fighting, please help!

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LadyGray

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Joined
Mar 4, 2010
Messages
306
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Cardiff
Our girls VERY rarely play fight, but they were doing it all day today, we left it for a while, but then Lady grabbed Griff's neck with her teeth, not roughly, but enough for us to take Lady off her because we though Griff was in distress. Lady kept running after to her purposely just to do this and wouldn't let her go, it was always her perpetuating it, she's going out of her way to do it when Griff doesn't seem to like it. Is this strange? maybe it's only strange to me because they have NEVER done this. Please share info you have on fighting/play fighting so I can try and observe them together to see what's going on. Hopefully i've completely overreacted! sorry, it's just very unusual for our girls. currently they're in seperate cages but next to each other

edit; my boyfriend saw more of it and said it Lady was just continuosly pulling quite hard on the back of griff's neck, and eventually wouldn't let go even though it seemed to be upsetting griff, so we've seperated them for now at least. Also, now that I think about it, Griff has seemed pretty down today, which worries me more
 
Thanks - i'll put them back together. Does it sound like they're actually fighting, though? shall I stay up with them?
 
There has been no injuries, so I would not consider it fighting.
My girls always ppull on each other ..usually more often when in heat.
I wouldn't be worried unless they are causing injuries.
 
My Honey and Willow used to always do the same thing, pull eachother by the necks. They would scream blue murder but weren't hurting eachother. We just tapped the bars and they would stop. I too would put them back together Rhia. :)
 
Ok, thanks. It's just literally the first time i've ever seen them do this, and so it was this scary new thing for me. as she wouldn't let go I thought she was trying to hurt her, and at least thought there was risk of injury, especially as Lady has stitches right now. so your girls pull at the necks as well? phew! it's just weird to me that they've never done this before.
 
Rachael said:
My Honey and Willow used to always do the same thing, pull eachother by the necks. They would scream blue murder but weren't hurting eachother. We just tapped the bars and they would stop. I too would put them back together Rhia. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks Rachael! sorry for freaking out everyone! they're back together now :)
 
What age are they?

Where are Ladys stitches? Was she anywhere near them? I'd just keep an eye on that incase she accidently wrips them out.
 
Just over one and a half and i've never seen them do it before! her stitches are by her left front paw but are healing nicely right now.
 
When my girls are in heat, they always bitch at each other and somettimes they do what your rat's are doing, but it causes no harm, just fustration,lol.
 
I had a similar scare a while back, I thought two brothers were beating each other up until I hid and watched and observed it was all a game.
I'm guessing it's the same but... If she's the one that just had an operation, then she might be acting out in pain. How is she doing otherwise?
 
She's doing fine otherwise, I think, her usual self, i'll keep an eye out though obviously. I wouldn't be able to tell if they were in heat, sorry. Is there any way I can find out? so spaying would help a girl's attitude the same way it helps a male Rat?

Ok, well, it all looks completely fine now, i'll update over the next few days just in case, though!
 
Unfortunately a spay doesn't do the same on females, although I have seen a change on two girls but that's all.
A female in heat will do fast jerky movements and sometimes flutter their ears. Run real fast and stop, run real fast and stop, especially if another rat is near their rear.
 
Ok, their out time is in a mo, so can keep an eye out!We were worried again today for a bit because Lady was doing the same to Griff continuously for hours before she stopped. It hasn't happened since, though. Lars was pointing out that Lady seemed to be being protective of food and a nest she made with blankets, which suggests she could be in heat to us, because she's never been like this before
 
That's what we originally thought! but if you've never seen it in any of your Rats over the years, then it seems unlikely that that's what's happening to Lady. They're completely back to normal today, anyway. She was just in a strange mood, I guess! well, we'll see.
 

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