jorats
Loving rats since 2002.
In all animals, you will find some that have become aggressive. This can be due to abuse, hormones, genetics, even fear.
But all is not lost if you happen to have an aggressive rat. First keep in mind they are animals and are not being mean by choice. It is an instinct to fight back if their senses are driving them to do so.
The first thing you should do with an aggressive rat is to have them neutered or spayed. Removing the hormonal drive can help and usually does help in almost all cases in regards to males. It has worked on females as well but not too often.
You will need to socialize the rat, teaching him how to become a rat. There are many ways to do this and many knowledgeable rat lovers have come up with their own way on how to deal with aggression and how they helped that rat overcome their issues.
This is Vanessaâs story:
Jasper was quarantined in my bedroom for two weeks, as far away as I could get him from the sounds and smells of the other rats. But he could hear and smell them for sure, they just weren't right in his face. For the first two days that he was home, I basically left him completely alone except to make sure that he had food and water. Every time I approached his cage, I was continuously speaking to him in a very calm and quiet voice.
After those two days were up, I started approaching his cage several times a day. Very quick visits, only about a minute long each. I would speak to him very softly, and continuously, mostly telling him he was a good boy, and a beautiful boy. I would approach his cage and give him a treat each time. Sometimes some cereal, but also store bought yoggies. I never, ever fed him through the bars, always through the top of the cage. I did that for several days, maybe six or seven times a day. I would always tell him that he was getting a treat, and just kept saying 'gently, gently' while I was bringing the treat to him. If he took it from me gently, he got another one, if he lunged and grabbed at it, then the visit was over and he would not get another one. I think he might have lunged at his treat maybe two or three times, but he caught on very quickly that if he was gentle, he would get two. Sometimes even three if he let me stroke him too.
After about a week of that, I began to try and touch him before giving him a treat, or while he was eating it. Again, this would happen between six and a dozen times a day. If he let me touch him, he got a second treat, and told what a good boy he was. If he looked as if he was going to lunge at me, I said 'no' sternly (but not loudly) and squeaked a couple of times. Plus, he didn't get a treat and I would just walk away from the cage immediately.
I also had him out freeranging, after the first couple of days, but would try not to touch him. I placed the cage on the bed, lifted the top up, and basically let him come out on his own. Once he was out for about an hour, I would put the gloves on and pick him up and place him in the cage. I would always try and approach him from the back end with the gloves, and scoop him up in the palms of my hands. I really think that those gloves contribute to freaking an already terrified rat out, so I tried to avoid him seeing them. He would scream bloody murder for a long time whenever I would pick him up. Never have I ever encountered that type of screaming before, and I have had some rats that hated being picked up and would squeak and squeal for a long time after living with me (they all eventually stop). Nothing compared to what Jasper did, I swear that if you heard him you would think I was killing him. It was awful. Plus, he was chattering at things constantly. His hammock, his food bowl, his veggies and stuff, his igloo. He was so terrified of everything, it made me cry.
I didn't rush it with the freerange, I would only have him out at first every couple of days, but I continued with our little visits every day.
Almost exactly two weeks to the day, after I brought him home, he was neutered. I continued doing the above for about two weeks after his neuter, except that I remember that shortly after his neuter I gave up the gloves. He wasn't lunging at them anymore when I picked him up, so I didn't use them. I let him recover for a few days after surgery in quarantine, but then had him out in the living room about a week after, a total of three weeks after he came home with me. There were no health concerns, he was as healthy as could be and been given the thumbs up by Dr. Munn, so I ended his quarantine at three weeks. I placed him in a section away from other rats, but he was in the same room.
Once he was moved out to the living room, he started freeranging in the common ratty area. I just started treating him like everyone else, and he never bit me again. I started with some forced socialization once he moved out to the living room as well. And true to what everyone says, he would calm down after the 17 minute mark. He would start grooming and falling to sleep in my arms.
When I moved him into the shelving unit with the other cages, I stopped the visits and the treats. I weaned him off, not just stopped cold turkey. Today, I can do anything I want with him, put my fingers through the bars and everything, and he has never given any indication that he is going to bite me. Never. Yes, he still hates being picked up and held in my arms, but he isn't terrified anymore or showing any signs of aggression. Sometimes, I will get the occasional squeak.
For the most part, I give credit to the neuter. Yes, I spent a lot of time with him doing the above, but I don't think that it would have worked as quickly, or maybe not at all, had I not neutered him.
