Rattie nibbling my face, hard?

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PrinzeBurnzo

Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2011
Messages
20
Location
England
My boy has always been a nibbler. He will nibble on my fingers and it doesnt hurt. I know its a form of grooming, so it has never bothered me. But today, he seemed to be biting on my face alot harder than usual. He has nibbled my face in the past, but only lightly. But today, it seemed harder, but not hard enough to draw blood. I kept pushing him away but he kept coming back to bite some more. I was laying down, as they like to climb all over me, but he kept coming to nip at my face. My sister said he was doing the same to her. I was being bitten on my nose, my chin, and my ears!

What can I do to stop him, and why is he doing it? He used to be such a scared boy, but now he seems to be over confident!!
 
Had you been eating anything that he might have liked? I know if I've eaten something that my rats love, even if it was a while ago, if I don't wash my hands I get swarmed (and my face too).
 
I had the same issue once when I briefly tried a new facial cleanser. Even after a thorough rinsing there was still a slight fragrance to my face for about an hour afterwards, during which time a couple of my boys got curious and nipped my nose and lips a bit too hard. Never used that face wash again.

My Obie is a gentle nibbler and groomer of hands and fingers, but for some reason as soon as he gets to the face he start chomping down like a little shark.
 
yes! I know! I was guessing, maybe it feels harder coz the skin is thinner and more sensitive there? How do I tell him not to do it?
 
Good question. I wish I had an answer for you. I gave up trying to teach Obie not to chew my nose off ages ago. I just keep my guard up when he gets close to my face, turn the other cheek, literally.
 
I have been bitten badly near my eye so the rats aren't allowed anywhere near my face. That nibbling can turn into full bites so please watch when the rats are anywhere near your eyes, ears, mouth or nose.
 
It's just always struck me as weird that some rats don't seem to associate that your face and your hand belong to the same person. I always assumed the skin on my hand has to smell and (to an extent) feel like the skin on my face. Disashi would wash my hands very thoroughly and then climb up and wash my forehead and my eyelids, and never once bit me. Obie's a sweetheart and grooms my hands til they sparkle, but let him get within an inch of my face and he'll latch onto my nose pretty hard. It just doesn't make sense.
 
Yea, I will just have to watch out them. Just sheild my face wenever he gets near. The other one licks my face. Is it ok to let a rat do this or not?
 
Is it okay to let a rat lick your face? I'd say it's probably one of the most wonderful compliments your rat can give you and said rat should be allowed to lick away for as long as he/she pleases.
 
Go to Youtube.com and do a search on "rodentistry"...I've always been weirded out by it, but if people let their rats do that, then I'd say there isn't a thing wrong with getting licks from them. It amounts to about the same as a friendly dog jumping up and giving you a few good licks on the face.
 
I guess so. I just heard that if they bite you, you must clean our face with alcohol, as they have some kind of bacteria in their teeth. Or maybe that was wild rats....
 
I actually read from this guy that's had pet rats for 27 years, the best way to get rats to stop biting or nipping at you, if it's a baby- make a loud squeaking noise as though it hurts, they will eventually get the idea. A squeak from a rat is a sound of protest or pain. Then with an adult, you make the squeaking noise (I usually just use my lips to make a squeak and not my voice, not the same sort of "come here squeak tho" and my young one will get the message)- but with an older rat, you make the squeak, followed by a sharp or quick "No!", if you do such enough times, they will understand and soon all you'll have to do is say "No!" to them and they should stop the unacceptable behavior. You usually want to nix biting or nibbling only because you don't want to encourage them to bite any harder (esp if there are any kids around they might take a nibble on and kids are especially scared of animals teeth xD- you don't want the kid hitting the rat, which is what kids are apt to do sometimes).

My oldest boy did that to my face too and it worried me when I first got him. Did so on my nose, cheek and eyebrows. He doesn't do it much now, but most times I notice he does so when I haven't washed my face and it's oily or something. He hasn't done it lately (save for my nose..), but... he also doesn't perch on my shoulder really either. lol.He's never done so very hard, but I usually turn my face away and go "Hey!" in surprise and he'll stop. He's tried to bite at my toes tho... xD;

Hope that helps. ^.^;
 
odduck we call that "eeping", and in rat language it means "No, stop that, it hurts and I don't like it". Most rats will learn from this eventually, but some don't. If he's nibbling your face, I would advise not letting him near it, especially near your eyes.
 

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