Biting Again?

MadamBelladonna · Nov 28, 2011

So when I first brought Oliver home a month or two ago, he would always bite when I stuck my hand in the cage (he never bit OUTSIDE the cage). He's completely stopped biting the last 2-3 weeks but today after I cleaned the cage, I tried to take him out and he gave me a good bite on the finger. Thought maybe I just startled him or something so I tried again slowly and he bit me harder! Any ideas what could cause a relapse like that?

MadamBelladonna · Nov 28, 2011

k well he's not biting now...maybe just a one-time re-occurrence...

mamarat · Nov 28, 2011

How old is Oliver? He could be biting you when his hormones act up. I had a cage aggressive rat and only a neuter helped Pinto. Good luck with your sweetie.

KatTheHippie · Nov 28, 2011

Did your hands smell different, or like food? Alice bit when I first brought her home, though it was just nervousness, so after a week or so she stopped, and now she's a terrible mush who just goes limp in your hands to be loved on, but once I went to pluck her out of her igloo and I had just been petting one of my cats, and she nailed me good on my finger.

jorats · Nov 28, 2011

Some rats are naturally possessive of their homes and might not like having you go in there. I've had a few like that over the years so I know to be extra careful around them.

MadamBelladonna · Nov 28, 2011

KatTheHippie said:
Did your hands smell different, or like food? Alice bit when I first brought her home, though it was just nervousness, so after a week or so she stopped, and now she's a terrible mush who just goes limp in your hands to be loved on, but once I went to pluck her out of her igloo and I had just been petting one of my cats, and she nailed me good on my finger.

No, I had just washed them because I had just finished cleaning the cage.

jorats said:
Some rats are naturally possessive of their homes and might not like having you go in there. I've had a few like that over the years so I know to be extra careful around them.

Kinda weird though, he had stopped biting. And he's not biting me anymore again lol