[Matt]

I dont know if I trust my boys enough to let them ...lick me.
They might wonder what i taste like.

How do you guys get your rats to do that?and be so gentle?

I want my rats to be able to do this without tasteing me:

And This: How do you make this happen?!?!?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4tHbAY3qj8&mode=related&search=

 

[Mana]

I used to trust my rats around my face, until Coconut bit my lips on two different occasions, and my sister's rat Bella bit me there once. I still let Kismet kiss me because she doesn't bite, but none of the bigger girls get access to my lips, just in case ^^;

As far as the licking, I think it might just be a personality thing. None of my older girls lick much, unless there's something tasty on my fingers, but Bella will lick any and every hand that gets near her face (although she doesn't like to be pet). Kismet frequently grooms my hands, and my new PEW (yet unnamed) gives a few licks of my fingers before exploring more - but she only came home this morning so she might do it more when she settles in ^_^

 

[JennieLove]

I just trust my boys and I have never been biten. They do test things, just like in the picture, you can see him actually holding onto my lip, but he never bites down. He is exreamly gentle.

 

[Forensic]

I trust all my boys but Pernod about my face. If they do 'bite' it's only a little nibble. And with Perry, he doesn't bite either, but I'm just a bit more skittish about him, especially if he gets into a 'mood.'

 

[Lunachick]

I don't usually let mine get near my face when they are in the cage because Topher and Toby have both bitten my lip. But when they are out, on my shoulder, they will only lick.

 

[crapola]

ginger is my licky rat. she licks my hands, my face, any piece of skin she can get to. loco doesnt lick at all, just little nibbles every now and then. soot and ash will lick sometimes. meggsy will lick my hands and give me kisses and licks on my mouth, but i dont dare let her any where near the evil eyelash bugs as she has a burning need to protect me from them!

 

[DonnaK]

I think it depends on your rat. One of ours will pierce your ears for you, if she's given the chance - which is bad when you swell up like I do with reactions to rat bites and scratches! Our other girl has never bitten and I don't think she ever would... I trust her completely.

Perhaps you need to test them with the back of your hand or somewhere they can't do too much damage if they do bite a little hard, first?

 

[chrisstrikeagain]

I dont trust Victoria because she is a biter. But the other 3 i trust, they dont bite and kiss when they want/

 

[lilspaz68]

Start with something small and liquidy and yummy on your hand. Tell them "no" or eep at them if they are a bit rough. Once they figure out they should just lick, you'll get a lickfest If one of them grabs your hand/fingers and tries to drag it into the cage, just let your hand follow them. they soon let go and start licking. My rats have done that with my bare hands..."Mommm...come here!!!"

Never let a rat near your eyes (some can be trusted but its hard to find out who). They love eyelashes, I think they remind them of feathers and eyelids occasionally get nipped. :roll:

 

[Matt]

I put a dab of peanutbutter on the top of my finger and Rokk didnt bite...but he held on a little...get it?
Then he licked, then held on some more, then just licked off the rest.
Then for the rest of the day he wanted to get to my hands...lol...

(I know peanutbutter isnt the greatest and can choke them so i water'd it down with a drop of water, and it thined out a lot.)

 

[ukebucket]

I recently got two rats (well, about 3 weeks ago)...they're both female...one (Pepper) is VERY sociable, and has no problem climbing on me, she's learned her name, and I let her lick my lips. I never thought I'd let that happen, and my boyfriend thinks it's gross, but seriously...once you own rats, you honestly develop a "ratty love." The other rat (Cinnamon) is very shy, and now I'm just trying to get her out of her cage at her own comfort level. I think if they ever do bite, you just use a different tone of voice. Pepper already can recognize that. And she seems to really like kissing me for some reason. I just make a kissy sound with my lips and she comes right too me. Sometimes it's too much. But I love it! I never thought rats could be this great! Honestly, I come home and can't wait to play with them. Anyways...there's my rant.

 

[JadeAmber]

I find that my bitey boy is more likely to do damage when he is excited or worked up. For example, he really likes attacking feathers between his cage bars, but if I put my fingers near him when he's attacking it, he bites my fingers too. My other boy mouths a lot but never bites hard enough to break skin, even when he's being worked up by a good tickle fight.