rat in my daughters mouth (!)

Question
We just purchased our second pet rat yesterday. Our first rat, Alex, was euthanized last summer and will never be forgotten. He showed us how wonderful these animals are. Our new family member is Josh, he's a small(young) black and white hooded rat about the size of a golden hamster but much cuter and friendlier of course.  He bruxes like mad and will kind of grab our fingers and lick them.  I observed my daughter with her mouth open and the rat's head in her mouth.  He actually had one paw on one of her teeth and was licking another tooth.  Besides being unsanitary, what are we dealing with here?


Answer
This behavior is actually pretty normal. Obviously you probably don't want a rat in your daughter's mouth and that can be arranged. You don't really have anything to worry about. I would however recommend getting him a same sex friend for company. Rats need to live in colonies for warmth and for their health. Being by themselves can lead to depression (no matter how much time you think you are spending with him) which in turn can cause illnesses.

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