Rat trying to crawl in my mouth?

[LizzyBizzy20]

Hi all!
I am a first time rat owner with my little Curly boy and he is doing great so far! He enjoys his habitat, is happy and energetic, and enjoys being held. The only thing I don't understand is whenever I hold him he scratches at and tries to shove his head into my mouth. Is this normal for a rat to do??

 

[SQ]

Welcome to the forum
Curley may be a rodentrist ….. some rats want to clean your teeth so it y=would be a good idea to distract him and keep him away from your face

Btw you need to have at least 2 same sex rats because rats are social and would normally live in huge family groups, It would be best if you could get one or two of Curly's brothers.
If Curley is under 12 weeks old and you intro him to boys under 12 weeks old they can just be put together. If any rats are over 12 weeks old then gradual intro steps (see Reference Thread) are used so that no one is harmed.

there is a lot of good info on this forum you may want to check out.
Please have a look at out Reference Thread REFERENCE Thread - Read Only and you may find this has helpful information Thinking of getting a rat? Things to consider

 

[Dena]

RODENTISTRY!! We also call is a reck-up (rat check-up) at our house. They will often try to groom you, so don't be surprised if he also tries to shove his face deep in your ears as well! If they smell something yummy, they often think you're hiding a treat there, and try to get it. Some can be quite pushy! Mine also shirt dive, andI guess eat crumbs that may have fallen in there, and will rush (brush) our hair! LOL oh the life of being a rat parent! Enjoy. They are such soulful, amazing creatures.

Also, I second SQ. He needs a friend. Asap. It's better for their mental, as well as physical health. Imagine being alone in this world, with not a single one of your kind to communicate with, and exist with....

 

[schpier]

Yes, all animals, including the human animal need companionship. Please find one for him.

 

[LizzyBizzy20]

We are currently looking for a lil buddy for him to play with but we are concerned that because he is a male that is not fixed yet ( he's our little rescue rat!) that there might be some problems with aggression with another male and worried he will breed with a female. How should we introduce the two to make sure they will both happy??

 

[Dena]

As far as aggression, that doesn't happen with all males. I've had many males, and none showed aggression. As for the intos, www.joinrats.com has some good tips on how to introduce new rats, and how to tame, etc...
When/if you get him neutered, make sure it's done by a vet that's familiar with rats and rat surgery. Gas is the only anesthetic. No injections until after surgery, when a metacam injection is given. Then, he needs to go home with a couple of days worth of metacam. It's cheaper to buy the whole bottle (the large bottle is $30 on 1-800petmeds) than to buy a couple of doses. Then you need to wait roughly 3 weeks for all hormones to be out of his system before introducing him to a female.

 

[Tramca]

One of my girls Flash, will be happy on my shoulder, walks across my cheat, them wham! Without warning is clawing my bottom lip to push her head inside. I stop her and say no, and generally keep my face away from her face, as she can draw blood, she's so insistant.