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Thread: Dumb Rats!!!

  1. #1
    BPnet Veteran Shaffer's Avatar
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    Dumb Rats!!!

    So last week when I fed Skin a rat, I played with it a little before I fed it to her. To be honest, I really liked it. So Saturday I went to the pet store and bought two female rats for pets. They seemed all right at first, but now one of them won't stop biting me. How can I get them to trust me? I feed them fresh veggies and fruits, a treat every now and then as well. One of them bit today and drew blood, so I've decided rats are a dumb pet. (for me anyways) That rat now has until Skin's next feeding time to change my mind. I'm doing this on a point scale. The one has -2 points and the other has 0 points. I know they like to stay in groups, so I know if I feed one to Skin, I will eventually feed the other to her. I don't want to do this, but if they don't come around within the next week....
    Shaffer


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  2. #2
    BPnet Veteran SnakeySnakeSnake's Avatar
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    Re: Dumb Rats!!!

    How old are they? They may have been abused, or not taken care of properly, or just be that way.

    I handle over a thousand rats a week (no I am not exaggerating) and I've been bitten 3 times in about 5 months... and those were mothers with babies.


    If I wanted a rat as a pet, I would focus on a group of babies and handle them daily, and then offer them treats/handle them a lot as they start eating solid food. Then when they are weaned continue spending time with them daily....

    Most of my rats don't mind me scratching them/petting them, handling them, but are skittish when I first go to pick them up, but that is mostly because they live with other rats and aren't used to regular handling.

    I would write that one off, and try to get a really small one and put a lot of time and effort into them. I've heard a lot of good rat pet stories. I would love to have a few as pets if I had more time to work with them.
    bryan

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    BPnet Veteran Ginevive's Avatar
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    Re: Dumb Rats!!!

    Quote Originally Posted by SnakeySnakeSnake
    How old are they? They may have been abused, or not taken care of properly, or just be that way.

    I handle over a thousand rats a week (no I am not exaggerating) and I've been bitten 3 times in about 5 months... and those were mothers with babies.


    If I wanted a rat as a pet, I would focus on a group of babies and handle them daily, and then offer them treats/handle them a lot as they start eating solid food. Then when they are weaned continue spending time with them daily....

    Most of my rats don't mind me scratching them/petting them, handling them, but are skittish when I first go to pick them up, but that is mostly because they live with other rats and aren't used to regular handling.

    I would write that one off, and try to get a really small one and put a lot of time and effort into them. I've heard a lot of good rat pet stories. I would love to have a few as pets if I had more time to work with them.
    Great post. That was everything I was going to say.
    -Jen. Back in the hobby after a hiatus!
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    Re: Dumb Rats!!!

    Quote Originally Posted by Shaffer
    So last week when I fed Skin a rat, I played with it a little before I fed it to her. To be honest, I really liked it. So Saturday I went to the pet store and bought two female rats for pets. They seemed all right at first, but now one of them won't stop biting me. How can I get them to trust me? I feed them fresh veggies and fruits, a treat every now and then as well. One of them bit today and drew blood, so I've decided rats are a dumb pet. (for me anyways) That rat now has until Skin's next feeding time to change my mind. I'm doing this on a point scale. The one has -2 points and the other has 0 points. I know they like to stay in groups, so I know if I feed one to Skin, I will eventually feed the other to her. I don't want to do this, but if they don't come around within the next week....
    Rats are not dumb. They're quite intelligent. And one is probably going through her nibbling stage. Sometimes they do nibble and bite, and she may just be pregnant if she just suddenly started. And all you can do is treat her with love and care and hold her for a while and she'll start to come around. Now when a snake strikes a owner, is it dumb? Maybe the rat is just afraid or stressed out. You did just by them and they need some time settling in. Heck if I were a rat and just got boughten I'd bite my owner too if he wanted me to play right when he got me. When we moved a few yrs ago we all wer estressed, even my snakes and pet ratties. And we all adjusted and got use to the move. I didnt play with my rats untill a few days after the move. Yes I fed them and watered them but thats all. Same with my snakes (didnt feed them for 2 weeks after the move) and they all were content after the move within the week. Just give the rats sometime, maybe a day or two to get use to everything.
    A weird thought past through my mind.
    Just thinking if the Police Raided my home, they'd see a 14ft retic slithering around, a large redtailboa, a large Ball python who acts like a lap cat, and a corn snake who thinks he can make a nest out of my hair... and if they went inside my garage and checked inside my freezer... they'd find dead bodies.

