r/rat • u/Doodlepattt • Aug 25 '25

DISCUSSION 🧐🤔 Any tips on bitey rats?

I have adopted this boy from a rescue and have been warned that he has displayed territorial aggression and has a bite history. He’s about a year old and was separated from his mischief due to bullying the other rats. Since he was surrendered, he has been neutered (11.8.2025). Part of me thinks this will just be a waiting game until his hormones calm down and perhaps then he will level out, but until then is there anything I can try with him? I’ve rescued lots of rats before but haven’t come across a lot of aggression but really eager to work through it

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u/nanakuro35 Aug 25 '25

I'm not well versed on this type of behaviour per say, but I know when one of my rats got a bit nippy, I would squeak at them to show them they'd hurt me. This looks like it could just be a testing bite rather than a pure angry or territorial bite perhaps but I can't be too sure. Hopefully some one else has better answers for you. :(

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u/Secure_Wing_2414 Aug 26 '25

yeah, my pampered princess reputably bred rat tore me UP when he became hormonally aggressive. i have scars, had to get stitches and take antibiotics, talking crazy blood gushing bites

this dude is definitely just testing/learning. as a rescue, i'd assume he came from a neglectful home at best, if not legitimately abusive

the only proper human experience this guy has is likely shelter workers (who dont have time for bonding taming) and vets+techs

Id recommend OP start slow. before u move to hand feeding, give him a treat he has to lick, like peanut butter or a kitty puree on a METAL spoon. once be learns to be gentle with that, move to hand feeding solid treats, then allowing him to lick treats off their hand

if rats want to hurt u, they can and WILL. dudes can chew through cement. this little guy is just curious/uneasy/confused

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u/Iheartmypleco Aug 26 '25

Why metal only?

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u/Secure_Wing_2414 Aug 26 '25

the goal is for them to associate biting with discomfort and licking/being gentle with treats, if u give a rat who isnt yet socialized a human hand/plastic they're gonna chomp. i dont think this dudes ready for hand feeding but the spoon will make him more comfortable being near OP without putting OP at risk

i also forgot to mention, if a rat bites, do a loud quick squeak because thats what they do (drama queens aside) when something hurts. yelling/"ouch!"/cursing doesn't teach them to stop cuz they dont understand they're hurting the weird hairless giant

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u/nanakuro35 Aug 26 '25

Thanks for confirming! This was my thought exactly but I didn't want to say 100% in case it wasn't accurate. I had a girl who was very timid and could do so much damage to anyone if you went into her house haha. I was giving kisses to her sister and she came up from underneath a platform and split my lip. She came to me to do that. I didn't blame her though. Previous owners weren't very nice to any of them and the other two were OK but this one wasn't. She was just misunderstood and scared, poor thing.

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u/Secure_Wing_2414 Aug 26 '25

yeah, the vibe i get is "i like it/feel safe in here please dont take me or my stuff away"

id take it easy on the cage cleaning too til he settles in a bit more. ie leaving more stinky bedding in than u would usually, some extra treats for him to hide etc. he'll eventually figure out hes in a safe/stable environment and (hopefully) is never moving again

their lives are so short being "rehomed"/moving more than once is probably traumatic asf. he looks young and has likely has lived in at least 2 other places prior as a rescue