My pet rats are fighting?

Question

I've had my first rat for about a week or so. around last friday he was introduced to another rat in his carry case and they got along beautifully. Grooming each other, sharing food, sleeping on each other, all that.

So, after finally receiving a tank topper that I ordered, I brought both my rat and the new one home. They immediately started fighting, so I removed my rat and left the new rat in the big cage overnight (in the hopes that he'd get used to the older rats scent.)

So this morning I decide to try again, and I put them both in the cage. Its been about an hour now, and they are continually fighting. HOWEVER, they are not drawing blood, and I think its mostly for dominance of the cage.

Will this stop over time? Should I interfere?

Plus, sometimes I cant tell if they're fighting or just wrestling for play.

thanks

Answer 1

They are trying to figure out who will be the dominate one. I wouldn't worry to much about it unless they are drawing blood. Then you might have to seperate them into different cages.

Answer 2

they are most likely sorting out who is going to be the dominant one. if there is no blood while they are fighting then i wouldnt worry too much. my 2 rats fight all the time, but they never hurt each other

Answer 3

rats??

get an exterminator

Answer 4

ok first of all they are just sorting out the dominant one. so you don't need to be too worried. You shouldn't introduce them both so soon in the same cage its territory isn't it so they will just fight over who's going to be boss. you need to put them together in mutual ground so neither of them own it. They should be alright once they get used to it after a little bit.

hope i helped janie

(the rat carryers perfect neither of them live in it so they dont own it! Try putting them in the carryer for a while maybe even put them in the carryer in the cage but locked in there??? (dont know if this will work never tryed it) or even put the new rat in the carryer with the other rat in the cage, then put the carryer in the cage (keep it closed!!)

hope this helps again! lol

Answer 5

No injuries or blood = dominance 'wrestling'.

Let it continue, they're just determining who will be ''top rat'' in the home.

Injuries or bleeding: Separate them.

Answer 6

if they aren't drawing blood, yeah. let them fight it through. it really probably is dominance as there is no pecking order yet. just make sure to keep checking on them. once the order is established the fighting should stop or at least decrease. but for now, just watch or listen to them and don't interfere.