ouch

[ratcreature]

My four rats are now in their rowdy adolescence/early adulthood, and scuffle quite a bit. It's not that they injure each other seriously *knocks on wood*, but now I have squeaking balls of squabbling rats roll around, that box and kick and claw at each other, and for some reason they really like to do that on my bed. Perhaps because it is soft. Unfortunately I am also often on said bed while they do this, and they aren't considerate of me while they fight and move around in this space I already occupy. So I end up with scratches.

Just now Rusty practically gouged my right arm (bleeding scratches!) as he ran and scrabbled across me. I think they don't realize that non-furred animals don't take to claw contact quite as easily. I try to startle them out of the fights and relocate them to the floor, but it has little educational effect so far. They still think my bed is a great place to settle their differences.

Comments

[saraht]

But isn't it nice to have enthusiastic rat life in your apartment again?

[ratcreature]

Yes, that is true. And they are fairly well behaved in other respects. For example unlike my last rats they haven't tried to escape into other rooms to explore or to get into places I tried to rat proof. So as far as property destruction goes they've been moderate, i.e. they've only destroyed an already chewed on fleece blanket further, rather than getting into a blocked shelf and chewing on signed hardcover limited edition comics.

[reginagiraffe]

I totally have a "no fighting on the bed" rule for my cats. They don't do it often, and it's usually preceded by ears-back-staring, so I can usually nip it in the bud by forcing them both off the bed (with a harsh "NO!" and claps).

[ratcreature]

With my rats most common scenarios that have me end up in the middle seem to be that they have been chasing each other on the floor, and then one retreats to higher ground and another follows. Or sometimes it's even that one sleeps on my bed, somewhere huddled in a blanket fold, another comes up and wants the same comfy spot and then squabbling breaks out. (I don't recommend being under a blanket together with two disagreeing rats.) It seems entirely random, because in general rats like sleeping in piles, but sometimes they don't want to share a spot.