Poor maggie girl

[Rodentlover101]

Well i got maggie form a rescue as a lone rat, she was so unhappy that i whent back and got her a friend(her sis).

Now maggie has always been the smaller of the two. She is aroung 256g and Sophie is around 350g.

I am not sure why but sophie has taken a shine to annoying maggie. Maggie can not even eat with out sophie attacing her. If i give them a treat sophie eats hers and then goes and steel maggies. :doh:

The fights are not to bad however i have seen a few scatches on maggie. :sad3:

My main worry is why Sophie is acting like this .. The will be a yr old at the end of april. Is it adolecents?? I cannot really seperate them as they would be alone and i cannot get more rats for a while. I also worry that maggie will lose weight(she is really to small to afford that).. I have two bowls however Sophie thinks they are both hers :doh:

Maggies is soo sweet and Sophie is just being a bully :? .

 

[SQ]

Two or more bowls far apart. Two sources of water, far apart.
Does she bully her sister only about food? All food?

Take Maggie out a few times a day and feed her separately.
Stealing treats from one another is unfortunately, normal for some rats.
Do they have lots of lab blocks available in the food dishes at all times?

 

[Rodentlover101]

No, "soph" wont let "mag" do anything. I can have 2 hidey's and Sophie will chase her out of them both till maggie just gives up... I trully feel sorry for maggie and wonder if i did the worng thing...... It is only recent in the past month or two but it is getting worse.

The food is 1 bowl on lower level and one on the very top "soph will actually run up and down and pester mags." Will get and get another water bottle tomorrow.

I am at a loss i have never had rats that act like this my girls have always gotten along.. Even my last group of 4 never had a problem.

 

[ryelle]

Are they just playing or is she physically hurting Maggy?

My old guy got beat up by the younger rat (we think he's just a little crazy and not actually agressive) and my old guy was covered in scratches

 

[jorats]

Since this just started out of the blue, I would do a mite/lice treatment on both. Having buggies can cause aggression, weight loss and change in behavior. That should be the first course of action with the two girls.
When it's feeding time, you need to take Sophie out of the cage, not Maggie. Let Sophie eat after Maggie is done. Same with treats, Maggie first, Sophie last. Sophie is the one that is highly stressed for some reason, she's the one that needs extra time with you, not Maggie. Maggie is fine except for the constant harassment. Work on giving Sophie more one on one.
Also, how big is the cage?

 

[jordon]

When i first got my boys they were always together all three of thrm but now sneazy the pew from a different litter is unicluded in everything and pushed around a little. They have been together since they were babies. Poor sneazy all bye him self all the time i hope radon will buddie up to him.

 

[Rodentlover101]

I am pretty sure it is not play maggie has been sqeeling and not her good squeek it sounds horrible.....

It strats with maggie getting chased then they both stand on hind legs.... Then sophie will push maggie to the floor and then maggie ends up sqeeling th house down at 2am???? Very odd..

the cage is 3 foot long and around 2 foot high with 3 levels.

"mite/lice treatment on both" will do that tomorrow.

thanks guys....

I will spend more time with sophie by her self..... anything to stop the crazzy tussles