Boys meet Girls ...We have a bully...family pic added

[Jems71]

Pics are coming I promise!
Its been 4 days with everyone living in the DBL CN. All is going fairly well But…we have a Bully!
Zoey 1yr old female is bullying everyone…except the bigger older ladies. She guards food and resting places. The other girls don’t seem to mind much they ignore her or just go away from her when she is all puffy and acting like a jerk. But my poor little boys…she backs them into the tunnels or hidey houses on the top level and does not let them out…Peanut is a HUGE sookey baby as it is…now he is worse…I am hoping they will work it out…but the boys do not fight back they just run and hide as she seem to want them to. I felt bad for them this morning so locked the girls in one section and gave the boys some yummy baby cereal and yogurt alone to eat in peace for a few mins.
I have made sure there are a couple of water bottles up on the level they seem to be trapped on a lot and I put a piece of food in their hidey houses and tunnels each day…they are not loosing weight so they are obviously getting away from her to eat at some point.

So my question is will she always bully these poor little men? Or given time will this likely settle down?
They seem sad not sick sad just not themselves timid and more qiet, still up for a good game of hand wrestling and tag with me as long as Zoey isn't there to put a damper on it... maybe I should give them more out time just the boys?

Poor guys.

 

[jorats]

Remember... you feel bad for the little boys so you think the little boys must feel bad but this is not always the case. Zoey might be teaching those boys some respect. Once those boys grow into their own, that bullying should stop.
I'd let them settle it... But if once in a while you want to close off the cage to give them a good run around, go for it.

 

[mamarat]

I agree, I would wait for a bit. The same thing happened in my cage with the Wildthings. But everyone worked it out eventually.

 

[Jems71]

I figured it would take some time for everyone to work out who is who and where they fit...once all moved in together.
Before this Move there were 3 separate cages.
Cage 1. Ellie, Diamond, Lucy original crew in FN then we moved in young girls Cookie and Blossom with them about 3 weeks ago.
Cage 2. Peanut and Jasper (Cookie and Blossom's Brothers)
Cage 3. Zoey and BIG girl C-C and Zoey bullied big old C-C too...C-C had a nice gash on her shoulder from Zoey guarding the food (Zoey is half the size of C-C)

Now all in one DBL CN...and Zoey tries to bully the other girls that are smaller than her but they mostly ignor her so she doesn't really get much of a reaction except for maybe Blossom they do have their moments...Seems the boys cannot even come out from hiding and she chases them back into their tube/house on top level. They try to avoid her, and when she comes near they go back to their hiding places...I am trying not to feel too bad for them...but they are sweet boys...gentle and fun loving...and now they hide all the time.
Even if the other girls try to go up to where boys are she will charge and chase the girls away from the boys...its like the stories of the princesses locked in the tower guarded by a feirce beasts..Zoey!

I know it has to work itself out and so far there has been no injuries since the move...a few scuffles but theyare short lived.
I just hope she eventually lets up on the poor boys and allows them to come out from hiding and become part of the family...

 

[mamarat]

Maybe she wants to keep the young boys for herself. lol

 

[jorats]

Those boys will get bigger and older and will most likely take over as alpha because clearly Zoey is not doing a good job of it. When that happens, you'll probably see a transformation in Zoey. Take Zoey out if you can once in a while, put in her in a smaller cage, decorate it, make it nice and call it her cottage and this should give the boys a chance to get out from under the Gestapo.

 

[Jems71]

Those boys will get bigger and older and will most likely take over as alpha because clearly Zoey is not doing a good job of it. When that happens, you'll probably see a transformation in Zoey. Take Zoey out if you can once in a while, put in her in a smaller cage, decorate it, make it nice and call it her cottage and this should give the boys a chance to get out from under the Gestapo.

Haha! that is a great idea...her cottage...not her bad girl time out spot... and I have 3 smaller cages empty right now collecting dust.
Perfect plan for one of these cages! Thanks!

 

[Jems71]

Here is a pic from tonight supper.

starting on the ladder clock wise> Jasper (himi), On edge of bucket > Blossom (beige), Peanut (smeeze), Cookie (smeeze), Big C-C (LARGE brown berk), Ellie (smaller brown berk), Zoey (hooded), Diamond (skin kid), Lucy (hooded skin kid)

 

[Godmother]

Cute ratty family! I :heart: hope that the bully-girl comes around soon.

 

[mamarat]

Beautiful colony, they look great together.

 

[jorats]

What a beautiful group.