Hey Rattie Peeps! This video took a long time to edit; I didn't want to misrepresent Bear (he is a lovely rattie) but I also wanted to remember and share what happened. There is a lot missing from this video as I wanted to keep it short and focused on the clip itself with some narration. Bear had been displaying hormonal dominance in the weeks leading up to the mounting-bites, but I assumed it wouldn't escalate to biting. He was also not picking on Fidget, his cagemate which I thought would change before his dominance became worse. After the bite (not shown on video) I had a great network of experienced breeders, rat rescuers and rat lovers to reach out to and discuss what had happened and what the right course of action should be. I did not punish or blame Bear, but I did feel that he'd broken my trust and it was up to me to find it again. We made the decision to neuter both boys at the same time to avoid a shift in hierarchy. On the lead up to and after his neuter, Bear has been lovely and has recovered well. It's too early for his neuter to have affected his hormone levels but we're taking care to not make him feel like he needs to defend himself (except when we really need to check his wound).

@sallison6013

6 жыл бұрын

Rattatea I keep getting bit by Freddie.... I try to gently let him... he’s a rescued rescue? I am third owner.. they think he’s around a year old... I actually teared up tonight... he got me twice... hard... felt like a failure... this is my first one... I’ve had him about a month I think... but I think I need to get him a checkup and neutered and after that a girly friend... I’m still learning... I’ve read but never had a small animal before... and I try not to be scared... around my face.. but I am... I’m gonna get a book and talk to the vet. I can’t pic him up.... he freaks out... so not sure how vet will be able to check him? But if she got experience.. he will hopefully be ok to her. Thank you for this video... I was sad n lost... love him.. just wasn’t sure why he was like that... prolly me too... have a lot to learn and build confidence with him

@Ratcrafts

6 жыл бұрын

S Allison wow - you’re very brave and kind to be taking on a rat who is biting if it’s your first time having rats! Remember that rats typically bite for a reason, and if he isn’t scared or in pain from another illness then it’s not something he can control. I’d maybe keep handling to a minimum until you’re able to see the Vet - I don’t want you hurt! It’s great you’re thinking of getting him friends - rats are social animals and really thrive with company :) Don’t worry about your Vet with handling him, they or a nurse in their practice will know how to handle a rat who bites :) and if you can’t get him out (grab with no hesitation under the arms then hold firmly) Just take the cage if you can :) Good luck with him. You’re making such a difference to his little life x

I've had my two boy rats for two days both are under 12 months old and both have bitten me this video was so informative thank you

I know this is a very old video, but still one I needed to see. My trio of "babies" just hit five months old this month, my squishy kissy girl Twitch has had a personalty switch almost overnight. I put my hand in the hammock for her to groom like I always do this morning, and she grabbed my finger (Just like your male showed in the video) and wouldn't let go for at least two minutes. She hug on for dear life, not biting into the skin, but clearly trying to show dominance, making intermittent squeaks as she did it. All day today, she's been squeaking/screeching when touched by me or her sisters, biting through the bars. The girls like to kiss me on the nose, but today she latched onto my nose and wouldn't let go. Not fun at all. I've also noticed a switch between her and her sisters. She became very protective of her favorite spots in the cage, biting or dragging her sisters if they came too close. I had to intervene at one point because she grabbed the scruff/neck of my old girl Pippa and dragged her off of a lava ledge. Almost displaying the behaviors of a mama rat dragging her kits back to the nest. Everything seems to point towards HA, and her age is a big indicator too, she's just entering adolescence. I was planning on getting one of my males neutered next month (in preparation for when he will be introduced to my females when his older casemate passes) but seems like it may have to make way for a spay for twitch. Oh well, this is why we have vet funds isn't it. Gotta love ratties and all their issues :D

Thank you for this video. I have had pet rats all my life. Mostly males. My partner and I currently have a group of 8 males from two different litters. They were around 5-6 weeks approximately when we got them and are around 8 months old now. They have always got along together fine with us and each other. Noodle was very bonded with me and enjoyed sitting next to me, grooming me and sitting on my shoulder. Just recently he has shown hormonal aggression and nipped me twice on hand but then bit me on the arm and drew blood. With the first nips the body language was very subtle and hard to predict but now he slightly puffs up at me and the trust is lost. I'm so devastated. My partner and I are thinking neuter may be answer. We have a local vets that we trust very much. I read your comment about hormonal implant which i will discuss with my vets as to what is the best option for Noodle. I'd be so sad if we couldn't get that trust back, we'll probably never have the relationship we did but i'm struggling with fear of being bitten. Horrible feeling. Thank you again for your video and advice. I'm commenting on my partners profile as i don't have an account. Jo xxx

You just gained a sub, keep up the great work!! Also your accent is so pretty :>

@Ratcrafts

6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the sub, I am so glad you like my videos and my accent ^_^

Im so glad I saw this video. This is exactly what happenend to me and my new rescue rat. He bit and scratched me. Just once. Now he is getting neutered.

My pet rat bit me very suddenly in a aggressive manner. It definitely shocked me a lot and my trust and desire for closeness with the rat immediately vanished since he bit me so hard my finger was bleeding a lot...

Bites hurt so bad i got nipped by a rat

it's not something I've ever seen before, but it's very interesting to see. Although saying that..................my friend's rat when I was 16 bit me for no reason whatsoever in a similar way (I still have the scar), maybe this was why. teehee squishy puddles :D

This.... Helped me more than I can say. One of my adoreable baby bumpkins, a REALLY adoreable Himalayan boy named Cassanova just got aggressive out of no where and even bit me without warning. Knowing that I am not the only one this has happened to helped me feel better. I did have a question though, is it true sometimes you do not need to castrate them? That sometimes waiting it out will work? I would rather the castration be a final sort of option. But no articles I have found so far say anything much about dealing with hormonal aggression.

