Just for some background:
So I adopted 4 sister rats from a rescue shelter. Saya, Maia, Yuki, and Ava. They’re roughly 8 months old now. Everything was wonderful, they all got along. Unfortunately we had a situation a couple months back where somehow 2 wild rats had gotten into the house, and hid under the dresser in my room. I had my girls out for free roam and they were all attacked. It was horrible and so unexpected. Ever since then it’s been a nightmare. Saya needed an amputation of her tail, and had to be separated, the other girls had various issues.. I seemed to be at the vet clinic sometimes multiple times a week with some type of concern.
Anyways. The current issue:
Ava had developed a respiratory infection. She had to be isolated from the main cage for a little while. Once she was brought back, Saya started pinning her. I figured it was fine, when Saya was put back home, she started pinning Maia. I thought all was well, it had been a little bit, Saya was just going to try to figure it out with Ava now.
I’m unsure if the hierarchy was properly determined previously, or if being put back together after some separation was when they decided to settle it. But it seemed pretty relentless with Saya going after Ava.
Ava wouldn’t really stay pinned, but she wouldn’t try to pin Saya either. She seemed to mostly wriggle out and run away. Saya has started to let up some, but now Maia’s been after Ava. She can’t catch a break.
I let them out each night for free roam, and it seems like the majority of Ava’s time lately is running from Maia and/or Saya. Last night I saw both Saya and Maia trying to pin Ava at the same time. 2 on 1. I have them in my room, and when trying to sleep I’ll hear the occasional squeak of protest from Ava.
Another thing that concerned me last night, was between Yuki and Ava. I’m not sure what was going on prior, but Ava went into the hideaway Yuki was in. When I next looked over at them, Ava had her paw on Yuki and I watched Yuki then bite Ava’s side. There was no blood, Ava seemed okay, it wasn’t a crazy fight or anything,, Ava didn’t even run away after, but I hadn’t ever seen Yuki behave that way.
Ava this week has been sleeping alone on the top of their favourite hammock, with the other 3 sleeping together inside. I’m concerned, as she has always been a very nervous rat, but recently it seems to be more so. I’m wondering if she’s been bullied into sleeping alone?, or if she’s just so tired of her sisters trying to pin her etc, that she’s decided to avoid them. (It is the same hammock, so she’s not like, steering clear of them totally. Just not cuddling together anymore). Either way I’m a really worried momma.
When I was young, my family had a couple rats, but I’d never really seen the dominance displays with them. This is really my first time experiencing this, I’ve read so many posts and articles about it, trying to see if this is getting out of hand.
They aren’t making each other bleed, they aren’t screeching or boxing, but are they ruining Ava’s quality of life? Bullying her? Do I leave it and let them settle it? Will it get settled? Or has it already gone too far? It’s been way longer with Ava than it was with Maia. And I’m worried that it seems all of them are sort of ganging up on her.
So I adopted 4 sister rats from a rescue shelter. Saya, Maia, Yuki, and Ava. They’re roughly 8 months old now. Everything was wonderful, they all got along. Unfortunately we had a situation a couple months back where somehow 2 wild rats had gotten into the house, and hid under the dresser in my room. I had my girls out for free roam and they were all attacked. It was horrible and so unexpected. Ever since then it’s been a nightmare. Saya needed an amputation of her tail, and had to be separated, the other girls had various issues.. I seemed to be at the vet clinic sometimes multiple times a week with some type of concern.
Anyways. The current issue:
Ava had developed a respiratory infection. She had to be isolated from the main cage for a little while. Once she was brought back, Saya started pinning her. I figured it was fine, when Saya was put back home, she started pinning Maia. I thought all was well, it had been a little bit, Saya was just going to try to figure it out with Ava now.
I’m unsure if the hierarchy was properly determined previously, or if being put back together after some separation was when they decided to settle it. But it seemed pretty relentless with Saya going after Ava.
Ava wouldn’t really stay pinned, but she wouldn’t try to pin Saya either. She seemed to mostly wriggle out and run away. Saya has started to let up some, but now Maia’s been after Ava. She can’t catch a break.
I let them out each night for free roam, and it seems like the majority of Ava’s time lately is running from Maia and/or Saya. Last night I saw both Saya and Maia trying to pin Ava at the same time. 2 on 1. I have them in my room, and when trying to sleep I’ll hear the occasional squeak of protest from Ava.
Another thing that concerned me last night, was between Yuki and Ava. I’m not sure what was going on prior, but Ava went into the hideaway Yuki was in. When I next looked over at them, Ava had her paw on Yuki and I watched Yuki then bite Ava’s side. There was no blood, Ava seemed okay, it wasn’t a crazy fight or anything,, Ava didn’t even run away after, but I hadn’t ever seen Yuki behave that way.
Ava this week has been sleeping alone on the top of their favourite hammock, with the other 3 sleeping together inside. I’m concerned, as she has always been a very nervous rat, but recently it seems to be more so. I’m wondering if she’s been bullied into sleeping alone?, or if she’s just so tired of her sisters trying to pin her etc, that she’s decided to avoid them. (It is the same hammock, so she’s not like, steering clear of them totally. Just not cuddling together anymore). Either way I’m a really worried momma.
When I was young, my family had a couple rats, but I’d never really seen the dominance displays with them. This is really my first time experiencing this, I’ve read so many posts and articles about it, trying to see if this is getting out of hand.
They aren’t making each other bleed, they aren’t screeching or boxing, but are they ruining Ava’s quality of life? Bullying her? Do I leave it and let them settle it? Will it get settled? Or has it already gone too far? It’s been way longer with Ava than it was with Maia. And I’m worried that it seems all of them are sort of ganging up on her.
