> *Rats, ratbites are about the worst. The teeth are curved enough
> that to pull away makes the wound worse. And a rat doesn't
> always want to let go. I have had problems with these...having
> to do with having them professionally flushed and dressed.
> Frightened and cornered is usually when they chomp. A female
> will also defend her babies until eyes open pretty strongly.
>
> *Gerbils...bite with more purpose than a hamster, but usually
> let go after a chomp. They are more painful than a hamster
> bite in general and less so than a rat bite. My single chomp
> so far, was I was holding a 10 week old female and trying to
> douse her with mite spray. She took serious offense to this
> and chomped.
I beg to differ. My rat chomped down, and though it hurt more than gerbils, he
quickly let go. He was an aggressive rat and did this to me twice, as well as
to my brothers. Each time he would never hang on.
Both gerbils that bit me hung on for a while. This peticular one hung on while
I sat there and clenched my teeth. It just hurt more if I tried to pull him
off, and I didn't want to hurt him by shaking, so I sat there for 3 minutes
until he felt he had a nice good chomp :P
Paige
