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jennifervb

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2007
Messages
2,237
Location
California, U.S.A
Ok, how do I word this so that no one thinks its pornographic.

My little man, Ben, took to biting a couple of week's ago. It isn't malicious biting. When I taste good (i.e. yogurt on the fingers) he will bite and lick my finger.

I have been disciplining him, since this started, and sometimes he remembers to withdraw his incisors before cleaning my hand.

Last night he forgot. I had just finished working out and was, of course, sweaty. I threw on my sweatshirt and went to play with the boys. Ben crawled up into my sweatshirt and took a significant chomp out of my B!!b!

I can tell you... I gave a yowl that made the walls shake and my rats went scurrying in two separate directions!

I collected a terrified Ben into my hands and impressed upon him the fact that biting will not be tolerated in any form. When I put him down, he hid from me for about 20 minutes under the couch and every so often I would see a distraught little face peering up at me from the paper bag he was hiding in.

Needless to say, the bite hurt for a good long time and the area is still a little tender. Fortunately, there was no bleeding but there was some minimal swelling. I doctored myself with anti-bacterial medication.

I did manage to help Ben overcome his upset after about 30 minutes. I stroked his little cheek and planted a smoooooooch on top of his head. After that, he bounced off to power groom Basil. :heart:

Ben is neutered. I have no clue how to break him of this new habit and I'm not sure how many more power nips my chest would be able to handle. I am also worried about Rat Bite Fever. I don't know alot about it, and I wonder if Ben did actually manage to break the skin without it bleeding.

If anyone has any tips on how to educate Ben or any information on Rat Bite Fever then I would GREATLY appreciate it!!! (The same goes for my injured body part... :) !!!)

Thanks!
 
ROFL!!

I know, I know, it's not funny... but yep, been there too.
I don't think you can stop them except to no longer allow them down your shirt.
Rat bite fever is very uncommon in pet rats and you really need to have the skin broken, cut in some way for the bacteria to get through.
 
OMGosh, been there done that. I usually wear a turtle neck or just don't let them down my shirt.

My Flower is a big nipper, if she wants my attention she will nip me or if she is on my shoulder she will grab my cheek and pull. She knows she's not supposed to do it, because she will look at me with this look that says "well how the hell else am I supposed to get your attention?" :whip: I just tell her no and send her on her way.
 
Yep.. My sweet Tully Monster had a thing for the crotch of my pants. Talk about pain..

I don't let the girls down my shirt, next to my skin. I'm a big fan of house coats, so they get inside of that instead of my actual shirt. I have had some cheeky buggers who decided to nip me through my shirt, and I'd eep at them and/or pin them down when they did it. Worked for me.

As Jo said, Rat Bite Fever is practically non existent in domesticated rats. You're more at risk from other wild rodents, including squirrels.
 
OH MY GOD... I felt pain when I read that story.... OUCH!!!

Wayne read somewhere that rats don't discipline well. They work better for positive reinforcement. Not sure how true that is but with that said, I would suggest that when he only licks, give him a treat, but when he nips he doesn't get anything and he stops getting petted or paid attention to.

I figured out why Hazel bite Waynes brothers friend that one day. I had food on my finger and put my finger through the bars not thinking. Hazel was fine licking until I tried to pull it away and she went to grab with her mouth. So I have learned not to have food smell on my fingers when I do that.

Lily liked to chip away at the paint on the wall, she found a little spot and started to go to work and made a one inch hole. I had a really hard time breaking her of the habit and still haven't. So if anyone has ideas on how to disicipline that would be great.
 
I used some stuff called Bitter Yuck to get my girls to stop chewing the baseboards. May help your paint chip child? :wink:
 
Hmm that's a good thought. We moved and there is not spot on the new walls where she can start. But just in case I will keep that in mind.
 
mamarat2 said:
Ouch. Been there. The girls off and on will grab on and nip. I have no idea why and really I just have to watch the little darlings. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Little darling has not tried getting into my shirt since his disciplinary action. The poor little mite. I still can't get over his distraught little face peering out at me from the paper bag under the couch.

He often nips Basil in the buns and gets a powergroom for his pains. :D

I'm very happy to read that I am NOT the only one who has dealt with this issue and that it seems to be normal for rats to do this!!! I was worried that my little man had some kind of a character flaw! :banana:
 
I swear that sometimes they do it just to hear us scream. Must be a lovely sound for them.
 
jorats said:
ROFL!!

