Tips for an aggressive rat

heya, I just rescued a neutered male. His owners contacted me when they realized they were out of options. They have a small child and was afraid that she would loose a finger.

This boy is 6 months old, he was also neutered about 2 weeks ago. He bites both in and outside of his cage. When he’s outside he’s not being provoked, he’s relaxed and then just bites.

I’m hoping his neuter will change him but as of now, he puffs up like mad when he sees me.

I have females so I’m hoping to house him with them eventually, I’m just not sure how aggressive he would be with them.

If anyone has any articles to link me to or advice I would love to hear it. I’m not used to males at all, I’ve only owned 2 years ago and they were cuddlers

It can take up to 4 weeks (or longer) for hormone levels to drop

Joinrats.com has suggestions

For now, don't rush things, give him space and talk to him a lot, he has been through a lot and it will take time for him to feel safe ...... soon he will start to feel better and start to associate you with good food etc

When he bites, does it draw blood?
If it doesn't he is nipping you, not biting
If you have done a quarantine, you can put his cage near the girls - far enough apart so there is no possible chance of physical contact, so he can hear and smell them

He's lucky he had someone to go too. I also recommend joinrats.com for trust training with the little guy. I'm sure with time, he'll be a happy guy with your girls.

As SQ said it can take some time for hormone levels to drop. My baby was quite a biter when I first got her but I have since managed to break her of it. In the meantime; if your cage has bars do not feed treats or stick your fingers through the bars, if it is an aquarium generally leaning over the top when you feed them feels threatening and your fingers smell like whatever treat you are giving them, so they associate you with violence and the smell of food. Crouch down so your face is level with theirs and use tongs to feed them treats, once they have calmed down a little you can begin feeding treats with your fingers. When bitten never jerk your hand back and scream, slowly remove it from the cage and admonish them in a quiet but firm voice. When taking them out of the cage it is comforting to hold them close to your heartbeat, as with human babies it reminds them of the womb. If nothing works it may be best to just leave him alone and he can acclimate on his own over time. And remember rats, along with most animals, can sense human emotion so when you are angry, scared, frustrated, or stressed they will mirror your emotions and can be volatile because of it. Always do your best to be calm around your rats. Good luck!