My rats all the sudden started fighting really bad..?

Question

i have 2 male rats that are the same age and they've always gotten along well but all the sudden (like 2 days ago) they've started to fight really bad and one of the males(the smaller one) puffs up and his hair stands up why is he doing this?..he is usually the one who starts to get agreesive..anyway do you know why they just all the sudden fighting.. i have been keeping them separate for the past 2 days until i get hom from work because i don't want to leave them alone in the same cage while im gone. whats the deal with my boys?

Answer 1

Have they been drawing blood at all? Where are they biting each other? Bites to the neck usually aren't serious, while bites to the hind legs and back are more serious.

It's possible that one of your boys is challenging the other for dominance. You should let them work it out themselves as long as they aren't seriously injuring each other, meaning blood. They may also just be playing rough lately.

Answer 2

Only separate them if they are injuring each other.  It could be a new kind of rough play.  Try a larger cage so they can get away from each other more.

Answer 3

I would just keep an eye on them. If the aggressive rat starts drawing blood then you should separate them or get the aggressive one neutered. One of my boys was very aggressive to all my rats except one I had to separate him. He does the exact same thing as yours does puffs up and his hair stands on edge.

How old are the rats?

Males rats get to be about 6 months old their hormones could get out of control and cause aggression.