Fur Pulling - Hormonal Behaviour?

[lilspaz68]

I have seen rats (always female) go through phases where they would decide their cagemates are little babies who need to be dragged back to the nest. I recognized this behaviour especially after my first few rescue litters and observing mom. The adult girl will grab onto whatever is closest on their cagemate, sides, fur on neck, and in the case of dumbos those lovely prominent ears often become the handles. Most times the unfortunate cagemate, eeps quietly in protest but usually lets themselves be "dragged".

Mallo, my Sugah is full of mammary tumours now, they all are except for Pocky, but she like most of them also have the terrible chronic respiratory which makes them a poor candidate for surgery. I was contemplating it for them but then they all just popped in all 5 of them like flowers suddenly blooming Mammary tumours are hormone driven, which we have all agreed apon, and now lately Mallo is starting to drag her cagemates, BUT she is being very unkind and they are worried around, her and often shriek for help from me.

I managed to get pics of these behaviours...they aren't the best but I had to snap fast.

Poor Spree

Aero

Very sick Wispa

and even me, she tried to drag

She was dragging on Wispa's tail very hard and Wispa was screeching from it...so its not gentle. I also noticed this which is very worriesome. :sad-p:

My Sugah's don't have a long time to go in this world, but what should I do to make them less stressed and happier with their sister acting like this? Aero will be first I think with her abdominal tumour (pic below), should I let Mallo go with her? :sad3: I gave Mallo a dose of metacam just in case she was uncomfortable.

 

[victoria]

My Ava does exactly the same thing, she tries to drag the other rats (I always thought she was tugging on their fur to hurt them) and when they don't comply, they get hurt. Then the fights break out... Her cage mates have learned how to cope with her behaviour though and seem to work around her and are happy. Introductions are hell though, because the newbies don't really understand her. I think the behaviour is hormonal with Ava, because I have noticed she is so much worse when she's in heat.

The tail thing... that's Wispa's tail right? I had a rat, Amelia, that had me close to tears for months because she would do that and worse to her own tail (easily 75% of it was like that) and I would worry it would need to be amputated or would get infected. It never did though but I don't know if it was painful. I don't know if I'd let her go just yet, things may calm down in the group... I guess it all depends how the other girls are coping.

 

[SQ]

I am so very sorry ....
I have no suggestions at all.
but did want to mention that my little boy, Jordan used to to that to his cagemates as well, except Jordan would only grab them by the skin on their sides..

 

[lilspaz68]

Hmm...boys too eh?

I just hate how she will stand over them mouth nearby (almost aggressive) until she can grab on and yank. Poor Pez was on her back in fear and I had to rescue her. Wispa is very sick with respiratory and this stresses her out even more. Spree is terrified of her now for the most part. Poor Mallo only has maybe a month left if you ask me because of her tumours...sigh.

 

[jorats]

Is this a new behaviour? Could something else be plaguing the poor girl, pain or neuro?
I've noticed that Molly does something similar but not dragging, she pushes instead. She does it mostly to Rory, Scout and me. I'm still trying to figure out what she's trying to tell me. But it doesn't feel malicious, it feels like she needs something or needs them to respond in some way?

 

[Godmother]

That must be very tough to watch. If it's a new behaviour it may well be connected to the presence of the tumours. I know that, in humans, major illnesses like cancer are connected to the onset of depression. Your girl may be super-irritable in general, or perhaps she is in pain.

I recall one of SQ's rats attacking nearby rats when he was in pain. He'd get a twinge of it, then blame whoever was handy.

I only had one rat, Hilda, who tried to pull & drag. She was healthy at the time, but she was always bullying Clara when there were just the two of them. It pretty much stopped once they were in with a bigger group. That sounds like a totally different situation from yours.

Wish I had something to offer. Sounds like a tough situation.

 

[Petunia]

I'm sorry you and your girls are going thru this.

 

[lilspaz68]

Jo, Molly pushes, its just one of her mannerisms...she head bumps, pushes (and you move your hand and she will follow it and push again) and sometimes will stick her nose up yours...she's a happy little character and I think she bestows these on her favourites :mrgreen:

Mallo sometimes will lick the victim lovingly and gently (head and neck) before yanking them around. I shall start her on pain meds consistently to see if it helps with her behaviours. I have her out right now with me, and she's very nervous. Huddling under my hand, wagging her tail, like she used to when a scared little baby. the Sugah's have never been brave rats, and are very vocal. I thought I would give her cagemates a break and have her out with me.

 

[jorats]

At first she did only the pushing but now she grabs a bite first then push. It's weird why she moved on to the bite first. She doesn't seem upset at all when she does it and will even popcorn after.