Boys fighting...

[Xellie]

Every morning, at about 9am, my boys start fighting, I can't tell who the aggressor is, but it looks like Banshee is being chased around (he's so tiny I guess it's to be expected), and he's in fights with Buddy, Billy and the Diva. When I say fighting, there's a lot of scampering (they sound like a herd of elephants), some banging, a bit of kicking. They don't really box, it's more shoving. And they are noisy! They scream and growl the whole time. 


Banshee then sits there squeaking, Diva hides and screams for a bit. Then things go quiet, they sit together, groom, make little bubbly noises, then they fight again. 

At night all 4 cuddle up together in the same nest and it resumes every day at 9am, then again at around 4pm, break then again at 9pm.

There's a few scratches here and there and a couple of nips. But it's happening constantly. They have multiples of everything (even wheels).

Banshee and Buddy are almost 2, the kids around 6 months. 

I assume they're doing the whole gooberty thing and arguing to figure out who will be on top, I've never seen any death balling, and the fighting is easily broken off with a distraction. 

I'm not sure how to calm them or if I should consider splitting the pairs because it might get bad. It's so different to when the girls fight. The girls go silent when it's serious. 

[savvy]

Given their ages, the kids could be heading into adolescence so will have raging stroppy teenage hormones to deal with. To put a cap on it, we're still in mating season.

Personally, I'd let them sort it out themselves unless it starts to get intense and the fighting leads to serious injuries or FBOD fighting.

[Xellie]

It's very strange how it happens at the same hours every day. I'm checking them over daily (as much as they allow, none of them are very touchy friendly), but I don't see serious bad body language like tail thumping, just the occasional thunder foot from Buddy.

There's nips and scratches that I do see (I assume I don't see all of them, their fur is so thick), I just hope I'm not traumatising them by keeping them together when this happens every day.

It did cross my mind that some of the roughhousing could be playful.

[savvy]

I'd look for external sources that may be kicking it off at these hours; has a neighbour had a new puppy which is being walked at these times? Are there alarms going off which could be startling them? You get the drift.

[Xellie]

There's nothing ( I live in a tiny tiny street anyway ) I've been checking up and down.

Banshee has always been very adamant about when his wake up and sleep times are. Our house is chaotic with no routine and he is bang on time every time with his morning barking (before the fighting)

[bouncy]

I agree with Savvy that you should just leave them to it. Their ages suggest it's decision time within the group.

I do think their alarming punctuality is freaky, though lol

[Xellie]

I had to split them today, Banshee had 3 or 4 scratches on his face and some fur missing above his nose. It's pretty awful but I can't risk them continuing to injure him like this - he needs to heal

[deguconvert]

I'm so sorry, Xellie!! How is he doing? How are YOU doing?

[Xellie]

I'm actually frazzled by this. The smaller of the kids is acting distressed about being split from the older ones, but the bigger kid just wants to ball up with everyone except his brother. Banshee is acting a bit deflated (I think he liked having more friends) and the kids are way too skittish for me to handle and check over if they are injured.

I have a floor tile over the entrance to the bottom of the cage dividing the two groups at the moment, and the little kid is coming up to it and chirping through it to Banshee.

[deguconvert]

Awwww! That will be breaking your heart!!

[Xellie]

All sorts of things I'm considering - I'm sure the little kid will get over it, the big kid is a bully! But they still don't like me much.

And I have those other two I'm trying to find a home for and now wondering if Banshee would be friends with them since he's such a loving little chap