My sister’s got three rats - Willow, Briar and Guenevere. W & B are littermates, but Guen’s from a different litter. They normally get along really well, but sometimes they fight. It seems that two gang up on a third, but all three rats eventually get ganged up on.
Tonight I went to play with them, and Briar shot out of the cage and climbed up my shirt. She had a couple of bite marks on her - nothing major, but she was pretty spooked and is hiding in my shirt as we speak.
What’s the best way to stop the rats from fighting?
Well, this may be fairly hard to impliment, but I have two bunnies that fight with each other from time to time. I also have a budgie and when the bunnies start fighting, the budgie lets out a really loud, high pitched kind of scream (it’s quite impressive) and the bunnies freeze in their tracks.
Finding a bird to run interference might be difficult, but perhaps you could get a loud wistle of some sort and blow it when you catch them.
I dunno - it could work.
Try putting something really spicy or unpleasant tasting on all the rats’ fur.
Rats don’t usually fight. Maybe there is something that is bothering them. Try moving the cage, cleaning it more often or an extra feeder and water bottle. I know rats dump their food… well mine always did! And if all else fails you may just have to split them up.
We had rats that were littermates, and one of them was ceaselessly attacking the other to the point of drawing blood. Eventually we had to separate them for the majority of the time. Good luck!
I have a little squirt bottle. Once a week or so my boys were get a little rowdy and I have to spritz them. If that doesn’t work, I try cold water. (Don’t worry, I don’t douse them. They are dry in a few minutes) Usually they look up in shock and say, “Hey mom, we were only playing, honest!!” Then they go about their day.
Step 1: Take rats to local mad scientist.
Step 2: Have ratbot apparatus installed.
Step 3: Use the Sony Ratbot Remote Control to set the rats to “no-fight” mode. Also set the rats on “attack intruders” or “answer telephone on 3rd ring” mode if desired.
http://www.nature.com/nsu/020429/020429-9.html
Step 4: If (1)-(3) do not fix your problem, you may have haunted rats. Sprinkle rats with holy water, while chanting “The power of Christ compels you!” Rise and repeat. Seek the assistance of a professional exorcist if you are having difficulty.
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0070047
Step 5: If none of the above resolve the situation, your pet rats may actually be pirates disguised as rats. Consider contacting a team of exterminator ninjas.
http://www.realultimatepower.net
Hope this helps!
I found it even if it is older looking for rat info,so others also will find it still. One commenter above says to use a water spray bottle. This works with rats.I have had over 30 pet rats in my life,often I pair two brothers together as roomates.They rarely fight if brothers,I have found.When they do have a fight,I spray both rats with water.The rats will cease fighting and begin cleaning themselves.Then you remove the rat who was “losing” the fight. Keep separate for about 15 min.if you like.Rats do not have the same sense of time we have. 5hen reintroduce him to the cage and watch for a few minutes to make sure they are done being angry.If someone was cut in the fight,clean and sterilize his wounds. Antibiotic is safe for rats,but they will lick it,so use tiny amounts.Or hydrogen peroxide which is also okay.
I used to have up to 6 of my pet rats in one cage. They are very social animals, and have hierarchies which sometimes lead to disputes. If it’s escalated to real bite wounds, that’s pretty serious…
My first recommendation would be a larger cage, one with multiple levels, food sources, and hiding places where they can take time away from each other.