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pet rat will not stop biting.
a week ago, my wife, N and i decided to adopt two female rats, R and T. i'm not sure how old they are, but i got them from petco. only after did i read somewhere where it said that petco rats are usually feeder rats. we got R two hours before deciding to buy T, and she seemed to be traumatized from being in a too-small cage with N and i just staring at her. she also bit me on the way home, and it bled a lot. eventually, we upgraded their surroundings to a rat's standards and bought everything we needed to keep a rat healthy, happy, and safe. now its a week later and our relationship with the rats is improving. T will let N and i pet her constantly, they are both grinding their teeth a lot, they don't hide as often, and they seem to recognize us. T even knows her name. she is a very sweet rat, she doesn't bite and she's very good about being touched. R, on the other hand, still doesn't let us pet her. and if she does, she whirls around and tries to bite us. since we got her, i've been bitten four times. N has been bitten twice. sometimes it draws blood and sometimes it doesn't really even hurt. we squeak every time she bites but it doesn't have an effect. i want her to get used to us, but if we let her sniff us, she bites. why does she keep doing this? how can i make her stop? thanks in advance, i do apologize for this lengthy question.
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I don't know how much rat experience you've got, but you've obviously done a good bit of research. It also sounds like you go very lucky with R - T's behavoir isn't very unusual for a rat you've only had for a week - especially if T and R didn't know each other well before become cage-mates.
There a few things to make sure of when you are approaching T.
Make sure she is clearly aware of you, make a lot of noise as you approach the cage. If she feels like she go sneaked up on, her instinct will be to bite. Also watch her closely to see if she has a hearing or sight problem (I've had a few deaf/or blind rats over the years and surprising them will ALWAYS result in the big bad bite).
You also need to make sure to to spend a good deal of time reaching into the cage to be sniffed and to offer foods and treats. Don't try to picking R up every time you open the cage.
If she was intended as a feeder rat, it's very possible you are the first people who ever tried to pick her up. It's no wonder she thinks it's not cool.
So instead of reaching out to her, close your fist, or lay your hand down flat in the cage and let her approach, sniff and nibble you on her own terms.
Also, don't squeak at her unless she is hurting you. If she is merely nibbling at you, putting her teeth on your or around you - that's part of her getting to know you, even just saying hello and looking for food. If you are squeaking every time she puts her teeth on you, you might end up with a rat who thinks she is in charge of you, rather than one that recognizes you in a friendly way. Once she thinks she's higher up in the family hierarchy than you are, there is very little you can do to convince her otherwise.
You might also consider taking away her hiding places (just temporarily, until she has more confidence). Take out the tubes and houses - just lay a large towel over the top of the cage to keep them from feeling completely exposed.
There is lots of great advice online about socializing your rat. The most important thing is patience. Rats are clever and have their own personalities - T might never be cuddly, but if give her the right messages and experiences, she'll learn she has nothing to fear from you.
(EDIT: One final possibility for aggression in a female rat - she could be pregnant. The good news is you'll know for sure in 3 weeks or less, but it's not too unusual for female rats to come from careless pet stores pregnant. Males and females should be kept separately as soon as they are weaned, but rats will do it through the bars if they can. If she is pregnant, socialization will have to wait until after she gives birth.)
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