Bite bite bite

[minnow]

One of my new girls, Rizzo, clearly has some issues with human hands. She bites them, and if she gets a grip on a finger, she'll start chewing. I adopted her knowing she was bitey, and I'm not going to give her up or give up on her even if she stays bitey. I know some of you here have had success with getting some very bitey rats to mellow out, though, and I'm hoping for some advice on how to get her to associate human hands with good things instead of a threat. She's not bitey with other rats, only humans, so I'm guessing there was some conditioning involved that I'll have to undo.

 

[jorats]

I would try lots of extra one on one socializing. But that could be a risk for your hands.

 

[littledevils]

We follow these steps
http://www.littlemischiefrescue.org/rat ... ation.html

We've managed to turn every single one of them around following these steps except for 2 rats we know where physically abused.

 

[minnow]

I can live with being bitten extra for a while if it means being bitten less later. I have plenty of band-aids. I'll start keeping a tea towel next to the cage to help her feel more secure when I bring her out, and start rewarding her with treats whenever she's being 'good' about being handled. From her body language, I can tell that it's mostly fear biting (she jumps when she's touched) with a touch of territorial aggression.
Time to bring out the toddler snacks.