Aggressive Rats and Cage Cleaning

Question
I recently rescued a pair of rats from a woman in the area who can no longer care for them.  She has no idea how old they are (they seem to be probably about 8 months old or so) and are does.  They are very sweet at times, always looking out of their cage and trying to see what I'm doing and even sniffing my hand when I bring it near.  But they are recently very aggressive.  I know that after only a week I shouldn't expect them to trust me enough to move them or handle them, but I am afraid that I cannot even clean their cage safely without them attacking me.  They bite my fingers aggressively and draw blood.  I've tried squeeking and pulling my hand back like a rat would do to another rat when they bite, and I've tried luring them with treats.  They will often take treats from my fingers, but sometimes they would rather bite my hand and fingers than take the treat.  I cannot clean their cage or properly care for them if they are aggressive, so I am unsure what to do with them.  Will my rats eventually get used to me to the point where they will stop bitting?  How, in the meantime, can I do simple house-cleaning such as cleaning the cage, emptying the litter, and changing the food bowl?

Answer
Normally I dont suggest using gloves when training biters, but to feed them etc...you may need to invest in a pair of rose pruning gloves. They are not that expensive, probably under $10.

Meanwhile, try not to show any fear at all when your doing this. Talk to them, whistle, but ignore them. Do not try to pick them up or pet them when wearing the gloves.

What you need to do is get them to trust you and they obviously dont. They seem like they may have also been a bit ignored their whole life by the previous owner or they would be more people friendly. I usually feel sorry for rats  more than worry about getting bit. It seems to work that way and by showing no fear and all positive energy, they seem to pick up on that.

Meanwhile, here is a link to my site on training biters and shy rats. Biters are usually poorly socialized and people shy and if anything, they need to know your not out to hurt them and that you can make things fun for them.  Check out on my site GETTING STARTED for ideas on constructing a play area that is safe and secure for them. You will need this area anyhow in order to trust train them. What my site will tell you is how to go about luring them out of the cage and allowing them to play with the rattie playground you have set up for them.  During this time you will let them come out of the cage on their own free will while you wait. If they dont come out the first time, they will think about it the next time. It may take several attempts but eventually they will be so curious they will want to come out and explore. I will explain how to control them should they bite you. Its kind of like a trade off....play time or biting. If they bite, back in the cage without a treat they go....if they dont bite, they get the treat and stay out longer.  Its more in depth so this is why I made a page on my website about doing this because I am asked how to train biters and shy rats often and now there is a place to read about it on my website.  Here is the URL:

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


Let me know how it goes and good luck!