Adopted the one eyed boy (Christmas) - update

[SQ]

Christmas has been gradually becoming less aggressive since his neuter.
He seems happier, runs to the side of the cage to greet me, is interested in other rats and although he still bites me, he has stopped drawing blood and it is gradually improving.
Before his neuter, he chewed off one of his toes. Since his neuter his foot has healed and he hasn't lost anymore body parts.

The little bear, however, isn't quite so fortunate ....

 

[Joanne]

Well if there has to be one sacrifice, I think the bear is a good choice. LOL
Glad to hear he's slowly coming around!

 

[SQ]

..... bitten again ... finally stopped bleeding .....

 

[Tarah]

..... bitten again ... finally stopped bleeding .....

 

[mamarat]

Oh no! It took 3 months for Pinto to "change" after his neuter. Hope Christmas comes around soon.

 

[Godmother]

Oh no, I guess he will need a little more time. He's a tough case.

 

[Joanne]

I'm glad that you have taken him in and given him a chance. I'm sure he would have been fed to a snake or totally avoided and ignored in many other homes... :thumbup:

 

[thinking]

I enjoying reading your posts SQ and learn a lot from them. Can you explain the idea behind the bear in the litter box? I'm guessing the litter box picks up the scents of all the rats so that Christmas can learn their smells before physically being near them. Is that close? Well, that would have happened if the bear was still in one piece

 

[Dahlas]

I am glad you have him SQ....and that I don't :giggle:
You guys are so good with aggressive rats...I am not. I guess I don't read their body language well enough...and so I get nervous which makes them more nervous...I would not be able to trust them once they bit me.....Give me an aggressive dog and I am in my element.....but I could not try and handle/ work with an aggressive rat.

 

[SQ]

I enjoying reading your posts SQ and learn a lot from them. Can you explain the idea behind the bear in the litter box? I'm guessing the litter box picks up the scents of all the rats so that Christmas can learn their smells before physically being near them. Is that close? Well, that would have happened if the bear was still in one piece

Exactly ... the first step in intros is to put the cages near one another (but far enough apart so no contact) and to switch dirty cloths from cage to cage so they can get used to the scent of others. Lilspaz68 has given single rats a stuffed animal at times to cuddle with. I thought Christmas might like a bear since he has no been demonstrating typical signs of aggression (snorting through the bars, rubbing his scent all over everything, "puffy" hair, etc).

You guys are so good with aggressive rats...I am not.

I don't know about that - but I am stubborn
It is difficult with Christmas as he seems fine and relaxed, no signs of aggression and then he bites me .... hard.

I had Christmas out today to cuddle and watch tv. No problems.
Tonight I will be progressing to letting Christmas explore the other rat's cage while the other rats are out playing.

 

[thinking]

Christmas is so lucky to have found a home where he is receiving so much patience. I think I'd be like Dahlas and be so tense waiting for the next bite that I'd make him tense. I would be a wonderful video series to watch someone like yourself take a less adoptable rescue rat like Christmas and work with him from the beginning until he is hopefully successfully entered into a group. I'm learning a lot from the updates and wishing Christmas will find at least one little buddy to call his own.

 

[Tarah]

I am glad you have him SQ....and that I don't :giggle:
You guys are so good with aggressive rats...I am not. I guess I don't read their body language well enough...and so I get nervous which makes them more nervous...I would not be able to trust them once they bit me.....Give me an aggressive dog and I am in my element.....but I could not try and handle/ work with an aggressive rat.

Same! Aggressive dogs don't phase me at all, and I know how to handle them. But little Ketchup (RIP) really scared me after he bit Joey.

So glad Mr. Christmas is with some one who is so dedicated to helping him along. :hugs:

 

[Dahlas]

I will love him from a far.....sending him lots of virtual kisses and cuddles.

 

[Bundyrats]

This is so interesting. I am looking forward to tuning in to the next update!
You're so great for taking him in and what an adorable little face he has

 

[breakthenight]

I know you've likely thought of everything I'm about to suggest but I thought I'd chime in anyway. When he bites is it possible he is smelling other rats on you? I know you likely wash hands between cages, etc, but maybe he catches a whiff of them on your clothes or something and that is what causes him to act aggressively towards you. That or maybe even after hand washing he can still catch a scent(since they have a sense of smell many times greater than ours) and using a different scented/ stronger smelling soap could help mask better. It could also be the smell of the soap or hand sanitizer he doesn't like as well?
My other suggestion is based entirely off of experience with a blind guinea pig, but I'm assuming that it could be transferred to a visually impaired rat...Perhaps he gets nervous if your hand approaches from the blind side and he is biting in reaction to that. Depending on how long his eye has been like it is, it could easily take months to adjust to the blindness, and some animals especially older ones never really adjust at all.

Again, I'm sure that you have thought of all those things, you are so great with your rats and you seem to know them really well, I'm just hoping that something gives here for you. He is a gorgeous guy, and even with the occasional biting, I think he must know that he has finally ended up in the right place being loved and given good food, fresh water, lots of places to cuddle after a presumably very hard life. Thanks for doing what it is you do

 

[Godmother]

I'm like Dahlas and Tarah -- I keep a distance from biters. My Edith, RIP, never quit nipping my bare feet when she was in the play area, so I had to start wearing shoes when she was out. But SQ loved her and they had a special bond!

 

[SQ]

When he bites is it possible he is smelling other rats on you? Perhaps he gets nervous if your hand approaches from the blind side and he is biting in reaction to that.

Great comments, very glad you mentioned these things :thumbup:

Yes, Christmas does react to the smell of other rats ... so I touch him first, before dealing with the others.
He also does react to anything approaching from his blind side so I try pet him etc from the side of his good eyes.
I hope that he will get used to both of these things, however, or I will not be able to intro him ... but first things first ...

Sometimes I wonder if he is trying to show me that he is the alpha, and I had better learn to fall in line
But I do not feel that doing a dominance pinch would be the right thing to do at this point.

 

[SQ]

Christmas continues to not bite me :thumbup: but is still grabbing me and biting down hard to hurt but not break the skin.
I must admit tho, that I am very cautious.
When he grabs me with his teeth I have been pulling away and saying "no" or "stop", ... I think I will try eeeping instead ....
(Thanks for the reminder Joanne)
but I do not reward him by going away ... He is stuck with my attention .... poor baby

Christmas enjoys running around the seniors smelly - in need of a cleaning, horizontal double section CN/FN.
I try to put him in their cage before it is cleaned so there are lots of smells to keep him busy LOL
... Actually, I just do it before cleaning so he will get used to their scent.
He gets all puffy, and runs and climbs around exploring.
Christmas gets a good workout, scent marks their cage and gives their wheel a whirl.
Except when scent marking, he looks like he is enjoying himself and doesn't seem desperate.
When in the cage Chris also enjoys going to the common side of the cage, posturing and exchanging threats with the neighbors.

Progress is slow but we seem to be moving in the right direction.

 

[Dahlas]

If anyone can convince to be a good boy it will be you SQ...good luck and keep us posted.

 

[temblabamomo]

You must have endless patience to be working with this lucky little man (or stubborness, as you said.) As others have said, Christmas' updates are quite interesting. I have no doubt that if anyone can work some magic on him, it will be you. I look forward to reading more about him.