Toffee and Fudge fighting

Question
Hi Sandra,
Hope you had a good Christmas and New Year.

Toffee and Fudge have started fighting. They have always had scuffles with each other mainly when they are out their cage. They roll around each other, Toffee humps Fudge, then they run off in seperate directions and play.(or chew ;-) )
The other day i heard loud squeekings coming from the cage and thought one of them was being killed. Fudge (the less dominant one) had Toffees fur in her mouth and was really biting her. No blood was drawn but it looked awful.
I interviened and stopped them. They then spent the night in separate parts of the cage when usually they both curl up in their hay ball or hammock together.

I was going to write that upto now, im so glad i got Toffee to keep Fudge company as it has really brought her out of her shell. She is much more outgoing and now when i sit on the floor and call their names they both come running to see me. When i just had Fudge, she would run and hide and not come out at all. I get treated like a rattie gym and i love it.

Im just worried that one day im going to come home from work and find a dead rattie where one has got too agressive?

Thanks
V  

Answer
How old are they again? I forgot......

If it makes you feel any better, I have to older male bucks, nearly 2 pounds each, rescued from the dog pound back in June. They fight ENDLESSLY and it gets loud! They push and shove and screeeech so loud. I squirt them with a spray of water and they stop for a bit so what I did was put a baby monitor in the room with them and the receiver in our bedroom so I can hear them fight and I go break it up. Be very careful breaking up a rat fight. You may get bitten in the process and rats bite with blabs of pressure when angry and the bite can be so painful and deep it can cause nerve damage.  Before I say they will outgrow it, I need reminded of their age.