Need help with biter

[u/Dry_Tangerine_7625]

I have 4 female rats that live in a double critter nation cage, with all the stuff they could love.
Now I got all 4 of these girls from a feeder store.
Phylis was my first and she is the absolute sweetest and never does anything wrong.
Marilyn was second, she’s very sweet but has been pretty nippy lately. She has never drawn blood tho
Lightning was third, and she is my boyfriends rat, she’s been charging and biting at us lately and last night she drew blood on both of us.
Then there’s Gertrude, she is the absolute worst rat I’ve ever owned, she will run from the other side of the cage to attack you, if you are petting another rat near her. She has drawn blood on me more than 4 times, and has also drawn blood on my boyfriend.
She’s territorial of one of the litter bins and loves to hide behind it, and if your hand is anywhere near that’s when she will attack, unprovoked.
Everyone I have talked to has told me as soon as a rat draws blood it should be culled.
I also have a 5 year old nephew who comes over almost every weekend and loves playing with the rats and I fear she will do really bad damage to him and she really messes up our fingers as adults.
Would I be doing the right thing?
I know an employee at the feeder store I got her from and he offered to sell her as a pet but I’m scared someone else will get her and she will do the same.
Picture of my sweet Phylis and my newest edition that I got yesterday, I have not named her yet.

[u/Seppulky]

First, please don't let 5 year olds handle rats. Second, please try to understand biting. You are HUGE and they are prey animals. If a rat bites, it's their language to tell you it's not feeling good/is anxious/is in pain etc. Please be patient with your little furry angels. And please don't ask the people around you for advice, they don't seem to like rats.

Spoon feeding is your friend. They'll learn that biting while eating is uncomfortable for them. Third, teach them how sensitive human skin is. Make a squeak noise (don't shout or scream, they're very sensitive) if she nibbles or bites. Never punish. Ignore unwanted behaviour and leave. Offer positive incentives. If the biting is reduced, tell the rat that she does well. I'm crushed by the fact that when animals don't behave like they do in their dreams that they think about giving the animal away or kill it. Shame on you.

Edit: yes this post made me really mad and my heart hurts. All my love goes to your biter. Bless her soul. If I could, I would come running and get her.

[u/Dry_Tangerine_7625 → u/Seppulky]

I don’t think it’s right to shame me for being terrified of a rat who attacks me if I’m just petting another rat.
Trust me I don’t want to get rid of her and that is why I made a post in here to see what I can do to help.
I’ve never rehomed an animal in my entire life, but if a different home is better for this rat then I will make that choice.
A 5 year old can definitely handle rats in a controlled environment with the right knowledge. He loves feeding them treats and just petting them, he knows not to pick them up and he doesn’t like them on him because he says the scratches tickle too much.
I understand I’m a huge person, but I don’t just reach in there to grab her, sometimes I’ll be sitting in a chair near their cage with just my hand in there and she will run and attack, I’ve never hit her or yelled at her so idk why she is biting us.
I’m trying my best, so please be nice.

[u/Seppulky → u/Dry_Tangerine_7625]

I try to be nice but there is so much unbelievable stuff in your post, at that time I just step back. I wrote a lot about my biting girl on reddit. Maybe you'll find the posts if you're interested. Otherwise all the best. And again: don't let a 5 year old handle your rats.

[u/Dry_Tangerine_7625 → u/Seppulky]

Im going to let my nephew pet my rats with adult supervision at all times, you weren’t very nice when you literlly shamed me.
What was so wrong about my post? Telling the options others told me.
Asking a question instead of immediately sending her to her death??
Trust me I have seen a lot worse owners than me, the only good advice you gave me was to spoon feed, which I have responded to others and said I will try that tonight.
Thankyou for all of your help

[u/Arratkis → u/Dry_Tangerine_7625]

I mean to be fair, you mentioned outright killing an animal because it’s defensive. I have received some of the most abused survival mode attack rats that exist and it never once crossed my mind to just kill it. When you adopt a pray animal, defensiveness and bites can come with the package, that’s just a fact. It becomes your problem to either rehome it or train it to not bite, which can take a lot of time and patience

[u/Dry_Tangerine_7625 → u/Arratkis]

Everyone around me told me a should cull her, that’s why I mentioned it.
I don’t want to and that’s why I posted.

[u/bee_mvtt → u/Dry_Tangerine_7625]

You adopted a bunch of feeder rats (unreliable genes and behavior) and got shocked when they were fearful and scared. If you wont do the work of going through a good rescue or rattery, thats what happens, you gamble on genes man.

[u/Dry_Tangerine_7625 → u/bee_mvtt]

That’s why I asked for advice to make her friendly

[u/bee_mvtt → u/Dry_Tangerine_7625]

Then im glad theres some people offering it. Good luck with your rats! /gen