How to stop biting?

[Marley]

I've recently gotten three very pretty female rats of just over a year. I found them on an ad from Craigslist, and yesterday met up with the owner and brought them home via car. After we set them up at home in my room, I left them alone for about seven hours to get adjusted to their new settlement.
I went over and talked to them a bit, let them sniff my fingers at a distance, and then moved my hand closer covered by my sleeve, and one of my girls lunged right at it. About an hour later, when fixing a fallen ramp, she lunged at a close friend of mine who has been over since they got here. I was told later by my mom she was also very food aggressive. Any way to cure this while avoid any other close calls?
Earlier today, the more timid one had just begun to approach me and, with the same sleeve method, I allowed her to sniff me. She tried mouthing at the cloth a little, and then started grabbing and biting the cloth.
The last one very bravely approached me, but has spent most of her time in their hanging bed and hasn't made any attempts to bite.
Any way to fix these little bites?
Thank you!

 

[hopefloats]

She may need more time to adjust I would start with just bribing her with treats safe ones that will allow you to keep your fingers. I would give her a few days to adjust thought before handling. I had a boy bite me a few times when he first got here and never again after he adjusted.

 

[patchesboo]

I hope they settle in for you and stop biting. I've never had to deal with this kind of behavior, so I would be at a loss as well.

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[Marley]

Ah, thank you! I'll keep this in mind the next few days and hope she comes around.
We had two boys a few months back that died within months of each other, and finally recently decided to bring in more rats to the family. It's a bit upsetting to have to work through this, but it's a learning experience for us all!

 

[temblabamomo]

I'm not sure I'd use this sleeve method. Rats naturally try to yank on and chew stuff like that, you may get accidentally bitten by one who just wants to tug on your sleeves. I like to hold out my hand balled up so they're presented with my knuckles. That way, if they do bite, they're not getting a good painful bite into soft fleshy finger, but rather a less painful graze to the knuckles. Hopefully with more time they will settle in and stop wanting to bite. The one girl may just be a bit cage aggressive.

 

[jorats]

With the sleeve, the rats are checking the texture and what it might be. They may do the same with your skin, they check it out specially if it's being offered to them. But the lunging, sounds to me like the little one is being overprotective of her cage so in this case, lots and lots of socializing. Keep going into the cage, offer a treat to each of them right away, do this a lot so that they will relate you going into the cage as a very good thing. Take them out a lot to play with you.

 

[Joanne]

I agree with what's been said. If I reach into the cage far enough, sometimes my rats will grab my clothes and try to pull them into the cage! LOL
Treats, treats, and more treats. Every time you go to them, bring them something wonderful. They will soon be so happy to see you they will be at the bars trying to get out.
One of the other training methods I use is to dip my finger in something good, like yogurt. The 'untrained' ones will usually try and grab my finger and pull it into the cage. I just go with the flow, and they usually figure out they are supposed to lick instead of grab soon enough. I never pull back when they are doing it - then they would grab on harder. If they grab too hard, I squeak in protest, just like rats do. Gotta speak their language! LOL
Any contact with the rats should never be through the bars, but instead direct contact. Through the bars will surely result in a bite...
Anyway, I'm confident that with effort and patience you will soon have three lovely girls to enjoy.

 

[EDK]

Treat bribes and more treat bribes, thats my best suggestion as the other ladies say, that and time, keep doing what your doing, and of course don't act scared, they can sense that. I also found when i first got my babies and they were being "mouthy" testing their limits and the texture of my skin and clothes, I'd give off a loud SQUEAK, to let them know "ouch that hurts!". This method worked so well for me, that not only are they not food aggressive or cage aggressive, but I can feed them through the bars without fear of biting. They never bite down till they are sure they have food in their mouth.

Heck one time while giving my group some grapes, my pink eyed, more shy natured boy, Nes, missed the grape entirely and gripped my finger instead. To him they probably felt the same, but he still didn't bite down hard enough for it to hurt, just firmly enough to have a grip and try to pull my hand in lol. So I did the *SQUEAK* thing and he let go immiedatly, then we tried again with the grape, to which i pushed into his mouth, he took eagerly. Pushing food into their mouth (after time of socalization) shows them that "i am giving you this food, theres no need to fear that I will take it away" so my group is very relaxed with fingers and food being put in the cage.