Do rats bite?
Not usually. Rats do not have the nippiness associated with hamsters and other small pets. A bite-prone rat is about as common as a bite-prone dog. Rats that haven’t been socialized or have been poorly bred may be agressive, but this is rare. What will trigger biting is putting your hand near a protective mom with a litter, intervening in a rat fight, or touching a rat that is in pain or frightened (especially wild rats or ones that aren’t well socialized). A rat may also bite if you’re wearing perfume or lotion or offering a treat. Rats have very poor eyesight and rely on smell to tell food from friend. (Albinos and other pink-eyed rats have the poorest eyesight, and need the most understanding about accidental nips.) Also, rats do not recognise your hand or body as you if it has an unusual texture or scent, caused by soap, socks, gloves, bandaids, etc. My new rats always like to taste my jeans. By jumping and saying “ow” I let them know that it is part of ME, and they learn to leave
