they got poorly they have a tiny bit a safety fat, but these 3 are “the size of dinner plates” as my mum so kindly put it🤣 im honestly not even sure how you make rats this fat - one has bingo wings! I’m currently just trying to make the cage layout so she HAS to jump up and around if she wants to get to her nice hammocks and things, as I scatter feed I’m not sure how I would even stop the fat 3 from eating lots? Never had to deal with this until now 🤣
How much do you feed and how many times a day, plus any extras like veg, wet meals etc
Do you have any advice for rats who bite every single time we put our hand in the cage and break the skin and draw blood every time? Mine is full on aggressive but I’m not sure if it’s hormonal aggression as he doesn’t hurt the other rats, only people. He’s impossible to avoid too, as soon as he detects us nearby, he’s at our hand chomping it 2 seconds later before we get a chance to react and he’s not scared at all, does it very confidently.
My rats get scared when im near them and its been a year since i got them also im just scared if they try to bite me
one of my girls is skittish but will come up to me for food. but she's been trying to grab my hand and has drawn blood a few times. i tried some other things but they haven't worked. she only tries to grab my fingers tho normally the kuckles. i don't think it's aggressive but i'm not entirely sure
I have two young boys, 16-18 weeks old. At first they were extremely timid and skittish but they've started to bite and break the skin. I don't think they're old enough for it to be hormonal and people who breed rats have told me it is genetic aggression. They said that they're aggressive which doesn't have many options other than rehoming or euthanasia. I don't know what to do since these are my first pet rats.
Personally I would castrate if you have a good vet who knows what they are doing, I have seen hormonal aggression start as young as 3 months in a particularly well developed rescue lad. Whilst castration may not fully resolve behavioural issues it helps remove one of the motivators to be an arse giving you more room to work with them in terms of handling and such. I know in some circles though it’s the preference to put rats down without putting any work/handling into things. I tend to get pretty good results from handling them appropriately and neutering if i think it would help
Thank you for this ~! Your videos have been enormously helpful to me so far.
I have recently taken in three young ladies (about 9 weeks old now). And they are all very frightened of people. It's taken me a little over a week to get them brave enough to (very nervously) sniff my hand and lick food from a spoon. However, with their slow growing confidence has come biting. We've had one very nasty bite, and quite a few dominating nips. They're a bit too quick for me to catch in the heat of the moment, but I'm trying to let them know that this behaviour is still not on (not retreating from the cage when they do it, giving a firm no).
They are still wonderfully energetic and curious, but I don't think they've ever had a positive experience with a human before coming to me.
Do you have any advice for taming/ socialising potentially traumatised rats? I would love to start freeroaming them soon so that they can get out of the cage and burn off some energy, but I wouldn't feel confident doing that as things stand right now.
I have the same situation… it’s really not easy make progress, I had them for four to five months now and they still cannot be handled, only be touched very carefully in the cage.
@@charlygestern6556 it's pretty rough, isn't it? 😅 I've had my girls for a month now, and they are still very suspicious and do not want to be touched. My currant approach is to stroke them with a soft paint brush (which is not always successful, but when they're in the right mood, it really relaxes them), and I'm also trying to encourage them to climb on me when they come out of the cage. It's a very slow, 2 steps forwards, 1 step back situation.
Are you able to free roam your rats atm? I hope things get better with them soon x
@@obsesivefunatica yes, I let them freeroam in my hallway/corridor (don’t know the correct english term),
I just put their cage inside of it and let them come out, they usually go back in themselves after an hour. They do clime on me, and I’m trying to lead them onto my hand with some treats. I think it’s getting better but I‘m really worried because it’s always hard to get them in the carrier to go to the vet, and one of them has a mamarry tumor surgery tomorrow… I took her to the vet two times this week and now she really hates going in the carrier. I think I have to grab her, today it actually worked because I did it quickly, and with one of the others too.
The pant brush Idea sound really good! I will try that with my girls. :3
@@charlygestern6556 Yours is a very similar free roam to us. At least you know that they're getting enough stimulation and active play! My girls put themselves back as well, it's so sweet ~
I really hope the surgery and recovery goes well for your little one!
I got two new girls yesterday from my local rescue and the one girl was fine while I was handling her at the foster but once we got home and sort of set them up in a temporary cage, she became extremely fearful and would back away if I tried to hold her or even when I attempted to pet her. My mom has now been bitten twice but she is a little impatient when she deals with my anxious girl, her sister however is very calm and inquisitive and very similar to Po. I really want to help my anxious girl but she's an anxious alpha and is also very fearful of the idea of being held or handled and I'm also sort of mid way through introducing these new girls to my current old girl. Do you have any advice?
