Gory story of cagemate abuse....not for the weak of stomach or heart!

[SterlingRats0408]

This is the most disturbing death I have seen and I have seen some gory scenes. Please do not read if you cannot handle VERY gory details.
Wally the nakie and Yoshi the two big aggressive boys from Hamilton that MinnieFlower rescued and transported as a male for female swap last year, seemed to have eaten their passed away cagemates U.b. aka Houdini and Ollie who passed away when I assume was early lastnight. I went to bed at 8 and fed dinner to all and everyone was fine. This morning at 9 I walk in to feed breakfast and one of them I see dead in their sleep tube only to pull him out and find his face and chest exposed and the flesh gone. The other I find across the cage under a bowl with his entire head missing and insides pulled out.
Needless to say I am sick, baffled and in shock after this. Yoshi and Wally are unaware that anything was awry and took breakfast like the hungry bugs they always are.
I cannot believe this happened!
Has this ever happened to anyone before?

 

[SQ]

Although this is not a frequent occurrence, it is normal behaviour.
Rats are prey animals and it is normal for them to try to dispose of a dead body by eating it or burying it,
so that it will not attract predators.

Their friends were dead and they were following their instincts in trying to dispose of the bodies.
Like all rats, I am sure they will grieve in their own way and will miss their friends.

I am very sorry for your loss.
and I am sorry that you had to see the bodies of your boys in that condition.

 

[Joanne]

Like SQ said, it does happen occasionally although thankfully not very often! I'm sure it is very disturbing to find, and makes it harder on the owner, but the rats were just following their instincts. I'm sorry you had to wake up to that.

 

[lilspaz68]

Seen it a few times now, and its natural even if upsetting to us.

Its an instinct to "clean up" a body that might attract predators to the colony. In a cage that instinct must be even worse as they cannot get away from the body/area.

There's no abuse, no one was killed, it was a Ratty Burial as such.

 

[dspch911]

My friend was texting me last year that one of her son's rats killed the other one. I too had to explain to her that it was a "rat funeral". That is probably one of my biggest fears "that might happen" to my ratties. Sorry you had to see that and that you are having such a hard time lately. :flowers1:

 

[SterlingRats0408]

Was such a shock. I have never had that happen. Not even a nibble on a cagemate before. Was traumatic! Th extent of the gore was what got me! Just in awe of it.
I am closing incoming and outgoing right now until I am sure there is nothing going around.