Rat Care Hints and Tips

Why Is My Rat Biting Me?

Rats communicate in many different ways and one is with their teeth.  Our skin is very sensitive and not protected by fur like a rats, and it is easy to misunderstand what our rats mean when they use their teeth on us.

So what is your rat trying to tell you with its teeth?

The ‘I love you/ooh what’s this?’ nibble:

Gently nibbling your skin usually means one of two things; your rat is grooming you or he is testing you to see what you are.

To a new rat we are strange, smelly, hairless creatures to be explored.  Your rat will at some point test your fingers with its teeth.  You may feel the nip, but the skin will not be broken, this is perfectly normal behaviour for a new inquisitive rat.  Your rat may well be testing you to see what you taste like, but he’s not planning on eating you.  When your rat nibbles you like this take it as a compliment.

Even if you have known your rat for a while he may still want to explore your skin with his teeth, especially if you have just washed your hands, or handled some food.  Though if your hands do smell of some yummy food, be prepared for your little rat friend to think with his tummy and try and drag you fingers off!

Bonded rats are big on grooming each other, this not only helps affirm their relationship, but it is also practical.  Many rats also like to groom their humans, and as we have no fur this is done by gently scrapping their teeth over our skin, you may also get licked too.  One thing to remember is if your rat is grooming you do not pull your hand away, even if you don’t like what you are doing.  Rejecting a rat in this manner can really hurt its feelings.

The ‘I want attention/I’m grumpy’ chomp:

When your rat gives you a nip that is quite hard but does not break the skin, your rats is letting you know that he’s grumpy and you’re annoying him.  We all have bad days and rats are no different.  If your rat gives you one of these chomps respect your rat’s wishes and leave them alone until they come to you and you will both be happier for it.

Alternatively your rat may come up to you and give you quite a hard chomp.  This will be in an easy to reach location for your rat, so if you are sitting on a chair your rat may target your ankles, which can be quite painful.  No matter where your rat gives you a nip don’t get angry, by all means let your little guy know you did not appreciate the nip.  Take the time to think about what you were doing when your rat nipped you.  Were you ignoring your rat?  Did your rat run away playfully?  I have had several rats that thought nipping ankles and then bouncing off was a great game.  If you don’t like the game, as it can hurt, find a way to adapt it so your rat still gets to play and you don’t get nipped.

The ‘Please don’t do that/I’m afraid’ bite:

When a rat bite actually draws blood then your rat is letting you know that they are very distressed.  A rat will only bite you like this in very rare and extreme circumstances and, in my experience, it is always the human’s fault.  Did you startle or scare your rat?  Was your rat showing signs of being unhappy before you put your hand near it?  Was it asleep?  One of the easiest ways to get bitten is to put your hand near a sleeping rat and wake it up.  Rats are prey animals and so will react in self-defence if they are taken by surprise.

I do not believe there is such a thing as an aggressive rat.  If you feel your rat has bitten you, think long and hard about what kind of bite it was and what you and your rat were doing at the time.  It is important that you understand the behaviour of your rats and never feel afraid of them.

Over the years I have known many rats, some have been grumpy and not very playful and some have come to me as problem rats, but none of them have ever bitten me out of aggression.  With the proper respect and handling they have always been wonderful little individuals.