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Pet Forum / Mammals / Rats / February 2008How can you tell when the fighting is serious
My two rats go at it quite often these days. They're a little over 3 months old and the bigger one often jumps on the smaller one and flips her over and makes her squeak. But they sleep together and usually get along. The big one wins 80-90% of all "fights" but sometimes the smaller one will come out on top and make the big one squeak. I know a lot of it is just normal for rats to do, but how can one tell when it crosses the line into serious fighting? thx! >My two rats go at it quite often these days. They're a little over 3 months >old and the bigger one often jumps on the smaller one and flips her over and [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >I know a lot of it is just normal for rats to do, but how can one tell when >it crosses the line into serious fighting? I usually don't worry unless one rat is bleeding, losing fur, being constantly kept away from food, or persistently terrified. (Scared of the bully is okay if the scared rat has enough room to stay away and the bully doesn't go chasing after her, but if it's interfering with the losing rat's normal activities, that's not good.) Just squeaking I have no problem with. Especially at 3 months, they're going to be doing a lot of wrestling while they figure out the social situation. --Theresa http://tiger_spot.mapache.org > My two rats go at it quite often these days. They're a little over 3 months > old and the bigger one often jumps on the smaller one and flips her over and [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > thx! Don't you just love cranky teenagers... even Ratty ones :) It sounds like your ratties are just playing and trying to sort out whose going to be "Alpha" it sounds like the bigger one has it all sorted though, if he is flipping the smaller one. We had one rat once that use to scream blue bloody murder when he even saw the Alpha rattie... He was never threatened or hurt... but he was a Drama Queen. You get a fair idea of what is play and what isn't... I have found that a true fight usually involves them facing off on hind legs with there hands in the boxing/attack pose it does actually look agressive :) Enjoy there wrestling... they will do that for a long time to come :) Regards Kate, Silber and Riley  Signaturehttp://community.webshots.com/user/ollieogg My guys are constantly 'playing' as I call it. I cant really explain it, but I can tell the difference between silly playful squeeks and when it has gotten to far. I usually stop it when I get the feeling the squeeks are more than the little one being whiny, which he does often. I also know that it has gotten to far when I notice they dont have their nice moments... sleeping together, cuddling, grooming. If it gets to that point, then I know its too far, and they need some time apart. I guess there isnt a clear cut answer from me, but I can hear it in their sounds, just like you can with a child... you can tell when a child is crying because of pain or if they are crying for no real reason. Same with my boys... I can tell when its gotten to far, and I'll take one out, or tap on the cage, or give them something else to play with that they havent had before (last night it was a toilet paper roll). > My guys are constantly 'playing' as I call it. I cant really explain > it, but I can tell the difference between silly playful squeeks and [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > else to play with that they havent had before (last night it was a > toilet paper roll). I'm lucky enough never to have had fighting problems with any of my rats, possibly because all my previous rats have been female, and the pair of boys I have now are brothers. If one of the boys is getting held down a bit long, I just stick my hand in between them and start tickling, which usually distracts them a bit, but if it were fighting fighting rather than playing, I suspect it wouldn't be safe to do that! Rosemary > I'm lucky enough never to have had fighting problems with any of my > rats, possibly because all my previous rats have been female, and the > pair of boys I have now are brothers. Or it could be the vodka and Valium I put in their drinking water :-) Rosemary >> I'm lucky enough never to have had fighting problems with any of my >> rats, possibly because all my previous rats have been female, and the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Rosemary LOL.... Our Silber "drinks like a fish" given the chance. If anyone has alcohol and he's out he will do anything to get his face in it. He loves spirits. Needless to say he only ever gets a taste but the effort he goes to, to find out who has it... its hilarious. Signaturehttp://community.webshots.com/user/ollieogg > My two rats go at it quite often these days. They're a little over 3 months > old and the bigger one often jumps on the smaller one and flips her over and [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > thx! At 3 months of age, it's definitely not fighting, but horsing around. ;) Joanne www.jorats.com |
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