Biting! Ouch

So I love all of my babies but they are so bad when taking treats. They always go after it like I'll take it away. I always end up getting bitten(no blood, but they do tear up my skin a little), and I know it isn't on purpose. Kind of like when you give a dog a cookie and they snatch it greedily and sometimes your fingers go into their mouth? Is there any way to stop this? I make little peep noises to let them know it hurts me but I don't think it's helping. Any ideas? Only a few of them take it sweetly and gently. (and don't even get me started on them grabbing me through the bars! lol! They have never been fed through the bars by the way.)

P.S. I'm going through my first neuter with my 6 week old boy on Wednesday, please wish him luck! I'm so nervous eepwall:

Start by offering them soft foods, given in a spoon. When they try to bite, do a high pitch shriek when they lick, in a soft happy voice say something like either yes or lick or whatever is good for you. Keep doing this, eventually, they will learn to lick first. And only put a tiny bit of the soft wet treat in a spoon and do this several times a day.

The same thing that works for dogs and humans works for rats too. Picture someone holding something you want. As you reach out for it, they pull back. You think they are taking it away so you instinctively grab for it. Now picture the opposite: someone is holding something you want. As you reach out for it, they push it into your hands. You actually step back a little as you take it gently.
When you are giving any animal a treat, push it into their hands (face). NEVER pull back, even the slightest, as they are excellent at reading body language. If you are consistent with this, they will quickly learn they are getting the treat and will be less grabby. Now that won't stop them from trying to take it from each other!
Another exercise is to dip your fingers in something yummy and put them in the cage. The rats may try to grab your finger and run off with it, but after a few seconds they will figure out it is you and then start licking instead. This takes a bit of trust, but they are grabbing with their teeth, not biting. If they grab too hard, peep loudly. You want them to be startled. Do NOT pull your hand away. They need to figure it out and if you start removing the treat, then they will grab harder. I have never gotten injured doing this, but like I said, it takes some trust in your rats to let them grab your finger and start hauling. LOL
Any time you are holding a treat, the big thing is not to pull back. I may have a small piece of something tasty in my fingers and they have to figure out what is food and what is finger. As long as they are not worried you will take the treat away, they will figure it out without being rough.
Good luck!

Will do, thanks. Also, instead of starting a new thread, I'll just ask here. My vet does not give antibiotics after a neuter. Are those absolutely necessary? Or can Mink go without antibiotics?

My boys have never had prophylactic antibiotics. It's not necessary. Good surgical technique is more important.

Mine don't get any either from our vet.

Okay, heard very mixed reviews if they needed it or not. What bedding should I use while he heals? And when can he go back with his sissy? They want to be together so bad poor things.

Fleece is good because it won't stick to the incision like a paper product might.

I wait three weeks for the sperm to dissipate before spending any time with girls.

Will do then. Okay I guess he will have to wait then

I wait 2 weeks and I've been through dozens of neuters.

The vet told me 2 weeks too. Surgery went well today. He's sleeping off the anesthesia. I wasn't given any pain meds but I have infant motrin. After the surgery they gave him a shot of Butorphanol for pain. Will that be enough to keep him comfy?

Also he weighs 243 grams so what would the infant ibu dose be? Thanks

He will need something for pain when that wears off.

The vet is closed for the day now
what should I do? Is there something stronger on the market he can have?
Right now he seems fine and the surgery ended at 11:50 a.m. It's now 6:21 p.m.

I'm glad you got your dosing answer already. Lets get this boy on the road to recovery.

Yes please I've been stressed since this morning so I can't imagine how he feels! Next up is my older boy Meison. He's probably a little under a year old. But he's so hormonal he needs it bad. Can't leave the cage or be around other rats without puffing and scent marking everywhere. Poor dude. My vet only charges $123.50 for neuters, which I don't feel is that bad. The meds would probably be $20ish, but exams with meds are $60.(which I will be getting next time!)

jorats said:

I'm glad you got your dosing answer already. Lets get this boy on the road to recovery.

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I didn't see it but I take it it is already worked out?

I had started a thread in the ER, since this isn't for this section. Yes, we got it all figured out and now he is feeling good

Biting has pretty much stopped.
I'm assuming that everyone has one cage with their ratties but I have pairs that are working on being introduced. So pairs are in different cages. Well when I get one pair out for playtime the others start fighting with each other. I'm guessing jealousy? Because they're all cuddly with each other when I'm not in the room getting them out for playtime, lol. Silly bubs. I wish intros were going more smoothly so everyone could be together and I could invest in a DCN for them. Sigh... it is definitely a work in progress.. :flushed:

It's not jealousy but more the caged rats being able to hear and smell the other rats moving about and getting their out time so really it's like excited or stressed arousal like in dogs.

Oh, okay! Makes sense. Well if they could just get along they would all come out at once :sad-p: