Biting through cage bars

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sidefury

Member
Joined
May 7, 2013
Messages
19
Location
Toronto
My girls lately have been getting quite, er, nibbly. Tea, the one that seems to trust me a little more, allows pets and stuff when she's sitting around, but Coffee seems to be getting increasingly scared and timid of me, and even tries to bite me through the cage bars when I let them smell me through the bars (I'm not sticking my fingers in the bars, and I tell my mother explicitly to never feed them through the bars either).

How can I discourage this behaviour of biting? :c Coffee will also sometimes 'attack' my hand, with a bit harder nibbles than usual, but I'm not sure if she's just trying to play with me. Tea plays nice with me and never bites hard, only light nibbles.
 
Are they doing that only through the bars? Do they nibble at all when the cage is open? If they've been fed treats through the bars it can be a hard habit to break. I would stop even letting them smell you through the bars and open up the door and let them sniff you like that.
 
I'm 99% sure that we've never fed them through the bars, my mom tells me that she's been opening the top of the cage to put food in for them. :c

And when I put my hand in to let them investigate, sometimes they nibble lightly--When Tea is in a corner, she lets me stroke her and she seems to like it, and sometimes to flips onto her tummy to nibble/play fight with me, it seems. At least, it seems like play fighting, she's never nibbled hard or pushed me away.
 
I always tell people not to stick their fingers through the bars because you just never know a rat's reaction. You have too look at it from their point of view. Something new or different is coming through their walls. Some are very protective of their home and will attack and ask questions later. Meanwhile other rats will automatically think it's food and will try to bite at it.
Some rats, as they age will learn not to bite, that it's simply mommy or daddy. How old are your girls?
 
If they are nibbling I'd say they are just testing their limits on you, but if they are full blown attacking when you put your fingers in the cage then that's something else.

All I know from my experience is when I got all my group, they were at a realtively young age so I had more time to work with them, like with biting and nibbling. Nibbling I didn't mind, they still do to an extent but not to 'hurt' me but to groom yes. My boys have a habit for grooming my fingers from extra skin etc. However when they were youngsters they would nibble and increase their biting strength to the point I used the "Squeak" trick to let them know, "OUCH that hurts!" I'd do it really loud too just enough to spook them a bit. This tactic worked so well in fact that they never bite me, not even through the cage bars if I stick my fingers in, which I happily do often to give treats or to rub noses that are sticking out. They won't even bite strangers who stick their fingers in.

My first boy wasn't that way though, he assumed if something is going through the bars then that meant it was a treat, he tend to bite first look later lol. It was a habit I couldn't break, but easily avoided. I'm just happy it's not like that with my current group :p good luck with the biting! Try the squeak tactic too if it helps!
 
@Jorats: I'm not sure of their age, the shop never told me, but I assume them to be young, not more than a year old. And yeah, from their perspective it must be quite daunting to have something poke into their cage like that, I'll definitely stop letting them sniff me through the bars.

@dspch911: They're both still timid, I'm trying to find time where I can sit down for an afternoon and take them to my bathroom for them to roam, but I've been working full time lately and couldn't find the time. I play with them every day for around an hour and offer them new toys like paper towel rolls and boxes whenever I can, though, but I know I should be taking them out soon. :C I feel like if I try to grab Coffee, she'll definitely not like it, and I don't want to force her out.

@EDK: Yes, I've tried squeaking loudly to show them I don't like the harder bites, and it seems to work well! I'm just not sure if Coffee is trying to groom me or nibble my nails off, silly girl!

THANK YOU everyone for your responses, they really help and make me less nervous. I heard Tea brux and boggle the other day, and I was really happy that she was happy!
 
They must be young if they come from the pet shop so that's good news. With time, you can easily train them to trust you and no longer nibble. Open the cage door a lot and give them your fingers to sniff. You could even have some yummy stuff on your fingers to let them learn to lick and not nip.
 
Ok, I'll try that more often. Is there any sure way to tell the difference between play bites and warning bites? They don't puff up or squeak when i 'play fight' with them, so I'm assuming they're just playing with me?
 
When i got (rescued) Teddy from the feeder breeder he was quite nippy. The "squeak" tricked worked great for him, it took a week or so but he eventually got it. He still does it but gentle enough that it doesn't hurt anymore.
 
You can't confuse a play nibble and a bite. Bites hurt like crazy and you will bleed a lot.
A warning nibble, the rat will come forward, nibble and retreat real fast, a play nibble, the rat will keep in nibbling and grooming and trying to bring the finger into their cage to stash. lol
 
You really need to get them out and play with them and teach them to socialize with you. Don't reach in and grab them, scoop them up. No offense, but it sounds like you are more afraid of them than they are of you - which is understandable, but you need to play with them.
 
Yes! Yes! Take them out! Scoop them up with both hands so they feel supported, and try to come from the side if possible (depends on your cage). You can set the cage on the floor outside the bathroom so you won't have far to go, and take them in there. The more they know you, the less likely they are to run away from you. Bring a book or your computer and just sit on the floor with them under your shirt for bonding time.

Watch their body language when they're nibbling you. Play is very different from a defensive/get-away-from-me warning nip.
Some of my rats are rather enthusiastic about food, so sometimes they grab for a treat or a dipped-in-yummy-stuff finger rather hard. I just hold my fingers still, and they very quickly realize that they have my finger, and not the treat.
I've only been truly bitten by a rat once, and that was my fault. If you're not bleeding, it wasn't a true bite. LOL
 
So today I got fed up and just HAULED my giant cage upstairs and stuck it in the bathroom, cramped as it was. They seemed really hesitant to come out, so I took them out as gently as I could and tried the down-shirt thing, they seemed really curious! There was a bit of struggling to coax them out, but eventually they would also cautiously come out on their own and investigate me. I think this is a big step forward!

As dspch911 said, I think I'm a little scared of them, too, I think I'm more afraid of them running off into a place I can't reach. Next time, instead of hauling that cage (that was a workout), I'm going to find a deeper box so that they won't be inclined to jump right out after I put them in.

Thanks again, everyone.
 
Yay! I'm so glad you took the plunge! :thumbup:
The more you have them out to play, the more comfortable you and they will be. :)

Do you have a small carrier for them? I picked up a small one that opens on the top. It is very handy for taking them to the vet's, and would be great in this situation too.
 
:joy: :dance: Before you know it you will be walking around with them on your shoulder.... they really don't jump as rule, but there is always that one that thinks it can fly.... You can try just putting them in your shirt to carry them. If one gets away and you cannot reach it you can always try coaxing it out with food..
 

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