Well I got a baby dumbo gerbil yesterday and heard they do better in pairs so I got one from the same litter today to put with my new one. But now they're scuffling and was wondering if this is normal for two rats living together. They are not biting each other but are like fighting. Should I take one back?
2006-10-22 06:39:48 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
And I said gerbil instead of rat in my quesiton. I meant rat sorry. They are two dumbo rats.
2006-10-22 06:56:52 · update #1
awwww.
that's hecka adorable.
but yea, get 2 pieces of whatever food they like, then put it on 2 opposite side of the cage or wherever they're in.
im pretty sure that would work :).
2006-10-22 06:45:07 · answer #1 · answered by cj baby 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No! First - do you have rats or gerbils - they are completely different animals with different needs, so you really need to know! Assuming that you are talking about rats, then the move to a new cage is stressful, and they will scuffle a bit to establish dominance. There may be some alarming squealing and a little shed fur, but there should NOT be any biting that draws blood. Make sure that your ratties have a box or covered bed that they can shelter in for security. The cage should be as big as you can possibly afford. It is far better for rats to be kept in groups if at all possible.
If your ratties continue to fight, then you will need to train them not to. Rats can be trained just as easily as cats. When you see or hear them scuffling, then you should rush up to the cage and bang your hand against the side (if it's a glass cage then obviously be careful not to crack the glass). They should be startled and stop fighting and look round at you. Firmly say 'NO' and then offer them both some attention or a treat. If they go back to scuffling then take the one that started it and pick him up just behind the front legs and lift him off the ground. Repeat the command and pop him back down. Remember to reward them with treats or ear scratchies when they respond to your commands. Good luck!
2006-10-22 13:46:37 · answer #2 · answered by stienbabe 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I used to have mice and rats. Usually you want to get the pair at the same time. But if you don't it is still okay, most of the time. The one that has been there the longest, has become used to the idea that he/she rules!
I had no choice recently when all but one of my fish died, I left him alone for about 2 weeks with a shrimp and when I introduced new fish.... the once peaceful fish went after the new fish. I did think I would have to pull him out of the tank, but I knew that all the fish needed to get used to one another. In about 3 or 4 days they were all swimming around with no problem.
Rats do the same thing, except some are just plain mean. But if no blood is being drawn or better yet, if they are not hurting one another bad enough, I would leave them alone and let them get used to one another.
2006-10-22 13:57:00 · answer #3 · answered by Xterra04 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are social animals, yes, and like many social animals there is a dominant one. I have two rats and if they are fighing I clap my hands or say 'hey' loudly to get them to stop. But I don't worry about it too much. They fight, but they don't seriously hurt each other and get along perfectly well other than a few scuffles. So don't worry about it, and definatly don't take one back. They need to be with another rat, or they will get sick from being lonely. You should make sure that they are of different gender, though, or they may breed, and you probably don't want that, and the offspring may have problems with the two being siblings. Good luck with your new pets!
2006-10-22 13:49:21 · answer #4 · answered by Bored. 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would highly doubt that they are seriously fighting. They are just playing. Babies love to play fight, you can even use your hand to play fight with them. It does look worrying the first time you see it, they are running all over the cage, pinning each other down and flipping each other over. My babies still playfight and they are 10 weeks old. They have slowed a lot since they were 4 weeks old though. I think part of it is to help them sort out the pecking order as well, cos I've noticed that one is more dominant than the others and wants to play a lot more.
The only time to worry about rats fighting is when blood is drawn, the rest of the time its nothing serious.
2006-10-22 17:45:04 · answer #5 · answered by kiffie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If they are fighting you need to separate them as they will keep fighting,
2006-10-22 13:53:36 · answer #6 · answered by pinkpiggies336 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its normal but if it gets bad, seperate them we had to do that to our female rats
2006-10-23 16:02:02 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
feed both of them to a ball python and start fresh
2006-10-22 13:55:22 · answer #8 · answered by Jesus.H 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