Temper

[Bati]

Picked up 3 boys at a rescue, sent them in quarantine and they were fighting; actually I was thinking of having two of them neutered. Then Annbritt got one, put him with her boys with no problems, I put two with my boys and no problems at all.

Why did they fight? they had a giant cage, they are brothers (aprox 2-3 months when I picked them up). Do they have a problem or would they be suited for breeding (if they'd had a pedigree)?

 

[lilspaz68]

What type of fighting? Noisy chases or serious bites?

 

[Bati]

Serious bites with blod and an eye-injury (not serious, and is ok without any treatment), but they looked like trafic-disasters all the time (double rexes)

Wonder if somethings is mentally wrong or they were just to equal to make up who's boss.

 

[jorats]

How long have they been with your boys? They could be just waiting it out and once they are settled, they may start up.

I wouldn't breed any rat that has shown any form of aggression, either past or present. If they've bitten to the blood once, they can do it again and that means it can be passed on.
Besides, one should never breed rescues, it's just not right.

 

[Bati]

The breeding question was more theoretic, as in 'are they lunatics or was it something else' - they have been with my boys for around 2 months now, but I have always very hard / rough alfa-males in my cage (not as in violent but as in very dominant) so I'm wondering if it's because they are the little guys now. Have seen no sign of violence from them so far.

 

[jorats]

Could be they are learning from your males to be good boys.
It could also very well be that one day, they will challenge the aging alphas.
Did you witness the rats being aggressive to each other?

 

[Fidget]

Wow! That's great that Annbrit took one and all was good for all of you! Sounds like they were battling for alpha until the question was answered for them in that higher-ups gave none of them the positon

Maybe someone will get the position one day in the far future when the current alpha teaches them to earn it.

 

[Bati]

I saw them fighting, Annbritt took the worst, they would kind of push each other away from the food, the hammock, the water or just out of the way, so I was ready to neuter, but Annbritt took the chance and introduced to her older boys with succes