Help! My usually gentle rat suddenly started biting :(

[MrsBenoit]

Ok, So I got Sheldon, my rat from my mom's coworker 1 and a half month ago and he was a fun gentle loving little guy. He loved to give us kisses and play with us. We figured he was about 4 months old at the time. He recently started biting harder and harder about 3 weeks ago. Last friday, he bit me so hard I needed stitches. Now I'm afraid to hold him. If I do he bites. Thankfully my husband helps me out. He still gets to play in his big ball 2-3 times a day and I also give him about 1 hour of free time in our rat proofed washroom with a bunch of toys and forts and such. Why did he suddenly become so aggressive? Would neutering him help? I just want the little guy I had when I first got him back...HELP!

 

[hopefloats]

I had a boy who bit my finger so hard it took months to heal. I had him neutered, i now kiss him on his nose. I wouldnt do it unless he is neutered. it is a blessing for mean boys!

 

[jorats]

Your little boy is at that age when his hormones kick in. Some males have a hard time dealing and it ends up with them biting. Biting is not common in rats but with males a quick and easy fix is neutering.
I highly recommend having him neutered asap. It can then take up to 3 months for him to settle down but usually, it's within days of the neuter. I would also consider getting him a buddy. Once he's neutered, get him a baby brother.

 

[MrsBenoit]

What if getting another rat is not really an option. My husband wasn't very keen on the idea of us getting Sheldon in the first place but we got him for free as well as his cage and supplies and finally agreed to it. Would he be ok on his own?

 

[jorats]

What if getting another rat is not really an option. My husband wasn't very keen on the idea of us getting Sheldon in the first place but we got him for free as well as his cage and supplies and finally agreed to it. Would he be ok on his own?

No... rats are a social animal. It is very unnatural for them to live alone. He will survive but he won't thrive. Same with humans, no matter what we need human contact. We don't speak rat, we don't know their body language, we won't groom them with our teeth. For a full, happy and healthy life, he needs a buddy.

 

[MrsBenoit]

What if getting another rat is not really an option. My husband wasn't very keen on the idea of us getting Sheldon in the first place but we got him for free as well as his cage and supplies and finally agreed to it. Would he be ok on his own?

No... rats are a social animal. It is very unnatural for them to live alone. He will survive but he won't thrive. Same with humans, no matter what we need human contact. We don't speak rat, we don't know their body language, we won't groom them with our teeth. For a full, happy and healthy life, he needs a buddy.

So i spoke to my husband and he has agreed to get another little friend for Sheldon, we are picking him up tomorrow. Thank you so much for the advice, it really helps to be able to speak to someone :dance:

 

[jorats]

What if getting another rat is not really an option. My husband wasn't very keen on the idea of us getting Sheldon in the first place but we got him for free as well as his cage and supplies and finally agreed to it. Would he be ok on his own?

No... rats are a social animal. It is very unnatural for them to live alone. He will survive but he won't thrive. Same with humans, no matter what we need human contact. We don't speak rat, we don't know their body language, we won't groom them with our teeth. For a full, happy and healthy life, he needs a buddy.

So i spoke to my husband and he has agreed to get another little friend for Sheldon, we are picking him up tomorrow. Thank you so much for the advice, it really helps to be able to speak to someone :dance:

Oh wow, that's awesome. I recommend a younger one, around 8 weeks old. Congrats!
You'll need to do introductions slowly and preferably after Sheldon has been neutered.

 

[MrsBenoit]

What if getting another rat is not really an option. My husband wasn't very keen on the idea of us getting Sheldon in the first place but we got him for free as well as his cage and supplies and finally agreed to it. Would he be ok on his own?

No... rats are a social animal. It is very unnatural for them to live alone. He will survive but he won't thrive. Same with humans, no matter what we need human contact. We don't speak rat, we don't know their body language, we won't groom them with our teeth. For a full, happy and healthy life, he needs a buddy.

So i spoke to my husband and he has agreed to get another little friend for Sheldon, we are picking him up tomorrow. Thank you so much for the advice, it really helps to be able to speak to someone :dance:

Oh wow, that's awesome. I recommend a younger one, around 8 weeks old. Congrats!
You'll need to do introductions slowly and preferably after Sheldon has been neutered.

Why should I only introduce them once Sheldon is neutered? Will he be territorial? Any suggestions on Introducing them?

 

[jorats]

Like every pet, there's a process for smooth introduction.
Because Sheldon is already biting, it might be better to wait till his stress levels are down. In the meantime, you can adopt a 6 week old baby and house him next to Sheldon so they can smell each other. Once Sheldon has recovered, you can introduce the two on neutral ground like on your bed or table top. After over a week of meetings and if it all goes smoothly, you need to scrub down the main cage and move them in together. If you can, move around a few things in the cage so it's no longer recognizable to Sheldon.