    RIP Billy

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    Re: Dumb Rats!!!

    I've been bitten a few more times than Bryan (mostly by the same rats), but I agree with him.

    My wife has a pair of rats that are kept in the house ... The male was socialized from a pup on up ... the female was picked out of my "pet" line at about 100 grams (medium). The female is by far the better pet.

    My "pet" line was a local line that I outbred. Males and females will lick and manicure my hands. The only scare I've had was when I wasnt paying attention to an enclosure at chin level ... the female tried to take my bottom lip back into her nest ... It was a good sharp tug rather than a nip or bite.

    Unfortunatley I no longer can spend as much time with my stock as I once did ... however even with limited handling only a select few bite me ... Unless there is some great redeeming factor (like an average litter of 16-18 ... part of a jumbo line, or a combo of both) I'd feed it off.

    They way I think of it is if I wouldnt let my nephews put their hands into the enclosure with the rats then its time for those rats to go.

    Bryan

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    BPnet Senior Member Nate's Avatar
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    Re: Dumb Rats!!!

    I got bit by a rat once.....i dropped the rat on the floor and cleaned my little bloody wound.....i couldn't catch the rat, so I let my snake do it for me

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    Registered User luluizzi's Avatar
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    Re: Dumb Rats!!!

    Ok so my 11 yr old son LOVES his rats and directed me to this website for rat info...he doesn't trust you guys... i can't imagine why????
    www.petratscanada.com there are a few really good articles and caresheets for new pet rat owners... hope this helps!
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    BPnet Lifer wolfy-hound's Avatar
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    Re: Dumb Rats!!!

    Rats are WONDERFUL pets. I reccomend them to lots of people. Most of mine are great, but once in a while you get one that is just bitey. Most of mine were bought right out of a feeder bin, and within a few days were content to be picked up and handled. Mine love to ride on my shoulder around the house, and they groom my hair and whisper little rat secrets to me the entire time.
    I still don't have a problem feeding them to a snake, but if I were you, feed the bitey one off, and get a 2nd rat to put with the remaining one. They really are intelligent social critters. Great fun.
    My feeders are handled sometimes only once a week when I clean bins, and all but a couple never bite. Sometimes they like to 'play-gnaw' my fingers but they don't pinch even. The ones that bite, they BITE, no doubt about that.
    Wolfy

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    BPnet Veteran Shaffer's Avatar
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    Re: Dumb Rats!!!

    ok, so you know what I did? I went out and bought a male rat. Hopefully I will have some baby rat pics up in the next month or so...

    They all seem to like each other. I put on some Marvin Gaye for them and dimmed the lights.

    Lets get it on....
    Shaffer


    0.0.1 Anery Cornsnake (Prof. D**kweed)
    0.1 Normal Ball (Skin) and (Bones)
    0.2 Dumb Cats (Schnarph and Biffen)
    0.1 Blood Python

    "The rudest guy on BP.net"

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    Registered User Miss_Ann_Thrope's Avatar
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    Re: Dumb Rats!!!

    Quote Originally Posted by Shaffer
    ok, so you know what I did? I went out and bought a male rat. Hopefully I will have some baby rat pics up in the next month or so...

    They all seem to like each other. I put on some Marvin Gaye for them and dimmed the lights.

    Lets get it on....
    haha good luck. I'm still waiting on my first litter!

    2.2. bps - 1.0 Mackie - 1.0 savanah monitor - 0.1 Beardie

    ..Breeder and Feeder Rats..

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