I'm getting 2 male rats this weekend I've been told they will bite through the bars and you can only pick them up if they let you........ Any advice please
I just adopted a 10 month buck (Dougle) who during intros had a few aggressive fights with a male buck 2 yo (Cook). No fights now, piling, just power grooming by Dougal etc.
I was told Dougal was well handled buy he quite skittish and curious around me. He initially nipped, I'd eep and he'd then groom. Day 2 he nipped and then completely latched onto my thumb.
My confidence has definitely been knocked. Vets advised he definitely neutered and that Cook would also need neutered if Dougal was.
Do you have any thoughts on this?
It sounds like Dougle might be better off castrated but you won’t need to get a cook done too. Especially at his age
I have a biter. I don't know why he does it. Both of my boys were feeder rats and I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it. He gets excited to see me. And runs to me when he sees me but if my hand gets near him he bites it. I'm getting too anxious to try and pet him now.
Is he neutered?
Thank you so much for this! This explains so much about my girl Ruth, so I'm hoping this will help me learn how to help her better. One question- how do I tell the difference in body language between a rat that's biting because she's scared, and a rat that's biting to test like Eddie? (and would that change the advice about how to work with the rat?) I'm pretty sure Ruth is testing and not nervous because she'll happily climb all over me during free play, but then she'll come up and sniff my neck or chin or toe for a few minutes and then nip out of nowhere. But she is also quite timid and doesn't much like being handled.
A rat whose afraid will often get themselves cornered looking very tense then lash out or run at someone to drive them off then leg it again. There’s a degree of nerves in Eddie’s behaviour too, you can see how she hangs back a little before testing me rather than confidently trotting over and nipping without reaction.
I should say as a bit of inspiration, Eddie is doing amazingly now. I’ve had to rehome her to a trusted friend as my group didn’t suit her (too boisterous babies lol) but she went in licking straight away and whilst she was a little nervous with the change she’s already showing the sweetheart she is. No return to nipping despite a very good excuse
@@IsamuRatCare thank you so much! I'm really glad to know it's worked well for Eddie, and gives me some hope for poor little Ruth, who is really having a hard time getting comfortable (poor girl is stuck with a first time owner and I'm learning as I go, so I'm sure I could be doing better for her). Thank you for all your helpful videos- my rats and I are all so much happier because of it!
Thank you for this! I have a young buck who I adopted but I believe he was originally from p@h so I was expecting difficulties and he is a fear biter. I’ve had him for nearly 3 months now and originally tried the patience method but was getting nowhere so tried the confidence method, which I started about six weeks ago..he stopped biting for a few weeks but now he has started again and he really goes for it every time. It is definitely fear and it breaks my heart as he is the only rat in my group who’s not interested in interaction. Is there anything else I can try or is it a case of time and consistency?
Thanks so much
So I should pick up my rat when he bites me?
My rat only bites when she’s in her cage. I don’t understand 🥺
This is not unusual ( rats often will either only bite in or out if the cage depending on there drivers). In your girls case she is likely being protective of her space. This is something you can work with but it does take time, and a lot of sitting with your arm in the cage without approaching her
Any videos on rats that charge and bite?
Hiya, I was reading about someone who’s rats had cannibalised and dismemberd a dead cage mate, I didn’t know this when getting into rats and the idea horrifies me. With my mice generally They have been put to sleep before it gets too unbearable and the two times mice have died in the enclosure the others left them be. How common is it with rats and is it as disturbing to find as it sounds? I’m not at all squeamish generally, offer quite the opposite but perhaps not when it comes to my beloved animals.
It happens but isn’t that common. To put it in perspective I’ve never actually had it in my group however I have found one of my friends rat’s that has been canabalised (thankful I found her not my friend). However it can become common in a particular group as an almost learned behaviour so that repeatable do it.
I have a very aggressive rat who has drawn blood and tries to bite me very painfully most times I interact with the cage. Her previous owners took her from pets at home and she had been left completely on her own for the first two months of her life with absolutely no socialisation so biting was the only way she knew how to deal with humans. Ive had her for a year now, and while there has been some improvement and she doesn't immediately go for me, she will still try it now and then and if I try to pick her up to show her the tactic isn't working, she'll bite harder! I have a few scars because of this one rat. I love her dearly and she gets on really well with all my other girls. Is it worth trying these tactics with her, even though I've had her quite a while? The advice I had previously was quite different to the advice here and hadn't worked and so I was just sort of leaving her to her own devices and if she wants to interact with me she can.
