# Rats - fighting and nipping



## Helen63 (May 27, 2011)

Hi I'm new to the forum having just got a couple of lovely girl rats. We have had them for two weeks and they are about 3 and a half months old now.

In the past couple of days one has taken to nipping the other often quite hard - pulling skin and biting ears and nipping on the face. When she is in this biting 'mood' she nips us too. She is obviuosly hurting her sister as the other squeaks, but there is no bleeding or damage apparent.

I have looked up information online and see that at this age (what one site described as 'teens') one will take charge and create a pecking order. My assumption is that she is trying to do the same by nipping us humans too, as if to tell us she is in charge of us as well. I noticed today that when these scuffles occur the rat that is being nipped eventually lies on her back and shows her tummy as if in submission. 

Whilst I am pretty sure this is perfectly natural behaviour and that the 'nipper' is the more dominant femal and is taking charge, however its upsetting to see. Whilst having read up, I think I want some reassurance that our girls are just behaving naturally. 

Any guidance / reassurance would be great.

Thanks.


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## Argent (Oct 18, 2009)

My girls rag each other's fur and pull each other around by their ears, but they still all love each other and curl up together at the end of the day. I don't think they're doing any harm, it seems to just be bossy behaviour.

My lot are all just over a year old now or around abouts, so they don't do it as much, but we still see it from time to time. They used to fling each other around the cage screaming blue murder when they were younger! But they were just playing! I think girls are just very vocal and very sparky, they tend to be like human little girls sometimes, bickering and squabbling really noisily!

My boys just tend to have a quick 'thump, thump, staredown' and then get back to sleeping/eating lol, they sort themselves out much quicker.


ETA - squeaking does not indicate pain, it's more annoyance than anything, kinda like yelling "Gerroff!"


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## donna.n (Apr 22, 2011)

They are playing with each other. My 2 do it most of the time. Chocolate(my rat) will just be sat eating and Sponge(hubby's rat) will pounce on her then they play fight and one of them will pin the other one down and then its over. 

Sometimes when they play like that when one of them is on their back or side the one on top will groom the one laying down. My 2 grab each other from behind and pull them towards themselves. 

Hope this helps.


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## owieprone (Nov 6, 2008)

it's either

over zealous cleaning leading to a squabble

or they're setting up the pecking order. only one can be alpha rat (though it can change later on) they're basically having abit of 'i'm the leader!!!', completely normal and nothing to worry about. 

keep an eye on the wounds (if more than scratches) just in case but i'd doubt it if was anything more than that.

oh yeah.. just cos one gets supremacy..d oesn't mean the 'fighting' will stop... lol they need to keep supremacy so will often have a quick go just to make sure, or the submissive will have a quick take over bid and it goes on and on.. lol

squeeking is them talking remember so just cos there's lots of it doesn't mean there's pain involved.


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## Helen63 (May 27, 2011)

Thanks for that. I thought they were behaving naturally, it just looks a bit heavy handed! 

Do you think that the nipping us is just her trying to assert her authority over us? She isn't biting really hard just a bit harder than a nibble. Otherwise she is sweet and cuddly and loving.


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## Argent (Oct 18, 2009)

When does she nip? Just when she's out and about, does she come over to you and do it? Or is it when you approach her? If she's red eyed especially, she might not see you til the last minute and get surprised!
If she's the one approaching you to nip, she may be a bit of a character like my old Hugo was; he went through a phase of just nipping my thigh for attention, it stopped after a bit though.


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## myzoo (Jan 13, 2010)

hi my girls somtimes nip me not hard just a quick nip lola is about a year old and the girls are 7-8 months and have never really grown out of their testing stage.dont know why they do it they just do.i think they are just testing.the one thing is when they do it dont pull away fast just slowly move your hand away and put them back in the cage they will soon learn that nipping wont get them anywere. but i dont think mine will ever totally stop but am trying to teach them


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## Helen63 (May 27, 2011)

Thanks to everyone for their comments and feedback, its all very reassuring. 

Nipping me has often been when she has been scuffling with sis and then she turns on me - as I say its a hard, but not vicious nip. She is getting a firm 'No' and the cage is shut. Hopefully she will learn. 

All above said they are absolutely gorgeous and we all love them to bits!


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## Argent (Oct 18, 2009)

What cuties! They look so similar to my Mimi hehe


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## Rhi (Feb 19, 2011)

They are gorgeous. I always have to have at least 1 agouti hoody in my group. Great advice so far but I have one small thing to add - don't pull away when you are nipped as she will learn that if she nips you will go away. Leave your hand where it is and squeak at her to show she's hurt you.


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## Helen63 (May 27, 2011)

thanks Rhi. I think the first time I pulled off a bit but after that I haven't. 

And funnily enough, as owieprone predicted, the other was trying to take charge last night when they were out playing. Feeling happy now.

:biggrin:


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