@Ratcrafts

6 жыл бұрын

Anira Seraug thank you for this comment, I’m so glad that the video was helpful! I think how long you wait is entirely dependent on you and your situation. The context of this situation is that Bear was going to be neutered at 6 months old anyway, we had a vet I trusted lined up to do it, and I think it’s unacceptable for a pet rat who has had a fantastic upbringing (he’s not from a BYB) to take aggression in this context out on a person - he was getting worse. So we chose to neuter him at 4 months. Hormonal aggression is viewed as an illness in the fancy I am part of, and I’d do anything to avoid having such a social animal live alone. I’ve had two boys with hormonal aggression; one made his friends lives hell when he hit 8 months old and Bear chose to challenge me - both stopped being jack-***es after being neutered. I’ve never seen people advising to wait it out with boys who are confirmed to being hormonally aggressive - how long do you wait for? But there’s an alternative to an operation! Hormonal implants are available, and people have had great success with this less invasive method in the U.K.! Just a note though that veterinary care is always changing and evolving. The anaesthetic options available today are less risky than a few years ago. Surgery in a small animal shouldn’t be something your vet puts the fear of god into you over. :)

@aniraseraug2104

6 жыл бұрын

Rattatea Thank you so much. This helped so much. I may post an update once he has been "fixed" and is calming again. Just gotta find a good vet. Sadly I don't think he and his brother (same litter) will ever get along again. He got so aggressive with him that Kylo (the brother) is somewhat afraid of him now. So he may end up as a harem boy.

I just got my first 2 rats pinky an brain, pinky is alright an in slowly gaining his trust an was able to pet him a lil, but Brain is very skittish an when I'm trying to play with pinky he keeps pushing me away an trying to bite my hands idk what to do they were originally feeder rats... Anyone have any ideas I'm thinking of getting them if not just brain neutered?

I have one rat exhibiting hormonal aggression, but it's only when he smells a particular rat that he starts acting aggressive. This rat is 2.5 years old and already lives in a separate cage (it was originally two elderly rats up there, but as the younger old rat, he's become the last one in that cage). I was unable to introduce him to the younger rats, and while two of the younger rats seem indifferent when they pass by the room I keep my elderly rat in, the third will sit there, tearing up the carpet, scent marking, and huffing the air under the door. This rat has even bitten me after a long session of this. My question is, does hormonal aggression always escalate? If I block him from going up the stairs (which he has to do to get to the room where I keep the other rat) could this resolve the issue? If I do have to neuter him (which I'm terrified to do) will he be bullied by the other rats if I don't neuter them as well?

@Ratcrafts

5 жыл бұрын

PixieoftheWood thank you for sharing your experience! It’s not considered to be pleasant for a rat who is experiencing hormonal aggression; as highly social animals the experience of being on high alert is considered stressful for them. Neutering the rat who is showing hormonal aggression is done to allows a group of rats to settle. The goal is to enable the hormonal boy to join a group harmoniously so they’re not alone. Introducing him to baby bucks could be risky, introducing him to spayed does could escalate his behaviour. It’s very unlikely doing nothing will fix his reaction at his age. By neutering him, if he doesn’t settle down with your current boys (or one of them decides to target him), you’ll also give yourself the ability to explore him meeting does in the future. There are alternatives to neutering you can explore such as a hormonal implant which is less invasive. Though not a guarantee for living with does, some people in the UK have had success with this and in the future it’s what I’d explore before neutering :)

i had a rat do this but he was playing. he would go crazy it was so funny. it looked like he was humping my arm but he would bite and have his arms and legs around my are starting from my wrist to my elbow. he was so playful.

I had a large hamster bite me for no reason. He didn't let go... and ended up dead. Rats seem cooler than hamsters though.

Thank you for this!!! I have two rats that I got about this time last year. There actually a little over one year old. And we have been having problems with Buddy attacking me and my son’s feet and hands AND his cage mate - FOR NO FREAKING REASON!! I swear, I love the little shit, but I seriously wanted to throw him against the ball because he bit so deep every time. So I’m starting to think I’m going to have his nuts chopped off. :::::::::::thinking in my head::::::”HAH! That’s what ya get ya little bastard” But I am in an abusive relationship with the little (fat and big not little) guy, so continue to take his abuse, but still love him and can’t turn my back on him. I CAN however castrate those bad boys though! All jokes aside though, I just want to make him feel good I don’t think he feels very good right now for some reason and that might be it.

Rat did exactly the same thing, solved without castration. That was not aggression at all, rat tried do some pairing with your hand. If your hand's behavior looks like female rat, he always try to make some little rats with it :D If you'll explain that your hand is not a female, he will stop that.

It must be forbidden to hold reptiles at home! Please kill it, it is ugly! And 480p? Dont film with a toaster!

Thank you for this!!! I have two rats that I got about this time last year. There actually a little over one year old. And we have been having problems with Buddy attacking me and my son’s feet and hands AND his cage mate - FOR NO FREAKING REASON!! I swear, I love the little shit, but I seriously wanted to throw him against the ball because he bit so deep every time. So I’m starting to think I’m going to have his nuts chopped off. :::::::::::thinking in my head::::::”HAH! That’s what ya get ya little bastard” But I am in an abusive relationship with the little (fat and big not little) guy, so continue to take his abuse, but still love him and can’t turn my back on him. I CAN however castrate those bad boys though! All jokes aside though, I just want to make him feel good I don’t think he feels very good right now for some reason and that might be it. This video was very informative and made me feel better that that may be the issue.