Hope that helps!
I invite others to post their successful stories on aggressive rats.
But all is not lost if you happen to have an aggressive rat. First keep in mind they are animals and are not being mean by choice. It is an instinct to fight back if their senses are driving them to do so.
The first thing you should do with an aggressive rat is to have them neutered or spayed. Removing the hormonal drive can help and usually does help in almost all cases in regards to males. It has worked on females as well but not too often.
You will need to socialize the rat, teaching him how to become a rat. There are many ways to do this and many knowledgeable rat lovers have come up with their own way on how to deal with aggression and how they helped that rat overcome their issues.
This is Vanessaâs story:
Jasper was quarantined in my bedroom for two weeks, as far away as I could get him from the sounds and smells of the other rats. But he could hear and smell them for sure, they just weren't right in his face. For the first two days that he was home, I basically left him completely alone except to make sure that he had food and water. Every time I approached his cage, I was continuously speaking to him in a very calm and quiet voice.
After those two days were up, I started approaching his cage several times a day. Very quick visits, only about a minute long each. I would speak to him very softly, and continuously, mostly telling him he was a good boy, and a beautiful boy. I would approach his cage and give him a treat each time. Sometimes some cereal, but also store bought yoggies. I never, ever fed him through the bars, always through the top of the cage. I did that for several days, maybe six or seven times a day. I would always tell him that he was getting a treat, and just kept saying 'gently, gently' while I was bringing the treat to him. If he took it from me gently, he got another one, if he lunged and grabbed at it, then the visit was over and he would not get another one. I think he might have lunged at his treat maybe two or three times, but he caught on very quickly that if he was gentle, he would get two. Sometimes even three if he let me stroke him too.
After about a week of that, I began to try and touch him before giving him a treat, or while he was eating it. Again, this would happen between six and a dozen times a day. If he let me touch him, he got a second treat, and told what a good boy he was. If he looked as if he was going to lunge at me, I said 'no' sternly (but not loudly) and squeaked a couple of times. Plus, he didn't get a treat and I would just walk away from the cage immediately.
I also had him out freeranging, after the first couple of days, but would try not to touch him. I placed the cage on the bed, lifted the top up, and basically let him come out on his own. Once he was out for about an hour, I would put the gloves on and pick him up and place him in the cage. I would always try and approach him from the back end with the gloves, and scoop him up in the palms of my hands. I really think that those gloves contribute to freaking an already terrified rat out, so I tried to avoid him seeing them. He would scream bloody murder for a long time whenever I would pick him up. Never have I ever encountered that type of screaming before, and I have had some rats that hated being picked up and would squeak and squeal for a long time after living with me (they all eventually stop). Nothing compared to what Jasper did, I swear that if you heard him you would think I was killing him. It was awful. Plus, he was chattering at things constantly. His hammock, his food bowl, his veggies and stuff, his igloo. He was so terrified of everything, it made me cry.
I didn't rush it with the freerange, I would only have him out at first every couple of days, but I continued with our little visits every day.
Almost exactly two weeks to the day, after I brought him home, he was neutered. I continued doing the above for about two weeks after his neuter, except that I remember that shortly after his neuter I gave up the gloves. He wasn't lunging at them anymore when I picked him up, so I didn't use them. I let him recover for a few days after surgery in quarantine, but then had him out in the living room about a week after, a total of three weeks after he came home with me. There were no health concerns, he was as healthy as could be and been given the thumbs up by Dr. Munn, so I ended his quarantine at three weeks. I placed him in a section away from other rats, but he was in the same room.
Once he was moved out to the living room, he started freeranging in the common ratty area. I just started treating him like everyone else, and he never bit me again. I started with some forced socialization once he moved out to the living room as well. And true to what everyone says, he would calm down after the 17 minute mark. He would start grooming and falling to sleep in my arms.
When I moved him into the shelving unit with the other cages, I stopped the visits and the treats. I weaned him off, not just stopped cold turkey. Today, I can do anything I want with him, put my fingers through the bars and everything, and he has never given any indication that he is going to bite me. Never. Yes, he still hates being picked up and held in my arms, but he isn't terrified anymore or showing any signs of aggression. Sometimes, I will get the occasional squeak.
For the most part, I give credit to the neuter. Yes, I spent a lot of time with him doing the above, but I don't think that it would have worked as quickly, or maybe not at all, had I not neutered him.
Hope that helps!
I invite others to post their successful stories on aggressive rats.
