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Hello! I posted a long time ago because I had gotten a bad bite from my newly adopted rats. I have been taking it very slow since then. I bring them a bowl of fruits and veggies every day and give it to them by hand. Actually, only one of the rats- Panda- comes up to get it. The other rat, Puppy, is very skittish and won't come out when I'm around.
Today I wanted to move forward with Panda and try to pet her, but I'm really scared of getting bitten. I put on some thick leather gloves and put my hand in the cage after I handed her some treats. She sniffed the gloves a lot then tried to nibble them, but I don't think it was an attack, then grabbed the treat and ran away to eat it. My concern is that the gloves smell very strongly of leather and I don't know if the rat recognizes my scent beneath it. I am too scared to hold her or pet her without gloves since the last bite was so bad. Is there a way to have the gloves smell like me? They are thick leather gloves for gardening, I believe. Are there any better gloves you can recommend that are more flexible, provide more coverage, yet are still thick enough to protect from a bite? Should I begin "forced socialization?"
I would really appreciate any advice you have to offer. I have been trying to be patient with the rats, and I really would like the opportunity to bond with them even more.
Today I wanted to move forward with Panda and try to pet her, but I'm really scared of getting bitten. I put on some thick leather gloves and put my hand in the cage after I handed her some treats. She sniffed the gloves a lot then tried to nibble them, but I don't think it was an attack, then grabbed the treat and ran away to eat it. My concern is that the gloves smell very strongly of leather and I don't know if the rat recognizes my scent beneath it. I am too scared to hold her or pet her without gloves since the last bite was so bad. Is there a way to have the gloves smell like me? They are thick leather gloves for gardening, I believe. Are there any better gloves you can recommend that are more flexible, provide more coverage, yet are still thick enough to protect from a bite? Should I begin "forced socialization?"
I would really appreciate any advice you have to offer. I have been trying to be patient with the rats, and I really would like the opportunity to bond with them even more.