I have two boys who are about six months old now and one of them has now mistaken my fingers for food twice. OUCH! He's not at all aggressive. It normally happens when he has just woken up from a nap. He just grabs my finger and tries to run away with it, the same as he would with any tasty treat. It draws a bit of blood, but nothing like if he had meant to do it. Does anyone else's rats ever get confused?
Do your rats ever mistake you for food?
- Thread starter murphyrat
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I have a girl that does something very similar to that but I had chalked it up to old age (she is about 20 months now) When we first got her I thought it was because her eyes would sometimes dry shut from to much porphyrin discharge but since she had her antibiotics her eyes have gotten better but she still will grab and bite your fingers if you go near when she first wakes up or you wake her up...I just talk to her before touching her and make sure she knows it is me and is some what awake before I put my hands near...Wish I had a better answer then that but honestly I don't and being yours are only 6 months old then can't blame that on old age there.
my two boys do this all the time, esp if they smell something they really like
I just gave everyone a bit of banana and one of them was so eager to get it he bit my finger OUCH
from now on, the treats go in a bowl, no more finger feeding them :/
what RatPack said is pretty much what I've done too.
talk to them before you put your hand in the cage, maybe say the same thing each time so they know what to expect
and make a fist and put your hand in slowly.
they are less likely to mistake that for food. I put my hand in with my palm down, made into a fist, if I'm at all concerned that someone is gonna nip me because they arent' fully awake or otherwise not paying attention
some people also make a high pitched Eeep sound when the rat puts their teeth on you, like another rat would do to tell them "no" don't bite me
sometimes a rat will mistake you for another rat and try to pull you into the cage with them, what your guy is doing sounds more like that- which is adorable, but of course not something you want to encourage lol
I've had a couple of rats try to pull me into the cage. it's sweet but not when they break skin :/
I just gave everyone a bit of banana and one of them was so eager to get it he bit my finger OUCH
from now on, the treats go in a bowl, no more finger feeding them :/
what RatPack said is pretty much what I've done too.
talk to them before you put your hand in the cage, maybe say the same thing each time so they know what to expect
and make a fist and put your hand in slowly.
they are less likely to mistake that for food. I put my hand in with my palm down, made into a fist, if I'm at all concerned that someone is gonna nip me because they arent' fully awake or otherwise not paying attention
some people also make a high pitched Eeep sound when the rat puts their teeth on you, like another rat would do to tell them "no" don't bite me
sometimes a rat will mistake you for another rat and try to pull you into the cage with them, what your guy is doing sounds more like that- which is adorable, but of course not something you want to encourage lol
I've had a couple of rats try to pull me into the cage. it's sweet but not when they break skin :/
I agree it is a something that I would find cute if it didn't hurt! I will definitely try to disassociate my hands from food from now on, and try to offer them less munchable parts of my hand at first from now on. Thanks for the input!
