Dominance or bullying? - Its got worse!!

[jorats]

I have to go past a health store last tomorrow and was just wondering if its worth putting Aloe Vera ointment on Sids scratches or not?

I wouldn't put anything on it, you'll see, he's going to heal so fast.

 

[ryelle]

o.k ive just never seen him with so many scratches. more seem to have appeared as the skin is beginning to scab and the blood dry

 

[ryelle]

Is there any way that i can tell Patrick that I am the boss, and not him? I just put my hand in the cage this morning to see if he was ok on his own, and he pinned MY HAND and started power grooming me. I pulled my hand from underhim and scratched the back of his neck with the same force he'd just done on my hand and he wasnt having any of it. He thinks he rules this whole world. I let him go up top and see Sid for a few minutes and he immediately tried to pin and groom him (Sid didnt like it cus his back isnt so pretty today :doh: )

I seriously wish i could just go out and get the perfect little friend for him. Someone his own age, that wont take any crap from him, that he can play with, but will also love Sid and not bully my boy.

I think when i move house again that i might try see about getting another boy (or girl, id quite like to have another girl in the house), and having Patrick in the big cage and maybe having Sid live the rest of his days in peace between my bed or a couch and the hospital cage

 

[jorats]

To show Patrick you are the boss, you need to do the pinching between the shoulder blades and press downward firmly. Don't let go while he's struggling, let go when he settles, it shouldn't be more than 10 seconds. He should go sulk after you do this.
If you get a girl, will you have her spayed or Patrick neutered? It will be more difficult to have 3 rats living alone. I can assure you, Patrick will become a doll with a neuter.

 

[ryelle]

Depending on how the living arrangements will be going would depend on who would get the surgery. If Patrick and Sid are living together then ofc the female would have to have a spay, but if Patrick is still being a pain in the backside then that might have to be his turn.

Poor Patrick, hes gunna have a shock when he gets bumped to the bottom of the hierarchy this week lol

 

[ryelle]

Patricks got to the top and beat Sid up again He only has 1 new scratch and a scab taken off.

Well, my mum said they were screaming again. Patrick had climbed inside Sids hammock - which is probably where the scratches are from. I've trimmed his nails, and i had them both out on the couch. Sid is nervous of Patrick now, and he pushed his head under a cushion and just stayed there. We've changed them round in the cage. Sid is now on the bottom and Patrick is on the top. Patrick was frantically ripping the fleece to bits that was hanging down from the top and was trying to chew through the wood to get up there. My mum said hes too nosey to be on the top. He likes to see whats goin on all the time, and he couldnt see so well at the bottom. Hoping it keeps him in there.

Wish i could get the rest of my stuff from the other house - including my two spare cages. My mum is always moaning about my boxed stuff being everywhere and there being no room etc.

 

[jorats]

That would be ideal, getting Patrick in his own cage for a wee bit.

 

[auntie.elaine]

I hope no one thinks i'm cruel for this but a while ago I had to separate my 2 boys scamp and dozer. I got them together and they are the same age and they were fine for a little while but soon scamp got too agressive and one day i heard a commotion from the cage opened the lid to investigete and dozer jumped out terrified he was shaking and limping.For me this was the final straw i had allready purchased a second cage and as soon as it had bedding food toys etc dozer moved himself in. I keep the cages next to each other so they can still see and hear each other but both are now much happier.
I did this because a friend of mine had the same problem but much worse the dominant rat killed his cage mate! This was probably a extreme and rare case but it can happen so be prepared to separate them perminantly if you get too worried.

 

[jorats]

auntie.elaine, have you thought about neutering the aggressive boy, turns them into mush. :cheeky:

 

[auntie.elaine]

Didn't even know it could be done untill i saw it mentioned here. Don't know about the US but here in the UK vets will only operate in small critters like rats if it's really serious like life or death due to the danger of giving anasthetic to something so small. Even non cancerous tumors will only be removed if seriously affecting a rats way of life due to their size or position.
I suppose i could ask my local vet about it though if it is totally safe (don't want to risk an un-nessary procedure if he might die on the operating table)

 

[ryelle]

Thanks for saying all that auntie.elaine. I'd never heard of neutering or spaying rats in my whole life. My friend used to have a seriously agressive rat, and he had to be seen by a vet regarding a large tumour on his neck, and never once did the vet mention neutering the rat. There was a reason aswell that he didn't remove the tumour, but i cant remember what that was - it was a good few years ago.

Have you tried putting your boys together again in neutral territory auntie.elaine?

I havent put my boys together again just because Sid is so old. I've made the decision to get two boys (going to try find rescue's around the same age as Patrick) once i have the space. I've decided on two so that they can stick up for each other, just incase Patrick hasn't changed.

You know what... i'm going to call my Vet and ask about neutering, see if they would actually do it or see what they say.

 

[ryelle]

I called and they said they neuter on occasion, but spay more (probably because of the health risks to un-spayed females). They said it's not something they do a lot, and i got the impression that they wouldn't just go digging around in any rat without a reason

 

[jorats]

Didn't even know it could be done untill i saw it mentioned here. Don't know about the US but here in the UK vets will only operate in small critters like rats if it's really serious like life or death due to the danger of giving anasthetic to something so small. Even non cancerous tumors will only be removed if seriously affecting a rats way of life due to their size or position.
I suppose i could ask my local vet about it though if it is totally safe (don't want to risk an un-nessary procedure if he might die on the operating table)

I've noticed that about the UK. But more and more, I've had Brits contact me for info and they do indeed get their vets to castrate their rats. It seems to be getting more acceptable as time goes on. A spay in a female rat will reduce the risk of benign mammary tumors from 90% to 5%. That's huge!

 

[ryelle]

Yea Jo, the more i hear about it from the Rat Shack, the more it does make sense to do it. Especially with the females. The vet surgery i called is the one that i am moving away from. I dont have the contact details of a vet on the clinic im moving over to with my rats yet but as soon as i do i will be finding out the procedure they do on surgery with rats, the cost, and possibly get Patrick snipped.

Im unemployed and on benefits - so the cost is a big thing to me atm. There is a place called the PDSA where you can get free or cheap veterinary care for your animals if your on benefits. All they ask is for a donation. But i've found they are really only good for dogs and cats. They have basically trained Vets, who aren't specialists (you will never find an exotic or an avian vet in there) and i think its a waste of time taking a rat there if you want proper vet care.