Did you just bite me?!!

[Tory]

I have a 'problem' child :wallbang: , her name is Helga and I truly love how much of a scardy cat she however when I stick my finger through the bars of the cage, she bites me. And I know that if you feed your rats through the bars of the cage they will get over excited and assume that your fingers are food, however A) I never feed my girls through the bars and she has lived in an aquarium for her entire life as far as I know and B) when I offer her food through the door of the cage she is the gentlest little girl who is scared of my hand but just wants the food.


So, does anyone know why she might do this and how do I correct it, I love to walk by there cage while I'm cleaning and stick my fingers.


PS I just figured out where theise smilies are so I'm going to use a few... :ratwave: :bananas: :horsepoop:

 

[Godmother]

Rats have bad eyesight, but they seem sensitive to motion. Your ratty might assume that a finger is an intruder, especially since she spent time in an aquarium. One of my dearest ratties, Corrie (RIP), had been rescued from a bad situation in which a snake owner used a stick to prod her away from her first litter of babies. She reacted badly to anything with a stick shape coming into the cage for the rest of her life.

You said that she is scared of hands, so you might have to take lots of time with her one-on-one getting her used to your hands.

 

[jorats]

Keep in mind that the cage is her home and when something comes at her through the bars, it's bascially an invasion. So it's act first, ask questions later. But... she should come to recognize your smell and hopefully stop, if she doesn't then, you just can't stick your finger in the cage no more.
If she really is aggressive, she will lunge and bite outside of the cage as well. Hopefully, it's just her being too protective of her comfy home.

 

[Tory]

I didn't think that she was just trying to protect her home and I should I feel ignorant now.

 

[jorats]

Aww... you shouldn't. It really is scary and insulting when our rats bite us, you don't really think right away of all the reasons they would do this... We just reminded you. :wink2:

 

[Tory]

Rats have bad eyesight, but they seem sensitive to motion. Your ratty might assume that a finger is an intruder, especially since she spent time in an aquarium. One of my dearest ratties, Corrie (RIP), had been rescued from a bad situation in which a snake owner used a stick to prod her away from her first litter of babies. She reacted badly to anything with a stick shape coming into the cage for the rest of her life.

You said that she is scared of hands, so you might have to take lots of time with her one-on-one getting her used to your hands.

I did do what you told me to do only with food so they looked at me through a better view so she is alittle bit more used to me look to my Who is your ratty post to see pictures

 

[Nobu]

Were they biting hard, did it hurt? Aya likes to bite me, but I guess you would call it more of a nibble because it doesn't hurt, and usually results in her licking my fingers and hand up and down. I wonder if I should worry about that biting and it possibly getting stronger in the future?