I know, I know, it's not funny... but yep, been there too.
I don't think you can stop them except to no longer allow them down your shirt.
Rat bite fever is very uncommon in pet rats and you really need to have the skin broken, cut in some way for the bacteria to get through.
Click to expand...

WHEW!!! Thanks Jo! I did not want to think that my little guys could be carrying such a thing but the thought troubled me all the same!

Basil cleaned my earlobes last night but he never does any nipping or biting. {{{{{Little Basool}}}}} (yes, I play with their names: Basool and Benyameen) :love6:
 
Melissa's ZOO said:
OMGosh, been there done that. I usually wear a turtle neck or just don't let them down my shirt.

My Flower is a big nipper, if she wants my attention she will nip me or if she is on my shoulder she will grab my cheek and pull. She knows she's not supposed to do it, because she will look at me with this look that says "well how the hell else am I supposed to get your attention?" :whip: I just tell her no and send her on her way.
Click to expand...

She pulls on your cheek???????????? :shock: OMG... I have never heard of that!!!! :laugh4: :laugh4: LOL!!!!! Does it hurt??? Ben drives himself crazy trying to take off with my sweat pant laces...LOL... he just can't seem to figure out that they don't want to follow him under the couch. :D
 
javakittie said:
Yep.. My sweet Tully Monster had a thing for the crotch of my pants. Talk about pain..

I don't let the girls down my shirt, next to my skin. I'm a big fan of house coats, so they get inside of that instead of my actual shirt. I have had some cheeky buggers who decided to nip me through my shirt, and I'd eep at them and/or pin them down when they did it. Worked for me.

As Jo said, Rat Bite Fever is practically non existent in domesticated rats. You're more at risk from other wild rodents, including squirrels.
Click to expand...

YOWZA!!!!! A nip in the crotch would have had me hanging from the rafters!

I also trapped Ben, in my hands, after his little escapade and reprimanded him for biting. That may have helped. He was completely abashed when it happened and mournfully peeked up at me from his hiding place under the couch. He hasn't bitten me since.

I'll keep you posted. :)
 
LA said:
OH MY GOD... I felt pain when I read that story.... OUCH!!!

Wayne read somewhere that rats don't discipline well. They work better for positive reinforcement. Not sure how true that is but with that said, I would suggest that when he only licks, give him a treat, but when he nips he doesn't get anything and he stops getting petted or paid attention to.

I figured out why Hazel bite Waynes brothers friend that one day. I had food on my finger and put my finger through the bars not thinking. Hazel was fine licking until I tried to pull it away and she went to grab with her mouth. So I have learned not to have food smell on my fingers when I do that.

Lily liked to chip away at the paint on the wall, she found a little spot and started to go to work and made a one inch hole. I had a really hard time breaking her of the habit and still haven't. So if anyone has ideas on how to disicipline that would be great.
Click to expand...

My boys will try to keep my fingers in the cage too when they taste good! ;) As I was just telling Javakittie, my reprimand with Ben appears to have accomplished something because Ben hasn't bitten me since.

Poor little dude. I'm sure he had no idea that he was biting into something as sensitive as that! :D
 
javakittie said:
I swear that sometimes they do it just to hear us scream. Must be a lovely sound for them.
Click to expand...

I let out a yowl that sent them both scattering for cover...

LOL... my yowls are much louder than their grunts and squeaks. :laugh4:
 
jennifervb said:
Melissa's ZOO said:
She pulls on your cheek???????????? :shock: OMG... I have never heard of that!!!! :laugh4: :laugh4: LOL!!!!! Does it hurt??? Ben drives himself crazy trying to take off with my sweat pant laces...LOL... he just can't seem to figure out that they don't want to follow him under the couch. :D
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Starla will PULL at my lip if she finds something she likes.

No Starla, you can't stash my lip!
 
Melissa said:
jennifervb said:
Melissa's ZOO said:
She pulls on your cheek???????????? :shock: OMG... I have never heard of that!!!! :laugh4: :laugh4: LOL!!!!! Does it hurt??? Ben drives himself crazy trying to take off with my sweat pant laces...LOL... he just can't seem to figure out that they don't want to follow him under the couch. :D
Click to expand...
Starla will PULL at my lip if she finds something she likes.

No Starla, you can't stash my lip!
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

I can just picture Starla trying to take off with your lip!!!! :laugh4:

I love rats. I have yet to meet a human being who makes me laugh as hard as my fuzz forms with their antics. :D :love6:
 

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