George turned on Molly

[Shelley]

I'm having problems with two of my female rats, George (1 year/spayed) and Molly (10 months)

Last night was scary

I heard a huge ruckus coming from the girls cage, and when I went downstairs to check, there was blood everywhere. :shock:

I took them all out of the cage to check them, and only two had any injuries. George had a gash on her back, that appears to be from a nail, but poor Molly had bite marks on her back and legs, and scratched up underneath. I cleaned her up and put her out in the free-range area and Goerge charged her and attacked her again, biting her leg. :x

I separated Molly out, as she was bleeding and terrified. Over the past week I noticed she was on the bottom alone more, not eating as much, and acting rather timid. As soon as I removed her from the cage last night into a separate one, she perked up, ate a whole bunch of food, and fell asleep in her igloo. I've had her out for hours today, and she found a comfy place on the couch to fall asleep. I think my girls are just too much for Molly. She's a really passive and calm girl, but my other girls are just too much energy. Even my oldest girl is too much for her at times. *sigh* I just don't know what to do at this point. I could wait for a while and try to re-introduce her again, as maybe because of the spay George has become irritable? She doesn't bug anyone but Molly. She's a real bully to her.

I hate to separate rats, but I'm worried for the safety of Molly. My only ideas right now are to get a bigger cage to fit two rats, and see if Molly will get along with my oldest girl Lily. If not, then I'll either have to adopt an older girl for her, or find her a new home :cry: I love Molly, and the thought of giving her up hurts too much, but I don't want her to be alone.

For now, I'll let her heal and gain some weight, but it just bugs me that things were going well, Molly was sleeping in the hammock, and cuddling with George.. and now George seems dead-set on inflicting harm to her. :?

 

[jorats]

Some rats can be down right bullies. My Nessie is like this as well. But she doesn't pick on just one, she picks on them all. Poor sweet Molly, it must be really hard on her.
Give George some time, maybe the spay will help.
When George goes after Molly, remove George from the cage and spend one on one with her, not Molly. See how George reacts to this.

 

[Shelley]

My concern is because George is attacking her, I can't trust them. It's one thing to get scratched in a scuffle, but she just chased her down and bit her in the leg. Molly wasn't even running or anything, she was just hanging out on the couch and George just charged her. I've never had a rat act like that before.

Molly's legs are sore and slightly swollen, she doesn't want to walk today, and when she does she's limping.

I'll just have to wait until all the rats are healed up, and give it another shot. Should I keep them familiar with each other with out-time together? I may not be able to let George go near her for a while, but it would still be nice if she could be around the other girls.

 

[jorats]

Ya, continue the out times but the minute George charges her, pick her up and put her away in the cage for an out time. Ideally, if you have a small hamster cage with nothing in it, I would use that as the naughty cage. Put her in there for 10 minutes, each time she charges during out time.

 

[Moon]

Any idea how the others are towards her when George isn't around? I know you said they're all just "too much" for her, but do the rest pick on her as well?

Do you think anything could be going on with Molly? Maybe she's getting ill and George is trying to weed her out of the group because of it? I don't know why my brain always goes that way.

Poor Molly. Hopefully George's spay calms her down. Keep us updated on them.

 

[Shelley]

The others don't pick on her most of the time, on ocassion Addie or Lily have gotten into a scuffle, but no injuries and I've only rarely seen the others bug her. I just say they are too much for her, because they are just so hyper and bounce all over the place she sometimes stands there with this expression on her face as if saying "Kids..." She's just so calm, they are the complete opposite of the spectrum from her. She just can't keep up with them.

I do have a hamster cage I can put George in, I'll try an out-time later today and see how it goes.

 

[SoA]

Have you noticed any sort of precursor(s) to the bullying? Like if they're eating, or Molly's in heat, or it's right after play time, or it's a certain part of the cage... et cetera.

 

[LA]

I was wondering, when George attacks Molly, is it a good idea to put George away in her cage. That way when she does it it's 'punishment' you attack one of the others and you lose out time.

My Lily likes to cause trouble, she goes after Hazel a lot (sometimes Ruby) and I always make sure it's not too rough. It hasn't been so I just let them be.

 

[jorats]

That's another good form of punishment but only if the rat truly enjoys out time. Some rats prefer to stay in their cage so that wouldn't be a good punishment, that would be a reward.

 

[Moon]

Yeah, for my girls (especially Emma) sending them back to the cage would not be punishment.

Someone gave me one of those huge huge rolling ball things. The girls hate it, it confuses them. Maybe something like that would be a good time out?

 

[LA]

I guess there is always grabbing and pinning and maybe saying the word no. My rats tend to understand that word believe it or not.

 

[Shelley]

I've been trying out time, and every single time George goes after her again. I grab her, tell her a firm no and put her in a small boring hamster cage for 10 minutes. She hates it in that cage, but it isn't detering her from going after Molly.

 

[jorats]

She really has it in for Molly.
What about an out time with just Molly and George? Let George go after Molly, don't allow any fierce attacks but flipping, pinning, grabbing in yanking kind of way is ok.
Maybe if George can get it out of her system, she'll settle down?

 

[Shelley]

Poor Molly is already scared to death of George now She starts breathing really slow and heavy when she sees her. Two of the other girls pinned her over once, and then they were fine. Most of the girls don't even bother her, but George just won't let up. I'll try again later, she got another cut on her foot earlier :x