Welp. I finally have my PI story.

I am in charge of a lot of stuff here in my lab, but more specifically, i care for 60 rats daily (weighing and feeding).

Today, not unlike any other week, i had to do a cage change. I got bit by a rat hard and immediately started to bruise and bleed. There’s a welt forming too. Informed my pi, she said to just wash my hands and continue. “If i need a band aid there are some there”.

Okay fine whatever i guess. I try to put the rat into the new cage (since i didn’t the first time) but this time using a tunnel to pick it up as opposed to my hands. It bit me again in the process and latched onto my pinky and wouldn’t let go. There’s a little bit of fat popping out of the bite and again i immediately started bleeding here too.

At this point i am shook and I’m literally shaking from how uncomfortable i feel handling this rat. I text her again saying i got bit again and i don’t feel comfortable changing the cages.

She comes down, obviously annoyed that i am too “incompetent” to change cages. I apologize for having her do it since i know she’s busy with paperwork and meetings, but i just can’t do it right now.

She says,

“It’s alright, you can go to occupational health but they’re not gonna do anything but give you a band aid 🤷🏻‍♀️. We all get bit, you’re gonna have to learn how to handle the rats”

And at this point I’m annoyed because she never asked if i was okay, never apologized for this happening, and pretty much called me incompetent in other words (even though i physically handle these rats daily). I felt like she was more worried about her day being derailed than me literally being bit and bleeding.

And im used to rats jumping around and being nipped, just not full on attacked.

This is not the first time I’ve had an issue with her treating me like a low life employee instead of a team member.