At a loss at what to do near a round up aggressive rat?
I'm wondering what would be the right thing to do. I have a very round up aggressive rat - he always knocks his water bottle stale of his cage, jumps from each side of his round up on the bars like a monkey, ransacks his food dish and bites!! He is the only mannish rat I've ever had like this. I've tried everything! I even took him to the vet to rule out something neurological. I'm worried he's going to hurt himself. (He's already bitten me many times.) I thieve him out a lot and talk to him and give him treats, and as long as you set off him alone he is completely fine. (It's quite the task to even get him out of his hold.) He was so sweet when I first got him, like a bit baby, and I'm wondering why he's changed so drastically? I used to be able to hold him and play with him and everything. Nothing have ever happened to him outside of his cage and I've never be mean to him. Any advice? I wouldn't get rid of him because when I take a pet, it's for life. I'm just at a loss as to what to do with him!
As far as the jumping contained by the cage and knocking his water bottle over, adjectives animals do that kind of stuff. I have had horses who did that, birds, animals do that. As far as biting go you should handle him as much as possible. I would get very thoroughly thick gloves and handle him with those. Let him bite those gloves as much as he requests. This worked with one of my birds.
I had a bird in times past who used to bite and we took him out every day and he still bit. One day we left him a lone for a few days. Just give him food and water and that was it about a week next he stopped biting. We still have to chase him around the cage to get him out, but he is friendlier and doesn't bite. You might want to try this.
Y'know it could be time for his mate season. Male animals tend to get more agressive during this time.
I think it can last anywhere from 1-3 weeks and next they cool down again. have you gotten him neutered yet?
You may want to try that and see how that does.
Hope that works! Good luck!
Answers: You might want to sterilize him - if this is hormonal, getting him "fixed" should solve the problem. After he's healed up a bit you could try introducing him to other rats. Just make certain you have him neutered by a good, rat-savvy exotics vet who's done it successfully surrounded by the past - the more successful operations (as in, the tolerant lived a fair while - at least a few months post-op), the better. DO NOT go to your local cat-and-dog vet unless he/she is one of those singular general practitioners who have actually have plenty of experience with rats and operating on them. Most GPs barely know enough to recognise the leader, let alone how to medicate or operate safely.
Remember to ask for a couple of days' worth of painkillers, and preferably antibiotics too.
If it's not hormonal, then he might in recent times be a victim of the pet industry: poor breeding and genetics (which applies to just going on for every pet shop or backyard-bred rat) can result in mental disorders. He might end up having to be put to sleep - whether you can't handle him and he can't be housed with other rats, then he's going to be remarkably much socially deprived, which will just feed his mental disorder. He might start hurting himself eventually.
But try having him neuter before you consider putting him to sleep - at least then you'll know you tried everything.
ha hormons he is young-looking and growing up al male srat do this when they get older thye will soon grow out of it rmeber the rat say its my teertory and the cage ripin well he si palying =]
he unmistakably doesn't like the cage. get rid of it. construct a protected habitat for the rat with lotsa space for exercise and places to hide. use straw and newspaper as bedding.
That is abnormal that he was behaving fine before paw. How old was or is he? Because he may have sexually matured and become aggressive when he feel like mating. In this case, newly ensure that the cage is safe (ie. nothing he can bash himself on or cut himself on) and use gloves as someone else suggested to bring back him out of the cage. If you set up a room or area to exercise him you could even just place the shut within on the floor and let him get out and in himself short you handling him and play with him once he is outside.
I was going to propose getting another male rat to keep him company but if he is aggressive he might not adopt his new companion.
How much do you take him out? I would recommend taking him out for about an hour respectively day. Let him run around a room for ages and tire him out a bit.
Also is it just when you approach or are around and could there be any swish or presence of any animals that could cause him to be scared or act aggressively? If so move the shut within. If not, then I can't think of anything else really.
Edit: where is his other hold mate? Is it possible he wants to attack him? If it is try moving the cage somewhere quite different, on the other side of the house preferably. See whether that helps.