It is worth a try, you may also want to consider spaying s as it can tone down there behaviour somewhat too though not as effective as castration
@@IsamuRatCare Thank you. I’ll bring that up with my vet and hopefully that will help!
Are these bites as severe as a wild rat bite? I figure that domestic rats dont really bite as aggressive as wild Norway rats?
The ones she was giving me were minor nips, you can get nasty bites from pet rats though, thankfully rare from a well bred rat, somewhat more common from rescues and those from poor backgrounds. It takesa but to get then into that state but they can do a fair amount of damage, it can involve steri strips and antibiotics
I’ve recently added 3 more rats to my 2 that I’ve originally had. I thought I would try getting rats from a breeder as I’ve never done that before. The guy I got them off was extremely nice he had rabbits and snakes and I even got to meet his snakes and rabbits before I left. I got two and named them Loki and piggy as he was quite chubby and he was the biggest one there. I found out that Loki was a girl and contacted the guy. He said I could swap them so I went back and exchanged them but I took the smallest two their names are now squishy and Wilbur, Wilbur is his temporary name. Wilbur was extremely sweet and then as we were bonding he just bit me extremely hard on the finger he took a big chunk out. I was extremely concerned and watched my body language after that but then since I’ve bonded these rats with my original 2 rats they were fine at first for 2 months. I’ve started to notice small bites on my rat Dobby and I realised it was Wilbur. I separated them and now I have him in the cage they were in when they first were here along with squishy. He still bites extremely hard and I have tried everything possible. I will be getting him neutered as soon as I can but he is only 3 and a half months old so it’s a bit away. He is just so aggressive out and in the cage. Sorry this was long but I need to ask what I should do because I don’t want to give up on him but I’m on the verge of doing so.
Your story is like mine, 2 of my male rats like to bite me. When I first got them which was 16th of december they would just bite like a warning ... but one of them bit me super hard it went thru my finger nail and bled a small amount. its made me more afraid and I don't know what to do.. my other one does not bite me ( I have 3 rats ) which now I know was a bad idea because the 2 that bite seem to protect the one that doesnt from me and whenever they see me petting him they come for me. I also got them from a breeder he brought 8 over to my house and I had to pick which I wanted. He said he handled them each day, which was a lie .. signs simply show that they arnt used to attention. I put my hand near the open door they sniff me and run off, the white one (that doesnt bite) shows signs of excitement he bouncies around everywhere when i'm giving attention but he still doesnt want to be handled. I tried to hold him on my neck, and let him run around up there but he ran down my arm and jumped in his cage. I know its early days yet. I hope they start to like me but I feel like a failure owner already
@@lauralove00 Don’t feel like a failure, since I am still young and living with my father I knew there was something wrong medically. I made sure that they were getting everything they needed but I still thought something was wrong. My Father would not let me take them to the vet to get them checked out nor would my mother. I just now have the finances to take them to the vet so I did, I found out that they were perfectly healthy although their teeth were overgrown, they were in pain and at the time I found out I felt so down as I thought I just wasn’t doing enough for what they needed and it made me so depressed as I already felt like I wasn’t caring for them enough. I am so sorry for your rat biting through your finger and just about a week ago the same thing happened to me. The blood would not stop coming and I had to go to the hospital ending up having a surgery because my finger stopped moving and he had bit through so many tendons. I also found aggression against my other rats so I decided I would find the two rats a good home. Luckily I found a sweet older couple in just a few day who would take them (in their 60s) who have had rats for over 15 years they had everything I was wanting for them and therefore I thought it was the best option for the 2 rats. I was so upset to let them go but I just realised it was for the best. I was getting the one used to me just by putting a towel on my lap and nearly everyday I would put their food on my lap so they had to go onto me. He was getting better but then the aggression against my other 3 rats grew dramatically. There were actual fights and blood so I just thought it was too much. I hope you find a solution to your rats problems and you grow a bond. Have a great day!
