Rat keeps nipping me

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AnnaOwl

Active Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2021
Messages
25
Location
UK
I've had Nancy for about 3 months and she was confident from the start. She was play fighting with my hand on the very first day I got her and her sister. I don't know if I've let it get out of hand, but when she's free roaming, she now runs up to my hand and nips it pretty hard. It never draws blood but it usually goes red and gets a little bruise. Sometimes she wrestles my hand and pins it down and nibbles my fingers then runs about excitedly and returns to do it again. Is it because I've allowed this behaviour that she's now started doing this odd attack nipping thing? How do I get her to stop? It really hurts and makes me jump.
 
You can try making a high pitched sound whenever she bites so she knows 'hey that hurts!'. I haven't had any problems with my rats when it comes to nipping like this but you could also try removing yourself from the area whenever she does it, I hope someone else has better advice for you...
 
Thanks so much for your reply. I try to do a high pitched noise but it doesn't come naturally to me so it's often a bit delayed haha. Maybe I'll just put her back in the cage so she gets the idea that I don't want to play.
 
My rat is a compulsive foot nipper. She just has to do it. It's never hard, but she always does it and I don't know why. It freaks any guests out, but it's like she's saying hi. She only nips our feet and nothing else, like she tries to see if it's food or something (cheese feet, anyone?!). If it's a little harder than usual, I finger-slap her on the bum or on her head.
 
AnnaOwl you never taught your girl when enough is enough. Try the high pitched eeeping when she bites too hard. Its rat language for "0www, that hurts, stop!" I usually modulate my tone when they stop telling them they are a good girl when they stop nipping then going back to eeping when they try again. If she just isn't listening stop the fun play immediately until she calms down again then you can play until she gets overexcited. Rats are smart and will figure it out with time and repetition.

rowanberry you have a sockbiter. These rats are convinced that socks are EVIL sockmonsters and must be vanquished. They usually won't touch bare feet or you can wear slippers or shoes to stop her.
 
AnnaOwl you never taught your girl when enough is enough. Try the high pitched eeeping when she bites too hard. Its rat language for "0www, that hurts, stop!" I usually modulate my tone when they stop telling them they are a good girl when they stop nipping then going back to eeping when they try again. If she just isn't listening stop the fun play immediately until she calms down again then you can play until she gets overexcited. Rats are smart and will figure it out with time and repetition.

rowanberry you have a sockbiter. These rats are convinced that socks are EVIL sockmonsters and must be vanquished. They usually won't touch bare feet or you can wear slippers or shoes to stop her.
Haha, no, it's a compulsory nibble for all feet: socked, slippered, bare, in front of you, behind you, tucked under. She'll find them, give your toes a peck and scurry away. If she can't access the toes, she'll settle for the heel or the Achilles tendon, but anything beyond that is of no interest to her.
 
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