Grabbing my hand with teeth?

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Kolkri

Kolkri

Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2011
Messages
111
Location
Mississippi
Daisy likes to sniff and then grabs me with her mouth. Not a bite just tugging at my hand. Why is she doing this? How do I discourage it? Will it turn to biting?
 
Sounds like she thinks you are food! My girls do that to me when they smell yummy food on my hands (like after I eat something).
 
My girl Lola will do this sometimes! I hear of other rats doing it too.

Does she stop tugging if you let her pull your hand into the cage? Some people think it's their rats trying to "pull them in closer" for attention :)

Otherwise, it could definitely be a food thing.
 
Next time Ill see how far she tries to take it. But my hand is already in the cage. If she would just let me pick her up she could be really close to me. lol
 
A couple of my girls will tug at my skin or clothes (usually clothes) under different circumstances. They often pull at my shirt when they are in the cage and I am standing at the open door. If I have them closed up in the bottom of our DCN while I clean, Annie will grab a mouthful of my shirt, pull as much of it as she can inside the bars, and hang on for dear life. It's pretty funny--she looks like a little dog. I have to be careful not to pull away so I don't hurt her nose. This seems like a bid for attention to me.

Lil has recently taken to pulling at my skin. Her favorite hobby is chewing small holes in my clothes, but I think this new thing has more to do with her liking the smell/taste of what I've been washing with rather than a desire to put holes in me, too. She's scraping me with her teeth, as well.
 
I find its to pull me in closer to investigate. And if it get grabby I'll push my hand at them. It usually makes them back up and sniff gently
 
Ya, I had a few do that. I will usually shriek or eek or say no no no no in a high pitch voice, they usually let go and they usually stop doing it after a while.
 
Our albino girl (whose eye sight isn't the best) sometimes will do that but kind of like she's testing us. She doesn't so much pull but will maybe make sure its us and then go on about her day. I think its more of a reassurance for her at least but maybe its your guys trying to get your attention? I feel like constantly doing it wouldn't be for food and I don't know if its a bad behavior per say but that's just me guessing hahaha
 
Heh - my boy only does it to push me out of the hideout. He enjoys the scritching and petting and then he suddenly had enough and shows me that he would like to have his privacy now.
He never bites hard or draws blood, he is just making a point.
 
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All your stories have been reassuring. So far she just grabs me. I hope that I have started hand feeding treats to help with taming does not make it worse.
 
So she grabs onto your hand and tries to drag you into the cage? If so, go with her and she will let go...it could be a maternal instinct to take you into the nest LOL

Its pretty much harmless but you can make noises to tell her you don't like it, just like another rat.
 

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