Crazy rat - it's feeding day - need help!!!!!!!

[gillianc]

Okay, So I just went to the reptile store and bought a feeder live rat weaning.. I have never had this problem before but this rat is going to bite me.
I tried to stun it and it jumped at my hand and almost got it.. I put on gloves and it jumped up on them and tried to gnaw through them..

I really have no clue how or what I'm supposed to do anything that will let me feed my snake this rat, but its going crazy and won't let me grab it out of the box at all!! PLEASE HELP

[Annarose15]

This is why you don't try to "stun" a rodent. Whacking them on the head without killing them can induce panic and defensive attack mode. Put him somewhere he can't escape with a little food and water and give him time to chill out. Then just pick him up gently with your glove and feed the jerk off.

[gillianc]

Whacking them on the head without killing them can induce panic and defensive attack mode.

All I did was shake the box he's in a little, and that's because he was already doing this when I tried to pick him up the first time. I never have to stun them except for right now..

[Annarose15]

All I did was shake the box he's in a little, and that's because he was already doing this when I tried to pick him up the first time. I never have to stun them except for right now..

So the ride home freaked him out, and then you shook the box more. As I said - food, water, quiet, and then dump him in the cage. Grabbing at him is just going to aggravate him more.

[Rickys_Reptiles]

Leave the poor little bugger alone for an hour or 2, it'll probably curl into a ball and go to sleep. It's a living creature, be kind to it and it'll calm down. Remember, rats are social animals. This morning that rat was probably piled in the corner of its tub with a dozen or more of its siblings. now its scared and alone.

[MrLang]

A crazy rat would be one who DOESN'T think the before mentioned series of events was reason to get a little defensive.

[bcr229]

Or it could just be a really aggressive rat. Our local pet shop gives us the ones that tend to bite fingers and chew the other rats' faces off, because they know we're not going to try to make a pet out of it.

[eatgoodfood]

... maybe but im pretty sure shaking it up in the box didnt make it any less aggressive if that is the case...

[KING JAMES]

Funny thing I have fed / sold off well over 1k rats and have never met a rat that when approached calmly and confidently has not melted like little rat putty in my hands. I have only been bit 4 times and all of those were when pulling mothers off babies so I could feed off the pinks. Maybe I am lucky maybe my rats are uber calm but I think the aggressive rat issue is more of a scared crapless rat that does not know what to do. (For the record I have the same opinion on ASFS even though everyone thinks they are biters)

[treeboa]

Rats aren't stupid. They know what's going to happen. I had to take my first female ball to the vet for a deep bite from a medium rat that decided to attack the minute its feet hit the floor.