Help me with my rats?

Question

Outside the cage they usually get along. I've asked many questions on here about my rats and indroducing them. I follow all the steps but once they fight once they keep fighting. They will get along until they have one fight, and then i seperate them give them a few seconds and i put them back together they just fight again so i seperate them for the night. I bathed them, i let them meet outside their cages. The bigger cage i have which i want them both in i cleaned very well and re-organized everything in the cage.

Everyone says let them fight as long as theres no blood and they don't have any injuries, but i don't like to see them fight and after they start they don't stop. So now i just seperate them after the first fight.

Here is a video of them fighting. At the end i break it up. I just want to know if it's vitouse or anything. (they weren't hurt after the fight/scquabble)

http://s161.photobucket.com/albums/t240/brianne_124/?action=view&current=Fight.flv

Answer 1

I think they are just trying to figure out the pecking order, and you do need to let them settle it out. How long have they been together? It could just be that you have two dominate personalities and neither wants to give up the title of top rat. They seem to have a large enough cage, so it's not an overcrowding issue. Try putting them together and give them both lots of treats and attention. They will eventually associate the good things with each other's company and settle. If not keep a water bottle handy and spray them if it gets too rough. You'll know if you hear them squeaking, it's like a "rheek" sound. Or when they start up, make that squeaky kissing sound (puckering your lips and sucking in). In rat, that sound is a threat and they will stop whatever they are doing and act like they did nothing. They won't view you as a threat, it's basically a warning sound. The video shows some pretty tame fighting, seems like it is just a pecking order issue. Let them duke it out as long as they aren't seriously hurting each other.

Answer 2

Just a note, your tan and white hooded looks JUST like my boy Templeton. :]

I'm having the same problem right now, actually. Although my new guy, Wolf, HAS drawn blood, so I separated them for the rest of the day and will try again tomorrow.

What I will tell you, though, is they're right. You do need to let them fight it out, unless there is real injury. If you don't they'll never decide who is the dominant one and will struggle every time you put them together again, because you kept breaking them up before one of them was the victor. Just monitor them very closely, and if someone bites too hard and draws blood, separate them (DON'T just reach in barehanded, though! I'm sure you know. ;P) I know they make some terrible sounds, and it seems like they're in pain, but that's just what they do.

Did you clean out the entire cage, wipe it down, and rearrange everything before you brought the new rat in, btw?

You can also try dabbing each of them with vanilla, so they smell the same. Or a tiny bit of perfume if you don't have vanilla.

EDIT: If nothing works and you need more experienced "rat people" to help, try joining http://www.ratforum.com. They have some really knowledgeable people who can probably help you if your problem persists!