mean bitey boi?

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Ashlyn

New Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2019
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Location
Birmingham
In four month, Davos has bit me more than I thought would happen and it's always hard enough to draw blood.
I don't try to pick him up because he's still so jumpy. I was able to give him a treat out of my hand and he carefully takes it or licks the baby food, but on two occasions he's bit me really hard (as if I'm fighting him for the treat?). So I've tried giving treats at a distance via tweezers. The idea is to hover the treat over my leg so if he touches me, he can have the treat. He doesn't bite then. He's still fine with me in the play area, he'll sniff my legs and toes always curious. No bite. Recently I've made the play area higher so it's easier if I step back in with a stool so he'll stand on his hind legs very curiously to sniff my feet. Make me nervous, but he still doesn't bite. If my ankle accidentally brushes him, it scares him activating bitey mode. I'll try to pet him but he's still a little froggy.
At this point, it's gotten so exhausting and I feel like I'm failing. Busy season has hit at work so I'm dealing with staying later and more therefore play time/bonding is cut in half or the next day. He still can't get along with my other boys either so I still have to separate play time.
Is this grounds for neutering? I've read some posts here about it and wondering if there are more cons than pros.
 
I would probably consider getting him neutered. As one of the older members said a while ago, once the rat starts biting the human, it's time for a neuter. I've never neutered any of my rats, but just from general knowledge, neutering has the typical cons such as being painful for the male rats involved and does have its risks (such as the vet doing it incorrectly, which is why you need an experienced rat vet).

As for pros, I've heard that is lessens the development of buck grease, can remove the "aesthetic issues" as I once heard it (i.e. rat testicles, but I have to politely disagree), and can lessens hormonal aggression. Usually, when the rat is biting the person and absolutely refusing to get along with other rats, a neuter is in order. I don't typically like to put my animals through surgery unless it's necessary, but when the rat is biting me, doesn't want to be with other rats, etc. they need to be neutered.

Sure, it removes the chance of testicular cancer, but I haven't heard too much about that sort of cancer in rats. But I'm also not very experienced as say SQ, jorats, or lilspaz68. They can tell you whether or not it's a rare type of cancer.
 
Does he have any buddies in his cage? How does he do with them?
My own rules with rats is if they bite me or they bite their buddies, they get neutered. I feel it helps them a great deal to settle down and have a happier life. A jumpy, scary bitey rat can't be a happy rat.
 
I agree with Jorats. If he's got hormones surging through him, added onto a lot of fear and nerves, removing the hormones and angst with a neuter will make it easier to work with him. I assume he slashy bites rather than chomps and huffs and fur raised?
 
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