Do pet rats bite?

Question

Im pretty sure they do, but how do you know if they will bite or not when you're holding them?

Answer 1

In general they don't. Just like any other pet animal, if it wasn't socialized properly or abused the chances of bitting are greater.

Most pet rat "bites" are mistaken for a nibble or a warning bite. My girls will get your attention by nibbling on your fingers, which is rather light pressure but startling you just the same. You know when you have a true bite from a rat.

If the rat isn't properly socalized, there are techniques that can be used to get them use to you, all of which include wearing leather gloves for that just in case.

The only time my husband or I have ever been bitten was when we had a girl that broke her leg and was in severe pain. We've gotten many little nibbles, fingers smelled like food, just woke someone up, or they were trying to "pull" us in a cage.

Answer 2

Most pet rats dont bite, some babies do bite but thats usually because they are not handled properly when young but you can get them out of this quite easy. I have 13 rats and am a member of the Australian Rodent Fanciers Socitey Qld. I find that the only time rats will bite is when they are in their cage and this is usually because they are cage dominant or you may have something on your hand but this is easy fixed. I find its rare to get a rat that will bite you when its in your hand. I have never had this happen and have owned rats for over 8 years and have worked at the rspca handling rats so they can be sold. If you would like to ask me anymore questions check out my msn page http://groups.msn.com/RfsRats and if i cant answer your question i know lots of people who can.

Answer 3

Most rats will bite if provoked or seriously frightened. I define a 'bite' as a nip or attack that breaks skin and draws blood. The good news is that most won't make a habit out of it! Most rats will warn people if they don't like the handling. They nip and nibble, which people sometimes confuse with biting. I've had over 60 rats since 1998 and out of them only two bit on a chronic basis. Even then, the one I neutered wouldn't bite unless he was spooked. The second one only bites because he's super duper excited and in his glee he will grab too hard, especially if food is involved.

If a rat's fur is puffed out, there's a good chance they'll bite, especially if you're holding them. Same if you've got a band aid. For some weird reason rats are tempted to nip band aids and they can ding you pretty hard. You can prevent bites while holding you guy by making sure your hands aren't smelling of food or heavily scented soaps. Keep your fingers out of the guys' face and if you have to chase your rat around the cage more than three times and physical pain was involved, try again in a few minutes. if you must pick up your rat NOW and you don't want to be bitten, herd them into a box that you can pick up. If there's an emergency, I grab my rats by the base of the tail and slip a hand around the chest, keeping my fingers out of biting range. I do that by wrapping my fingers around the back of their head. Another good thing to avoid is reaching into a rat's hiding spot fingers first. Herd them out of their hiding spot with a pencil, or if it's an emergency, wear leather gloves. I've been dinged pretty hard by reaching in and grabbing a hiding rat who didn't want to come out. If they're cuddled up and you're holding them gently knock on the box they're in or shake them. That way they won't be suddenly frightened by your handling. There's four main reasons a rat will bite - Fear, food, aggression and pain. A sick rat will bite to prevent people from touching it due to injury or because it is not feeling well. A frightened rat bites to protect itself especially if aproached from above and fwhen it is hiding. Rats will grab things without making sure its food and tend to nip too hard in their excitement. As a result they bite your fingers. This is a good reason why we shouldn't feed our rats through the bars of the cage. It just makes a rat more nippy than we want!

I know when a rat is gonna bite in the cage if it faces me and looks at me at an angle. If I don't stop what I'm doing I know I will get bitten. When a rat like Bunker, my big male, is getting food I will protect my fingers or feed treats from a spoon. It's a matter of practice and experience. Biting eventually happens but you can keep problems down to a bare minimum by watching their body language. Absolutely never handle a rat approaching you from its side with its fur puffed up. That's the equivalent of the snarling dog and bites from an aggressive rat hurt like hades!

Answer 4

My pet rats don't bite me. Most rats don't bite people. Don't pick them up by the tail. Let them smell your hand. Then, they will know your smell as opposed to food smell. To pick them up put your hand under them. If a male rat starts getting agressive you can have him neutered. Usually you don't have to worry unless females are around and he wants to mate. They make great pets but don't mix males and females too many babies and hard to keep them separate.

Answer 5

from someone who has had many,,if they dont feel confidence coming from you they get agitated if you are holding them,,if you handle regularly they wont bite you at all,they are very intelligent creatures and if you play and talk to them they will respond much like a dog really.

Answer 6

They will just bite like any other pet. My aunt's hamsters sniff me then bite me like I am food.

Answer 7

Yes!! One about took the tip of my daughters finger off, she had to go to the ER...anyways we took care of that rat right away ...I will never suggest a rat as a pet for anyone!

Answer 8

you cant tell when a rat will bite a rat will only bite if it is provoked.

Answer 9

yes all rats bite

Answer 10

anything can bite if it wants to,