How to stop rats from nibbling

So I've setup my 1.3 breeding group of rats. They already seem to be pregnant =D now I enjoy having these little guys a little too much lol I find myself staring at them for hours lol.

So I'm trying to get them to tame down, they all seem to be very Interested in my hands, when I put my hand in they immediately Rans up to investigate. Doesn't really like being hold though.

However their enthusiasm is not all good while they come and investigate most of them will try to nibble my finger. I have wash my hands thoroughly and they still do it. It's not a bite it's gentle but still it's something I prefer them not to do. Any tricks?

Also if I just keep insisting on picking them up will them come around and nope be so squeamish in my hands?

Flick em, lol ;). I find my sod doing the snake thing ill sit there and watch my mice. Fortunately they're outstanding breeders. First time mom dropped 17 in 1 litter. For the nibbling I would suggest holding them like you're doing. I'm not sure what too honestly do about it but I would suggest you keep holding them and let them know you're not food or there to make them food. Hope some of that helps.

i try to flick them and it doesn't seem to phrase them... duck under my finger and go back to investigating my hand.

how to tell if they are nibbling because they think i'm food or nibbling because they think i'm a threat?

Try putting lemon juice on your hands. Eventually they'll learn that you taste sour. Just a guess though, never tried. :confusd:

Do you feed them treats with your fingers? That's why mine did that.

When you offer your hand up, offer them knuckles. They won't nibble those. Another thing you can do is when they nibble you let out a small squeak like they make when they're playing. It lets them know they're playing too rough. They don't want to hurt you, so they will learn to be more gentle just by you making a small sound letting them know it's not fun.

They aren't inspecting you as a threat - they'd flee if they were scared. If they were biting you as a 'warning' you would know it and be bleeding. They're like babies. They explore the world with their mouths.

EDIT: Flicking them or anything like that is going to have the wrong effect. Ever watch them play? They nip at each other when they're happy and excited. They're probably nipping at you to play. If you nip back you've encouraged this type of play.

Umm....stop dippin ur hands in that giant vat of cheez wiz????:P

Nibbling is normal. They use their mouth to feel things. They are being curious. If its not a vicious bite, then why stop them? This is a natural behavior for all rats, even tame pets.

And do not flick them. They won't be so nice if you do that.... Counter productive in what you're trying to do.

As for holding, support the body from underneath them and hold against your chest/body in an unrestricted hold so they feel secure.

If they're really flighty, hold them in your lap first. And honestly, some unsocial adults just never want to be held. This is where you tame some babies and socialize them daily so you can hold them back.

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What Satomi said. Especially if they're young or new to handling, they just get curious and want to taste everything. With baby rats I usually call it the "is everything food?" phase, lol. It always made me a bit jumpy, but if you just wait it out and let them fulfill their curiosity then they'll be calmer about handling since they've had time to get used to you in their own way.

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Originally Posted by satomi325

Nibbling is normal. They use their mouth to feel things. They are being curious. If its not a vicious bite, then why stop them? This is a natural behavior for all rats, even tame pets.

And do not flick them. They won't be so nice if you do that.... Counter productive in what you're trying to do.

As for holding, support the body from underneath them and hold against your chest/body in an unrestricted hold so they feel secure.

If they're really flighty, hold them in your lap first. And honestly, some unsocial adults just never want to be held. This is where you tame some babies and socialize them daily so you can hold them back.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

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All this X2.