Female Killed

This morning i checked on the rats to find one of the females killed. It was only her with a male and another small female in a mixing tub. Have only had them for two weeks and i had thought for sure see was pregnant. Any ideas why the male would have done this. Should i keep him and get another female or start all over and just feed him off.

You need to feed him off or get rid of him IMO. If HE killed the female then he won't be a good breeder and is hazardous to your plans. Was the female being eaten? If not then maybe she just died? I just had one pass a few days ago during birth, but I've only had mice kill and eat each other

are you sure she was killed and didt die of age.

You would know when 2 adults fight as its not pleasant and LOUD

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Originally Posted by RichsBallPythons

are you sure she was killed and didt die of age.

You would know when 2 adults fight as its not pleasant and LOUD

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I agree with this

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I agree, she might have died and not been killed.

Can you hear the rats from where they are? Have they been fighting(lots of loud squealing and thrashing around?)?

I've had some cases where dead rats were cannibalized even though the other rats didn't kill them. But I haven't seen any of that since I switchd to the better rat foods, actually.

Good luck. Since you only have 2 rats, culling and starting over isn't a humungous deal, but unless you've heard them fighting, I wouldn't automatically blame the male for killing her. Two females can fight too, or something unrelated could have killed her.

I would have to say she was killed because she had a hole chewed in her neck. I will feed off the male and stick the little female in the other group. There is a reptile show coming up next weekend and I will just get two more.

Rats will eat other deceased rats to dispose of the body. Her having a hole chewed in her neck doesn't mean they killed her. Like others have said, there is no mistaking rats fighting, especially to the death. You can be on the other side of the house or even outside and hear it. Not to mention a male will rarely kill a female and most females while they may squabble, they won't kill each other.

I say give him another chance since its not definite if he killed the female. If it happens again, then you'll know for sure.

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Like rich said its more than likely that The female died from old age or complications with birth. The other rats will canabalize a dead rat. It's just what they do. I would have doubts about the male having killed her.


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If she was killed by being bitten in the neck, there would be blood absolutely everywhere in the bin. If there isn't, she probably died of other causes, and then was chewed on postmortem.

My ratties like to chew the faces off of anyone who dies, it's quite horrifying, lol.