Do pet rats bite?
Like dogs, most pet rats do not bite. However, there are two main reasons rats might bite: 1. Rats will defend themselves and their territory (cage), especially if their rat family includes babies. Some will bite strangers if they poke their fingers into the cage or in front of the rat’s face. Rats may also bite when scared, startled, or hurt. 2. Rats will sometimes grab your finger instead of a piece of food or something else they really want, or grab too hard if they smell food on your fingers. Or, if you feed your rat through the bars of his cage, he may get into the habit of grabbing anything that’s poked in—even fingers. To prevent getting bitten by rats, here are some rules: 1. Wash food smell off your hands before playing with rats. 2. Instruct visitors and children not to stick their fingers through the bars of the cage. And always take your rat out of his cage before letting strangers pet him. 3. Never tease your rat, especially with food. 4. Give your rat a signal when you gi
