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I had some nipping problems with my BEW Mola, but that ended about a week ago. She stopped nipping and I thought it was a breakthrough and it was over.
I don't know what happened today, but I was petting her while she was in the lixit critter space pod, which is where all her past incidents have been. I've been making it a point to pet her while she's in there. She's let me skritch her belly while in there as well. After I cleaned the fleece (my hands probably still smelled like the cleaners I use), I went to pet everyone. She was in the pod and the entire time that I was petting her in the pod, she was fine. Then, when I pulled my hand back because Denna was making an escape, she half-followed my hand and bit me. When I pushed my hand towards her like normal she kept biting. I finally bopped her on the nose, I think as it may have just been on the side of her face, she stopped. Then, she came out of the pod and I went to pick her up skritch her belly while holding her (I do this all the time with no complaints, she bit me again. I pinned her down/groomed her belly while pinning her and she was fine with it. And as she walked around the cage, I kept petting her and she kept mouthing me. I'd bop her on the nose and say "no biting/nipping" and pin her to exert dominance and she was fine. Lastly, I offered to everyone, but she got her treats last and only after I'd pet her.
She's about 5 months old. I don't think she's trying to be dominant since she lets me pin her and she offers her belly to me while in the pod. Anyway, I have about 5 bleeding bite marks on both hands and I'm honestly terrified of her now. A large part of me wants to give her back to the breeder who said she was very sweet (all my rats come from her; the rest are very sweet) and try for a more submissive rat or to someone more knowledgeable about this. However, she is usually sweet most of the other time (she can be a bit standoff-ish) and I don't want to give up on her. Right now, the part that wants to give her up is winning though.
Please don't judge me for this, I am completely scared of her and I don't think I can handle an immersion with her if she starts biting me again. I don't really know what's going on and I'm not sure I can even handle what is going on. I don't know why she's biting me, she doesn't seem fearful when I pet her. She tends to lean away and seems like she is uncomfortable with being pet, but is perfectly fine to offer up her belly if I start skritching towards it. The breeder said she is a complete sweetheart, and she can be, but I'm utterly terrified of her.
I don't know what happened today, but I was petting her while she was in the lixit critter space pod, which is where all her past incidents have been. I've been making it a point to pet her while she's in there. She's let me skritch her belly while in there as well. After I cleaned the fleece (my hands probably still smelled like the cleaners I use), I went to pet everyone. She was in the pod and the entire time that I was petting her in the pod, she was fine. Then, when I pulled my hand back because Denna was making an escape, she half-followed my hand and bit me. When I pushed my hand towards her like normal she kept biting. I finally bopped her on the nose, I think as it may have just been on the side of her face, she stopped. Then, she came out of the pod and I went to pick her up skritch her belly while holding her (I do this all the time with no complaints, she bit me again. I pinned her down/groomed her belly while pinning her and she was fine with it. And as she walked around the cage, I kept petting her and she kept mouthing me. I'd bop her on the nose and say "no biting/nipping" and pin her to exert dominance and she was fine. Lastly, I offered to everyone, but she got her treats last and only after I'd pet her.
She's about 5 months old. I don't think she's trying to be dominant since she lets me pin her and she offers her belly to me while in the pod. Anyway, I have about 5 bleeding bite marks on both hands and I'm honestly terrified of her now. A large part of me wants to give her back to the breeder who said she was very sweet (all my rats come from her; the rest are very sweet) and try for a more submissive rat or to someone more knowledgeable about this. However, she is usually sweet most of the other time (she can be a bit standoff-ish) and I don't want to give up on her. Right now, the part that wants to give her up is winning though.
Please don't judge me for this, I am completely scared of her and I don't think I can handle an immersion with her if she starts biting me again. I don't really know what's going on and I'm not sure I can even handle what is going on. I don't know why she's biting me, she doesn't seem fearful when I pet her. She tends to lean away and seems like she is uncomfortable with being pet, but is perfectly fine to offer up her belly if I start skritching towards it. The breeder said she is a complete sweetheart, and she can be, but I'm utterly terrified of her.