@@aperson5311 Oh Gooosh that bite was sooo awful I'm so sorry you had to go through that. Hope your finger has recovered if not, fast recoveries. I've just came to an agreement with my mum that I can sell their current cage but first she's going to buy me a new cage one that's easier to maintain and clean out because the one they have right now is so so so difficult it makes me feel like giving up completely just because I can't reach down to the second level to clean out and my mum is causing me so much stress on top because of it. I have also decided to sell one of my rats since the new cage we'll buy won't be suitable for 3 rats. I hope that the new cage helps me bond with them, since they wont have much hiding places (only their tunnels and beds) of course I won't force them out, I will be able to sit on the floor with the door open and be same level as them unlike their huge 3 tier cage they have now. I'm feeling a lot better that my mum has agreed to buy a new cage for them. Hopefully this works out for me. And Good luck with your ratties too, hopefully no more bites for you and me
And advice for a truly cage aggressive rat? I'm at my wits end. You can't go into the cage to move things or wipe anything or else you will have a rat come running, lunge and attached to your hand. I have been avoiding the problem so far as I have no idea how to tackle it without getting mauled again. I still have a stubborn blood splash on the bathroom wall. If I were to pick Trudy up like you do in this video I expect I would lose a finger... She puffs up and gets so angry.
My buck is the same way idk what to do🤷🏼♀️
I have a young rescue girl who will come across the cage just to bite me if I do anything inside the cage. She is terrified of me.
What have you tried with her so far
@@IsamuRatCare Getting her used to my hands being in the cage, enticing her with treats, and avoiding handling or grabbing her. After her quarantine I put her in with a group of foster girls that are older than her. She seems a lot more relaxed and doesn't try to isolate herself anymore like she did with her original group. She still bites me when I'm petting the other girls, but like you said it isn't meant to break skin, just her letting me know I make her uncomfortable when I'm in the cage. I think her being with this group of girls has really changed her personality a lot :)
That sounds like good progress. I would probably try calmly picking her up next time she approaches to bite, much like with Eddie this doesn’t need to be for more than a few seconds to just start to accustom her. I would also try some time out of the cage with her one on one just wandering around with her on you or in a pouch
Hi again! I was wondering whether you would be willing to touch on the subject of rats that are a little rougher than Eddie is. I've got a girl who, while I wouldn't call her aggressive, does tend to bite under certain circumstances. She is a very sweet girl, who is perfectly comfortable being handled during free roam and almost all of the time while in the cage. However, sometimes she gets frightened easily. She goes from the calmest, sweetest girl to jumping at every noise and fast movement, especially when having first woken up. I want to be clear that I have no fear at all the she will bite me if I go in to scoop her up or pet her if she is awake and moving around. Even when her anxiety seems to be ratcheted up, she still never bites EXCEPT when she is sleeping and something sneaks up on her and "startles" her awake. She has unfortunately drawn blood (always a scrape more than a true puncture, but still not good) on human hands as well as once when her blind cagemate stumbled upon her sleeping place by accident and stepped on her. She has always been anxious, one of those rats that doesn't do well on vet trips or during quarantine/hospital care. We are concerned that this biting behavior may be an issue that is getting worse, as she has a problem in her tail (possible infection?)l that causes her pain and the biting and moodiness seemed to increase with the tail wound. We are working with a vet and attempting to nail down the cause and treat it but suspect that it may need amputating, as the infection seems to travel. As soon as we get one spot healed another pops up. She is receiving pain medication. We suspect that her biting behavior is a mixture of the "fear" of something attacking her in her sleep mixed with the stress that she is under from her tail wound. Is there anything that you could suggest to help with the biting issue? Or do you think that her anxiety is something that is preventing her from having a good quality of life? I would also like to add that she is not at all aggressive with the other rats, or with us under any other circumstances, and while she mostly seems happy to have her own space, she gets along with and sleeps with all of the other girls without a problem. This only happens when she sleeps alone. Finally, I want to add that immediately after she bites, she always seems remorseful, sweetly coming out of her bed and "checking on us", almost as if to apologize, making sad eyes at us until we pick her up and love on her to let her know she is okay. It's very sad for us because she is so very good and sweet 98% of the time, we have just had to be careful not to touch her while she is sleepy. I apologize for the giant post, and thank you in advance for any advice that you can offer. We aren't sure what to do for her.
What’s her hearing like? I wonder if she’s deaf or hard of hearing.
I will say that i wouldn’t be harsh in my opinion of a rat that bit when surprised or startled in a cage (eg woken up from a deep sleep), it’s not desirable (and you wouldn’t breed from them) but it’s something that you can work up methods of making them more comfortable eg making sure they know your coming, making plenty of noise and if they are deaf maybe shaking the hammock gently or tapping the ground beat them. The fact she shows remorse shows that it’s not an aggressive bite just a poor reaction to being startled when sleeping alone
I do think the tail pain is something that needs tackling, they can sprain the base of the tail and that is very painful. I do wonder though if there’s something spinal going on causing the pain lower down, or even neurological. Could be worth stopping the anti inflammatories and moving to say tramadol, then 24-48h later seeing if steroids alongside the pain killer give a stronger response (they are more potent anti inflammatories than NSAIDs like metacam).
