# Fighting after lights out



## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

Ok I'm a nocturnal person so I'm up late at night. Lately when the lights are on everything is fine but when I'm trying to go to sleep I turn the lights off and that's when it starts! They start fighting, squeaking and just plain p***ing me off! 

How can I stop them!? I need to sleep but they keep me up!

Help!

[Edited by mod (DonnaK) for excessive punctuation, shouting, non-specific title and cursing... this means you too, Sky!]


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## Matt (Jun 14, 2007)

I know how you feel. The sound of rats fighting can get pretty anoying.
(I Dont know how to spell it.)
Also, on top of that, Bear will jump onto the Wheel!

IT DRIVES ME INSANE!

Please try to answer Sky14's Question...Please!


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

Sorry DonnaK.


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

Sky14 said:


> Sorry DonnaK.


No problem! 

The only thing I can think of is to give them more/different toys to distract them from the fighting. Or move them to another room :lol:


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

But really HOW can I get them to stop? It's mainly Velvet that starts everything... maybe if I put her by herself at night? :?


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

I don't think that would be very fair to her, unless she is at risk of being seriously injured...


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

No injury risks but she is the one that starts everything!


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## Poppyseed (Feb 1, 2007)

Possibly make sure they get lots of out time before you go to bed?


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## mopydream44 (Jun 10, 2007)

I don't know if you can get your ratties to stop fighting but perhaps you can listen to soothing music via boom box or mp3 player with headphones. The music may help calm your ratties as well. 

Sigur Ros is excellent music to fall asleep to!


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

I do listen to music! It doesn't seem to do anything for them though. Oh and I can't use headphones because I'll fall asleep with them on.


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## JennieLove (Jan 2, 2007)

I think letting them out to play right before you go to bed might be the only thing...I mean, you gotta understand that rats are nocturnal and thats when they are up and wanna play with each other, westle around...its just what they do. Im also a night person and even though my boys are older and not as hyper as they used to be, I still hear small sqeaks every now and then. 

You say that Velvet is starting everything? Is shes picking on the other rats? Sounds like shes being to rough and the others may be trying to tell her "get off!" It may not look like they are hurting each other, but she CAN be stressing the others out, and that can cause serious problems.


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

How do I get her to stop! I've tried a few things but they don't seem to be working!


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

What have you tried already?


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

Well I thought it might be dominance so I tried holding her upsidedown till she squeaked but thet did absalutaly nothing. And I've played with her more then the others thinking maybe she wanted more attention and nothing again!

Does the fact that she's a Dumbo mean anything? I've heard that Dumbos can be "meaner".....


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## JennieLove (Jan 2, 2007)

Well I said just let them have some outtime before you go to bed...See if that works and if it doesnt, then come back and ask that question again.


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

Ok I'll let them be "free" for a while tonight and see if anything changes.


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

Good idea. See if you can put something new in their cage for them to play with, too... that might distract them from picking at each other a bit, in case they are bored.


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## JennieLove (Jan 2, 2007)

Keep us updated! I'll keep thinking if this doesnt work for ya.


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

What should I put in the cage? None of them are very playfull anymore.....


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

I don't know... do you have any boxes/tubes you can put in there for them to play in/hide in/chew? Paper bags are another a favourite with our rats... erm, anything you have lying around that won't hurt them that will peak their interest...


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

Ok.

I'll update you tomorrow! 

G'night!


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## cjshrader (Feb 15, 2007)

I haven't gotten a full night's sleep in...weeks? Months? They always wake me up at least once. I just figured that's part of the price of owning rats.

My biggest problem is my rat Jordan, who is just whiny. If someone is grooming her, she whines. If someone gets near her while she eats, she whines. I've checked and checked and checked and no one is hurting her. She's just really whiny.


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

Ok I let them play in a box of alfalfa/hay for 1/2 hour+ and that seemed to work!!!  Velvet had the time of her life! She borrowed around so much I never new where she was for more than 10 seconds! I fell asleep alot sooner than normal so I'll start doing this every night and see how it works out!


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## Matt (Jun 14, 2007)

I dont have any Alfalfa Hay. But I do Have Timothy Hay(for the bunnies).
Could I put a box of Timothy hay in the cage for them to play in?


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## cashewsmama (Aug 10, 2007)

cjshrader said:


> My biggest problem is my rat Jordan, who is just whiny. If someone is grooming her, she whines. If someone gets near her while she eats, she whines. I've checked and checked and checked and no one is hurting her. She's just really whiny.


i think that whiny, vocal rats are so cute, maybe not so much at night, but during the day yes.


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

It's not working anymore!!!  

HELP!


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## Matt (Jun 14, 2007)

Can they have Timothy Hay to play in?


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

To play in should be fine. Don't use it as bedding though.

Now HELP ME!!!

lol


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## Matt (Jun 14, 2007)

I use aspen. But its only under the lino. tiles. 
(there potty trained and aspen is in case of an accident.  )

Have you tried playing with them for a while before you go to bed? 
Trying to wear them out a bit? 

Could you put the cage in a different room?


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

Yes and No.

I play with them for at least an hour and NOTHING....They still fight.


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## cjshrader (Feb 15, 2007)

I started feeding my rats in the morning instead of at night and it has worked wonders. When food is out of the equation, Jordan has nothing to whine about.


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## sonoma (May 26, 2007)

The last thing I do before I go to bed at night is make sure the ratties get an hour of free-range time...otherwise they keep me up at night play fighting with eachother. 

If lots of play time before bed isn't working, maybe you could move their cage to another room just during the night?


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

The cage is to big to move daily.


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Could you put it on wheels?


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

8O 

If I COULD it wouldn't do any good. My room is to *coughs* "crowded"..... you know what I mean?


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Sometimes we must make sacrifices for the good of our sleep... :lol:


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## dkirschling (Mar 20, 2007)

My rats are in their own room next door to mine, so I don't hear them too much. However, my husband snores. I use earplugs and run a small fan near my head to cover up the noise. 

D


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## Sky14 (Aug 18, 2006)

.......*Sigh*..........I.......need...........mo..re........sleeeeeeep.... >.< .......*Zzzzzzzzz*

lol

I might have a new home for Velvet and Nezume and if so the fighting will stop!!!  I will miss Velvet and Nezume alot but I wont miss Velvets fighting!


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