rat nipping socializing

Question
hi, i recently got a little girl rat a couple of weeks ago now. i have a 2 year old daughter as well. the first night i got her she escaped her cage and i found her under the fridge. i realized the bars on her cage were to far apart so i put the cage in our bathroom this way she can come in out when she feels and is in a rat safe room. i am a full time student, as well as working and caring for my daughter. i dont have a lot of time to spend with my rat, defiantely not as much as i had hoped. the past couple of days i have gone in to play with her and she has nipped at my fingers a few times also at my daughters finger once. she is skittish now but wasnt as much when i got her. im wondering if i should get another rat for her? and how i can help her feel more used to me and want socialize. i fear she is getting aggressive and i might have to get rid of her.

Answer
 Getting her a cage mate would definitely be a good idea if you are not able to spend a lot of time with her.  Rats are very social animals and need to be played with a lot.  If you get her a friend of the same gender she can play with her and as long as the new rat is tame she will probably get better too.  When handling her, make sure you wash your hands first to remove all food odors.  It's probably best your daughter doesn't handle her too much at this point, as rats do like to nibble at children's fingers which usually smell like food or have drool on them.  You certainly don't want your daughter getting bit, or getting fearful of rats or animals in general.  When you do have time to play with your rat I would suggest taking it slow and bringing her out in the front pocket of a hoodie or a specially made carrying bag where she can feel safe and warm but still be near you and smell you and you can reach in and pet her occasionally.  This is a good method for when you are busy, as you can socialize your rat at the same time as you are on the computer, watching TV, or even doing housework.  I've used this method on frightened rats and it works pretty well, though it will take a lot of time and effort to have her come around.  If you do get her a cagemate, make SURE the new rat is friendly!  If your rat sees another rat acting friendly towards humans she will be more likely to do so too.  I hope that answers your question, good luck with your rat!