# Rat Bullying & Fighting - Should we return our new rat?



## Miraessa (Jan 6, 2011)

My boyfriend, Kolton, and I have had two male dumbo rats for about a year now. Winthrop is the king of the rats, and Chief accepts that. They are from the same litter. Kolton and I were thinking that the rats would be devastated if the other died, so we bought a baby male dumbo, Badger. (He has the cutest little mark on his face that makes him look like a badger, lol!)

Winthrop and Badger have been having ... problems. Winthrop *loves* to groom other rats. If the rat doesn't allow him to groom them, Winny gets really upset to the point where he will wrestle and slap fight with the rat. There have been times when he has bitten the rat too... 

We introduced Badger to the group last week, on neutral territory. Kolton cleaned out the cage completely, wiped it down to the extreme, and rearranged the houses & toys. Badger is only a few months old, whereas Winny and Chief are at least a year old. Badger is still very timid, and unsure of where he stands in the rat hierarchy. Winny still wants to be top rat, but Badger seems to want to take that title from him. Badger won't out-right attack the rats, but he will fall to his back and SCREAM. He screams a lot -- just to make sure that he isn't messed with. He will stand up and arch his back, slapping the rats while screaming also. 

Winthrop and Badger have been in 2 or 3 serious fights so far. The first, Winny bit Badger on the back. It wasn't a serious wound, but Kolton and I were concerned. Winny has also bitten Badger on the ear at least twice now. We think that Winny is trying to teach Badger where he stands in the rat hierarchy (Winny - Chief - Badger). However, Badger isn't really accepting this, and is acting like a little jerk. He screams constantly, even if there is nothing near by him. 

Kolton is thinking of returning Badger if this continues... But my heart is already so attached to the little one... Is there anything we can do to help the rats figure this out? Or should we consider bringing Badger back? We have no idea what to do anymore.

Thank you so much ... I really don't want to lose him.  Badger snuggles with me, while Winny and Chief won't. Badger has sat for hours curled up next to my neck, where he can feel my heart beat. I am seriously bonded with this rat.


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

did you quarantine your new rat? i assume by "bought" you got him from a pet store, potentially bringing in deadly viruses and pathogens that are now spread to your existing rats... always always quarantine.

slow down the introductions... you can't expect, especially males, to get along on the first meeting, especially if badger is getting injured. put their separate cages side by side and let them interact through the bars (far enough apart no one can get hurt) for a few days until they're comfortable with eachothers' scent. swap them in and out of eachother's cages frequently - put winny and chief in badgers, and badger in theirs. 

do this for about a week, and then you can resume trying neutral territories.


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## jynx (Nov 19, 2010)

Most people/breeders/etc. always recommend when bringing in a new baby, bring in two. Rat pups, like human toddlers are annoying to adults when they try to play and fit in. But when you have a play date with another toddler, what does they toddler do? It absorbs itself in the other toddler, the adults can breathe, and are more likely to be okay playing with the toddler in small doses, they become much easier to tolerate, which is the same with rat "toddlers."


Jaguar said:


> did you quarantine your new rat? i assume by "bought" you got him from a pet store, potentially bringing in deadly viruses and pathogens that are now spread to your existing rats... always always quarantine.
> 
> slow down the introductions... you can't expect, especially males, to get along on the first meeting, especially if badger is getting injured. put their separate cages side by side and let them interact through the bars (far enough apart no one can get hurt) for a few days until they're comfortable with eachothers' scent. swap them in and out of eachother's cages frequently - put winny and chief in badgers, and badger in theirs.
> 
> do this for about a week, and then you can resume trying neutral territories.


^^This is all absolutely a must. Your going to have to be very patient.

Good Luck!!


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