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A coworker's friend found an albino rat yesterday. It wandered up to him while he was on his porch. She suggested he give it to me. So I took the little guy in to find him a home... I stupidly tried to pet him while he was eating, just like I do with me own, and he gnawed into my flesh. Real bad. He didn't nip, or bite hard, he dug his teeth in and GNAWED! It bled sooo much. I feel so stupid for touching a rat I don't know while he ate. STUPID!!
Then this morning, I walked to the cage he was in and he put his paws on the bars and sniffed at me. There were no signs (that I noticed anyway...). I went to pet him because that's what it looked like he wanted... before the cage door was even open, he lunged at my (other) hand and went at it. I am pretty sure he nicked a tendon because when I flex my fingers, pain shoots alone the tendon.
I took him to the SPCA where I volunteer. I am not experienced enough to handle rehabbing a cage aggressive rat. He looks like he's about 4-6months old so I'm guessing it's hormonal, he bit somebody, and they dumped him outside. I'm hoping this will subside once they neuter him. They have him quarantined for two weeks because he broke the skin and I sought medical treatment. I got a tetanus shot and some antibiotics. I opted out of the rabies vaccine since it's so unlikely that a rat would carry rabies and he's clearly domesticated and well fed. I doubt he was outside for more than a day or two.
Puncture wounds sure bleed heavy.....
ANYWAY: The point of this post is to pick your brains and get your opinion on his behavior. I'm not experienced with cage aggression. He was the sweetest thing when I picked him up to carry him inside but once he was in there... oh god... Any thoughts on whether a neuter would make him adoptable? We usually just get rabbits and guinea pigs. It's rare that we get rats. If a neuter is likely to help, they will definitely try it.
Then this morning, I walked to the cage he was in and he put his paws on the bars and sniffed at me. There were no signs (that I noticed anyway...). I went to pet him because that's what it looked like he wanted... before the cage door was even open, he lunged at my (other) hand and went at it. I am pretty sure he nicked a tendon because when I flex my fingers, pain shoots alone the tendon.
I took him to the SPCA where I volunteer. I am not experienced enough to handle rehabbing a cage aggressive rat. He looks like he's about 4-6months old so I'm guessing it's hormonal, he bit somebody, and they dumped him outside. I'm hoping this will subside once they neuter him. They have him quarantined for two weeks because he broke the skin and I sought medical treatment. I got a tetanus shot and some antibiotics. I opted out of the rabies vaccine since it's so unlikely that a rat would carry rabies and he's clearly domesticated and well fed. I doubt he was outside for more than a day or two.
Puncture wounds sure bleed heavy.....
ANYWAY: The point of this post is to pick your brains and get your opinion on his behavior. I'm not experienced with cage aggression. He was the sweetest thing when I picked him up to carry him inside but once he was in there... oh god... Any thoughts on whether a neuter would make him adoptable? We usually just get rabbits and guinea pigs. It's rare that we get rats. If a neuter is likely to help, they will definitely try it.