02/17/2023
There is a post going around pushing the idea that all rats are "good" rats, including "bitey" rats. It's extremely dangerous to try to normalize biting in general. It's very disappointing that a local rescue started this campaign with cute stickers that are being shared throughout the pet community. While the rescue themselves replied in comments that they don't place rats with a bite history in homes with children and will keep extreme cases in the rescue for life, the blanket message that they are sending out doesn't have any such nuances. I think it's important for rescues to be responsible and set realistic expectations, not to downplay the risks and severity of biting.
I agree that many skittish or defensive rats can be socialized and some will be manageable with minimal human interaction, but I have an issue with pushing all biting as normal communication from rats. There's a huge difference between test nibbling and a defensive or aggressive bite. Even rats that don't want to be handled have to be at some point. You can't perform adequate health checks without doing so. There are rats that don't just bite defensively, but will seek you out to bite you. Some people are willing to deal with that risk for the lifespan of that rat and that is their choice, even though I disagree that it's a safe or good one. Not everyone wants to though, and they shouldn't be made to feel like they aren't patient enough, did something wrong, or failed the rat. I love rats and think they make great pets. One of the hardest things to see in the pet community is a first time rat owner overwhelmed by an aggressive rat to the point that they never want to own rats again and don't get to experience how great rats can be.
We shouldn't be pushing the idea that it's normal for rats to be afraid and defensive. That's unhealthy and simply not true. Many breeders select for genetic temperament to have naturally friendly and outgoing rats that don't require socialization to be good pets. Despite always receiving the blame, reputable breeders are not responsible for the rats in rescues. A reputable breeder will work to rehome any rats they bred that the pet owner can no longer keep. A reputable breeder does not turn over rats to a rescue because nobody wants them. I can say with 100% certainty that no rat I have ever produced has ended up at a rescue. I know exactly where all my rats have gone.
I am honestly disgusted that pet owners are being encouraged to put their health at risk. Aside from the possibility of rat bite fever, since you can become infected without being bitten, a rat bite can cause serious damage. I know multiple people who have had to seek medical treatment for the severity of their bite and have permanent nerve damage in their fingers or hands. Some nerve damage is to the extent that they can't feel portions of their fingers or hands, as well as some now have a constant tingling sensation or pain that can only be corrected with surgery. Your health is worth more than the life of an aggressive rat. Do not feel guilt tripped to put yourself at this risk. You can have rats that will bring joy to your life, not constant fear of being bitten.
Not all rats can be safe or even happy in a pet home. Genetic skittishness can result in a rat that is extremely stressed and miserable even just from the human interaction of removing them from their cage for cleaning or seeing a human around their cage. Genetic aggression can cause a rat to seek you out and severely bite you if within their reach. They don't have to have been mistreated. Patience and socialization will not always work. To say that there's always a reason for biting that can be fixed is false. There are genetically aggressive rats towards humans and or other rats. That's a simple fact. It's not always defensive or simply cage agression. Same as there are rats that will attack and kill other rats, there are rats that will attack humans.
I know that I will get a lot of hate for this, but I firmly believe in humane euthanasia for behavior. I do not keep skittish or aggressive rats in my breeding program, but I also believe rescues and pet owners should be more open to humane euthanasia for the rats that are terrified or aggressive. I also believe humane euthanasia is a kinder option for the rats themselves. Rats that bite are unstable and aggressive or terrified. Health checks, cage cleanings, even daily food and water checks are regular sources of stress for them. That's not a good quality of life. A rat living in fear every day is miserable. Just being alive is not the gold standard of life. Anyone who thinks the rat just being alive is what counts is only virtue signaling and care more about being able to say how many rats they "save" than they do about what kind of the life the rats actually have. Ultimately, rats are prey animals and the ending of their lives can even help the actual rescue of raptors, reptiles, etc.
