Pubescent boy bites me

Question
Hi. I have owned several rats over the years, including a couple who were previously owned. I picked up a male rat from the shelter yesterday. He is on his own as he was seriously bullied and beaten by his sibling and became aggressive when attempts at introducing others were made. He was born at the shelter and has been happily handled by a woman who has lots of experience and satisfactory credentials. (I can't get hold of her for advice today, hence my message to you). He is nearly 6 months old.

Whilst at the shelter I stroked him whilst in and out of the cage and he sat and let me, even on his face. When i got him home, perhaps i was niave about things. I put his carrier on the settee and let him nip in and out as he sussed things out. He had a blanket to hide under. I stroked him, he let me for a few seconds and then went back in. After a few minutes i picked him up with no problem and put him in his cage. I placed the cage right by my chair and talked to him whilst watching tv. At intervals I opened the door and called him to me and stroked him then gave a treat.

I'm not sure why i did it, maybe because the woman at the rescue did it to all the rats whilst i was there, including mine, but i put my thumb through the cage to stroke him. I was thinking, this is a bad idea but he let me stroke him. So i felt happy. I got uncomfortable and switched to a finger. He sat very, very still whilst i stroked him and then in a flash he bit me. It was a real bite, no nip!I yelped and snatched it out and ended up with a significant tear on the tip which bled like hell and swelled up.

So, i blamed myself for a) putting fingers through the bars and b)for doing too much too soon.
Maybe i got the wrong impression that i could just bring him home and start cuddling him straight off the bat. She only said that he was a bit timid and he had bitten other rats, not humans. I have no reason to doubt her.

So, i didnt shout at him and i continued to talk to him and stroke him when he came to the door. But when i gave him a treat for coming to me he snatched in a way that would have my finger again if not very careful. i switched to soft food on a spoon so he couldnt do that and also so he could stay by me for longer. Maybe i should have left it at that. Is that where i went wrong? Because i got him out on the sofa planning to only hold him in the blanket but he wouldnt stay in. He was dashing everywhere and nibbling at clothes and blankets. I could stroke him and even  pick him up briefly but didnt like the way he was on his hind legs looking for my other hand. i got away with it last night but then today he'd been out two minutes before he ran up to my hand and bit it with no provocation at all. My hand was still and in my lap. it had no food traces on. I even have claw marks on either side where he gripped the hand. I shouted at him and luckily when i lifted the cage to the settee at door height he got straight back in. i put a blanket over his cage and moved it away from the settee. I took the blanket off after half an hour but have not moved him back next to me yet.

Everything about his movement and expression seems to scream male hormones. Am I right in thinking he's probably starting puberty? He is stomping and strutting around like he owns the place and like he's my boss. I guess he could be trying to figure out the new pecking order but I don't know how to proceed. Does adolescent aggression (if that's what it is) fade over time? Even so, how do i socialise and exercise him in the meantime? I'm sort of willing to risk getting bitten again if that's what's needed to tame him but i am playing a gig in a week and a half (i'm a prof sax player) and can't play with the injuries I've sustained so far. The doc says it should be healed by then but obviously i cant afford to get a bite a day until then. Plus to be honest i am finding it hard to trust him and don't want to end up petrified of him and unable for anyone else to handle him or look after him occasionally.

It's the most extreme biting I've experienced. He goes from nothing to full on in a split second and really acts like he's trying to do damage.

I've considered gloves but am not sure if that will cause more problems like scaring him, drawing attention to my hands or even making him unaware that they are my hands and not just something else to chew. plus i think he needs to get used to my skin and scent. What are your views on using gloves?

Sorry for such a long one!

Answer

Ahhh biters.  Had plenty. lab rats that hated people because they were poked and probed and starved and ignored...the most recent that comes to mind is my wild rat (and I mean, wild as in roof rat wild not hyper wild:) Jaws AKA Chomps, who, fondly became my loving Holly, who earned her wings in the summer of 07 after living with me for nearly 4 years.

She was a demon. She was small but those jaws of her were mighty. A young angry rat can bite with 10 lbs of pressure and she did with every fiber of her being. She would wait for me to dare even feed her and out she came, in full attack mode.  She made me laugh at first, I couldnt believe i was intimated by such a small thing, but when I lost the feeling in my index finger (still dont have it back) and had to resort to soaking my hand in Epsom salts (works like a charm, swelling and pain go away fast, and take some advil/ibuprofen too)

So I trained her (and wrote how I did it on my website) and within a week, she was my little sweet Holly.  People thought I switched rats!  LOL

Also, keep in mind this rat came from a background you know nothing about. While it is normal for some rats (males) to get a bit of an attitude around 6 yo 8 months of age, usually this is geared more toward other males and their pecking order and there may be a squabble or two in the cage when two males decide they both want to rule the roost.  It is NOT normal for the male to just attack you like this. I can see biting through the cage, but nothing else. This is aggression and it is only seen in rats that were inbred, which he probably was, as many many many rats are, sadly.   That doesnt mean he isnt worthy of love as you know, but he will need some work. He obviously had a bond with the other lady and trusted her. There is the keyword, TRUST.  
I teach people how to TRUST TRAIN.  You will have to train him to trust you because right now, he doesnt and he is letting you know that he can protect himself if need be by biting you unprovoked. If you let him see fear, if you let him know you do not trust him, this will be a real disaster. This means NO GLOVES. Rats rely heavily on scent. Has he been able to mark you or any areas around his cage etc? This is important as much as people dont really like it, its part of what rats, both male and female do.  It has a purpose, gross or not. One purpose for urine marking is survival instinct. A rat will travel in the wild at night and they may lose their way, so they mark the tunnels they travel in so they can find their way back simply by finding their own scent. They also identify what is theirs by marking. Marking their owner and marking around their cage, even their own toys etc... is their way of saying YOUR MINE, your MY owner. It is actually a very high compliment to be marked by your rat, and accept it. its nothing baby wipes or soap and water cant take care of! If you put these gloves on, your hiding your scent and this will confuse the rat even more.  He will pick up any negative feelings you display, even raising your voice, because rats dont like loud noises, esp if they are startling noises that come out of the blue.
So that said, he needs some time and patience and he needs to trust you.  He will, I promise, but it just isnt going to be today.

Also, what is his diet?  Sometimes a rat lacks very important vitamins and minerals. Although a high protein diet is not good for a rats kidneys (which is why the seed mixes are best tossed out for the birds rather than fed to the rats) and instead, a good quality lab block, usually made by harlan teklad, or my favorite, regal rat by oxbow,
and also alot of other foods to make a nice rat kibble. High quality animal protein is important, esp for a male rat that is still growing. Rats should not exceed 15% to 18% protein daily to maintain healthy kidneys.  A well fed rat will live to be at least 3 years old or older.  Again, i am not sure what you feed him but wanted to ask.
Also, maybe in the past your rats had free range in the house, or on the couch or table. I always suggest, esp with a shy rat or a more aggressive rat is to set up a play area that is just for them. I use cardboard to make walls, surround their cage, add some toys plus myself and let the rat come out of the cage on his own to explore. They seem to feel secure within those cardboard walls which is a good thing, and helps the rats fear calm alot when they feel secure.

Anyhow, here is the URL to my  website and the page on trust training. Check out other pages such as the GETTING STARTED page for the ideas on the cardboard play area etc...

http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/trainingshyorbitingrats.htm


Hope this helps some!