aggression in castrated bucks

Question
it's a bit of a complicated story; i brought home Monster and Monkey from a rescue when they were about 5/6 months old, and they were suffering terribly from hormones. they were constantly fighting and drawing blood the first day i brought them home so they were separated immediately. it seemed a straightforward castration would help calm them.

it hasn't worked; approx 4 months on and although the two boys (still separate) are skittish and don't like being handled they no longer bite or nip, but they refuse to be with other rats. i've attempted introductions on 4 separate occasions, latest being today and they inflict wounds on my other rats, today a large gaping wound on the shoulder of another male is the worst by far. they're both extremely dominant, territorial and quite skittish which no amount of handling seems to help.

i've never come across it before but could they possibly be partially wild? they're both black berkshires, the mother was a pink eyed white and i never met the father. i know half wild rats are always agouti, but what about 1/4 or 1/8 wild?

i don't know. i'm stuck with what to do. i don't want to carry out any more introductions where my other boys will get harmed. i'm seriously considering re-homing them as i feel i can't give them what they need to be happy; monster has started barbering, or perhaps even ripping out chunks of his fur.

i've never encountered a rat that is still so dominant, territorial and aggressive after a neuter operation (i've had double figures neutered), could there be something else that's the problem? they both lived happily together at the rescue - i was volunteering there and once i saw aggression crop up i took them home to neuter them (by my vet obviously).

no-one on the rat forum seems to have a clue what the problem could be. i'm really, really stuck - please help!

Answer
Hi Laura


I would not re-home them. I hate to ask that of you, but I truly feel they would be no better, and if not, worse, in another setting.

They need trust training by you, individually.  Once they are at least familiar with you and trust you (its obvious they dont) they may simmer down.  However, they may not live together or with other rats, ever, so stop trying for now.  Its ok. Not every rat needs a mate and they do just fine on their own. Sometimes this is their way of chosing to be alone.

As for being part wild, this still would not make them aggressive. Wild rats are not aggressive, actually. They are more timid than anything. I have raised a totally wild hybrid myself that lived close to 4 years old. She was timid at first, a terror afterwards, biting me to pieces. After constant training for a solid week, she picked up on what was accepted from me and what was not, and she turned into a real sweetie. However, she hated the domestic rats of mine and would display unusual activity I have yet to see from a fancy rat. She would spit and hiss, snarl, squeak and yell at them and toss herself into the cage trying to get the rats. My big 700 gram bucks ran from her, all of her 300 gram body!  LOL  She was totally content living alone and chose to do it. I have had fancy rats live alone after being in a trio or a pair.  
My two neuters (I also had to neuter two brand new so called professionally bred bucks) the second day I brought them home. they beat each other up and the two other bucks I bought.  They did respond to it though and turned into sweet hearts afterward, but I have had neuters make no difference in some bucks as well.
This is often related more to personality than hormones. Bad socialization as pups and a lack of them trusting is something to consider.

You need to start working on your relationship with them before trying to focus on them getting along with other rats.

I am glad they dont bite you. Thats a start. Alot of my clients show fear and pop on the gloves when handling their aggressive rats, which makes it worse. The rat cannot connect to their owner while wearing gloves and this shows the owner doesnt trust the rat. It confuses the rat since he cant connect with the scent immediately.  Not saying you wear gloves, but just in case other people are reading this, now they know to set them aside, take a deep breath, and dont show any fear.

Tell me how you exercise these two boys. I know they live alone, and dont like handled, so I assume you dont pick them up much. When you do, do they squirm and try to get away, and when you put them down, they scurry back to their cage?  Where do they play and exercise?  
Some people use their bed or a table, which I dont really like since rats CAN fall off of a high table or bed.  Accidents happen. I like to set up a big play area for my rats and open the cage door and out they can come and still be kept in a secure area.  I found on another site a great idea by using cardboard to make a wall as big as you want. I spread it all around the room, behind objects I dont want them to get behind such as the hermit crab tanks where there are power cords to the crab tank heating mats, etc....they are in a safe enclosure with some toys such as boxes and bags etc...plus of course ME. I am their big toy!
Anyhow, let me know your set up and if you dont have one, or dont use it for them, lets start there.  I need to know how they act with you first before starting on them getting along with each other. Having two alphas dont always work too. This tells me they are both stubborn and also strong willed.  This usually makes it hard to get along with another rat that is just like him. It almost always doesnt work.

Again, I wouldnt give up. There is hope....I just need to know a bit more about them first so I can better advise you on how to go about getting them to trust you first.