# Fighting!! And blood!!



## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

My two older rats are fighting and I'm finding small wounds!!!! 8O I'm seperating them a.s.a.p!!

Why the suden aggreshen? :? Nothings different. 
(except the fighting)


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

Anyone have any ideas?


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## fallinstar (Nov 26, 2006)

are they male or female? are they from the same litter??


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

Female. 

And no.

One's store bought and the other is one I breed but they've been together since they were two months old and no problems. (untill now) They're about a year in a halve now. 

Sky the blue bully (that's her new nick name) is the one starting everything with baby Bajha. And I can't find a cause! They get the same food and attention and the cage is the same as allways. What's Sky's problem?!


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## Poppyseed (Feb 1, 2007)

Is the cage large enough for two? I have found once I increased my cage size Odin and Bastian stopped fighting.

Also, make sure it is the fighting that is causing this. I though my two rats fighting were causing their cuts but it turned out they had lice and I had to treat that. They still fight from time to time but aren't irritated as much since they have no lice anymore and have no cuts! Plus the cage is larger and that helps immensely <3


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

I think it is. It's two Ft. long,one Ft. high and wide.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Have you seen the biting? Where are the little scabs on the girl's bodies?


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

I haven't seen them exactly. I heard a lot of painfull sounding squeeks looked over and there box was bouncing around. I went over and took away the box to find a very fluffy and mad Sky and a very scared and jumpy Bajha. I took Bajha out and she was shake'in and squeeked pain squeekes when I pet her and she would cringe away somtimes.

There wounds are on the cheeks and neck and there shoulders and some farther down. 

I know it's bite wounds.

I have a scare to compare them with. :wink:


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Are there gashes or puncture wounds? How much blood is involved? 

It sounds like that poor little girl was frightened, I doubt she was squeaking because she was in pain.

I was worried about mites, since that can make them short-tempered and fight more. Have they always been like this or only just recently? What are the ages of your cagemates?


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

They are punture wounds. Not much blood I don't see it anywere but on there wounds. 

I looked them over and it looks like they have a very small mite problem but I don't think it's the cause. they had mites once before and they didn't fight and the mites were worse.

Both girls are about a year and a halve.

And I had found new wounds the time I took Bajha out.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

And these two 18 month girls have lived together all their lives? 8O 

Something must be wrong.


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

Yeah but what???!!!!!


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Is one of them more the aggressor? Was she always the alpha? Watch their behaviours carefully. If the aggressor just wants to be left alone and the other insists on being with her it sounds like she isn't feeling well. If the aggressor chases down the other girl, then it might be different. I would treat for mites anyways just in case, since you can do it cheaply with Ivermectin or pick up Revolution from your vet.
The cage is large enough for them to get away from each other? When did the fighting begin, has there been any changes in yours or their lives at that time? 
Rats can be surprisingly sensitive. I helped a woman who moved and her rats got fearful and she thought they hated her. Many emails later and descriptions of their behaviours, and videos I sent to show her how I handle my own rats, she figured out she picked them up in a way they didn't like, plus they had moved and even though she had cats all along they went into prey mode since it was a new environment and she covered the bed (cat smell) like I suggested and they were happy confident girls again.


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## Poppyseed (Feb 1, 2007)

You're cage sounds the same size as mine was. I added a smaller cage to it with an additional hidey hole and this helps immensly. Also treating their mites will help more than you think. Odin's wounds looked like puncture wounds and I could of swore they were fight wounds but they were just really deep scratches or something as they went away after the Invetermicin treatment. I suggest getting them to the vet and taking care of their mites and possibly finding ways to increase their cage a tad.

Maybe they didn't do that in the past but rats grow up and change plus this could be different types of pest that are more irritating despite their lack in numbers. Good luck.


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

Thanks.


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