I got Dorsey from a pet store, pregnant. She didn't get very socialized early on (she was only about 12 weeks old) because once she had a lovely tendency to lunge at us any time we anywhere near her when she had the babies, whether they were around or not. This is the kind of bite where she bears down as hard as she can and holds as long as she can, even up to the point of hanging off of someone when they pull their hand away (pulling away, not a great idea I know but it's pretty hard not to). She got better once the babies grew up, but every once in a while deals out a hell of a chomp. 

She'll bite through the cage bars (even if we don't smell like food) which I know is pretty common, she's just territorial. She'll also bite if you're trying to pick her up-- mostly when she's in a corner or an enclosed space, which is understandable and totally the fault of the person doing the cornering. But every once in a while, like every couple months, she decides to nom a finger just because. Once she drew more blood than I ever lost in one sitting: she clamped down on the pad of my index finger (I couldn't feel it for a few months).  I cupped my hand and my palm was full of a pool of blood within seconds.  This happens for no reason at all that I can tell. It's not consistent enough to train her in any way, not predictable enough to be able to avoid replicating the circumstances.

So tonight everybody was free-ranging and it was time for them to go home so I rounded up everyone but her, she was hiding under the bed. I clucked at her and she came out to investigate, and I reached my hand out and CHOMP-- she got a huge mouthful of the fleshy bottom under-part of my right pinky finger and held on. It hurt like hell, don't get me wrong, but I wasn't crying because of that. It just makes me feel like crap, you know? Like she doesn't love me, like I did something to hurt her, I don't know. I feel like I'm talking about my boyfriend or something!! Is this pathetic or does getting bit make you feel like that too?

Pansy used to bite like that. I solved it by not trying to pick her up anymore and using a basket to carry her place to place. If you put a basket with some nice fleece in it and tap, rats will usually hop in to investigate. When I bring them back to the cage, I hold the basket to the door and they hop out. I immediately give them a treat. Going out of the cage in the basket is its own reward. They learn that to go somewhere, they need to go in the basket.

Spaying Pansy finally ended her biting. The spay was for an unrelated circumstance, but it settled her down anyways. 

Hope that helps!

Pansy in her basket which she loves sooo much! 


Ready to go!

My first rat was like this, a ferocious little chomper. She came to me from a terrible pet store. She would push her little face through the bars to try and bite anyone near her cage. She would really clamp down and not let go.  It was hard to believe something so tiny and cute could bite so hard!  To handle her I used to put on two pairs of heavy leather gardening gloves, with my fingers not reaching all the way to the end, so Pepper would chomp the glove and not my actual finger. While her teeth were clamped onto the glove I would dare to pick her up.  After several months, she gradually stopped biting.

But, I've had rats who sometimes would be sweet and sometimes bite, and I think that hurt my feelings a lot more than one who bites all the time. My little PEW Emberly was like that. I felt guilty like maybe she wasn't happy but I didn't know how to fix it, and towards the end when she got sick I wasn't sure if my presence was more a comfort or an annoyance to her. Emberly came to me from a shelter at a fairly young age with two other rats who both turned out sweet and friendly. I guess with some difficult rats, you just do your best knowing you're providing them a good home, but still, I know it's hard not to feel bad when they chomp you!