@@IsamuRatCare I'm not certain, but I don't believe she is deaf, as she reacts quite strongly to sudden noises like crackling bags or objects hitting the ground. My girl's biting is definitely not desirable, but I don't blame her for her behavior, I believe that she is just naturally very anxious, and it seems the most so when awakened suddenly. We have created a hard rule of NO touching Bear while she is sleeping, and no sudden movements toward her. Generally we wake her up by talking as we approach the cage, then getting the other girls' attention, maybe feeding a bite of food to the others to make her curious and want to climb out on her own. This usually works and as long as nothing frightens her in the first few moments awake, she opens up quite quickly. I definitely don't consider her to be aggressive.
We don't believe that her tail is presenting as a sprain, it continues to have open wounds, seemingly out of nowhere. As soon as one closes up and scars another "blister" looking mound appears and ruptures over the course of a couple of days and then remains an open wound for a couple of weeks. We worry that it may be a bone or muscle infection or cancer, and may travel up her tail to her spine and infect her body, so we are considering amputating about half of her tail. I worry, of course, how this will affect an already skittish and anxious girl who doesn't do well during vet trips or in a hospital cage separated from her family during surgery recovery (she has previously had a tumor removed and chewed through TWO plastic cages. I found her curled up underneath her sisters' cage, as if she was wishing she could come home). I will speak to her vet about the course of medication you recommended. Thank you for your advice, I get so much from each of your videos!
I would probably consider amputation but perhaps first get a sample from one of the lesions sent off for testing. It vaguely reminds me of a friend that had rat pox in her group though I really hope it’s not that
@@IsamuRatCare thank you, I will ask our vet to do just that. And I'll research rat pox just in case.
I have 3 males that are about 7 months old that I got from a breeder about 2 months ago they had to be rehomed from their original owner. One of my boys has started biting really hard within the last week when he is out of the cage. How can I tell if it is hormonal aggression or something else. the vets where I live charge over $300 for neutering and it is also not a procedure they regularly do so I am hoping to avoid that. I have been working on bonding with him more and positive reinforcement but he got me really bad last night during free roam before going back in his cage.
Do you have any tips on how I can deal with this? They are my first rats and I am a little nervous now to handle them and play with them because I feel bad keeping him out of playtime but he makes me nervous now after leaving some big bite marks in my hands on multiple occasions.
At 7 months it is quite likely that there’s hormonal involvement I’m afraid, it’s classic age. Would your vets consider a hormonal implant? (Suprelorin dog sized implant)
@@IsamuRatCare I don't think so I live on a small island with not many exotic vet options. I have made some changes to how I deal with the particular rat (avoiding handling at all costs and not playing with him with my hands) and that has been helpful so far the last couple of day i am hopeful that is going to help and i know how to pick him up in emergency without getting bitten thanks to your videos! Just very sad that he might not get to be as happy as the other two boys i have. Thankfully he has not been bothersome to his cage mate as of yet, but if he starts to harm them i might have to get him done :(
How do you deal with a rat that’s going out of its way to bite and break the skin? One of ours started doing this the day before yesterday and we have no clue what to do :/
Is it a Buck or a doe and in what circumstances do they bite
@@IsamuRatCare it’s a doe and she generally bites once I put my hand in the cage be it to change the food bowl or to socialise, if she’s in a hideaway I won’t go anywhere near it but when I’m not looking she’ll lunge
She sounds very cage defensive/terratorial. I would typically approach this by removing places she can get cornered in like igloos and then spending time in the cage. If she approaches to bite then move quickly and pick her up and say a calm no like I did with Eddie, but also try and back it up by giving her a treat or even just ignoring her when she doesn’t go for you. You may want gloves to help with this.
How old OSS she and has this recently changed?
@@IsamuRatCare I tried this today and she kept trying to lunge but would brux in the corner before doing so.
She is 8-9 weeks old and only has started doing it recently after I tried the method where I took her out fast to pet her and give her treats. Since then the sight of hands makes her aggressive. With baby food and treats she won’t bite seemingly if I have treats on my hand. I put a spoon in the cake and she won’t go for it but if anyone is near the cage itself she lets us know not to go near her. I put my finger in the cage to open the door and she chomped through my finger and nearly bit through my nail. The pain was real haha