Minni and Belle

[PinkEmily]

Ive just noticed that one of the girls has a scab at the bottom of her back, i havent seen the girls fighting before, so im guessing that it may have happened on the wheel, as they tend to run together, and that one of them may have got a bit annoyed about being stuck behind so had a quick nibble? She also has her pouch full of food, at first i thought it was a lump behind her ear but when i felt it it was all bumpy lol.

Ive noticed that one of the girls seems to be more dominent on the wheel than the other one, and will kick the other girl off the wheel, they do have two wheels but only use the one. Im not sure which is minni and which is belle now the mark i used to tell which one was minni has disappeared. Although Belle is the more dominant one on the wheel. They seem fine together usually, only the slight nudge to get out the way here and there.

What do you think? any ideas?

[Holly]

Hmmm...well it's normal for any pair to have a dominant party and little tussles are always going to happen - the "scab" worries me a little as, if it was caused from fighting that you didn't see, that means things are escalating - bloodshed usually means it's time to separate.

What cage are they in - do they have plenty of room? Is it a large open cage without levels or modules as these can cause problems between pairs. Also do you have two of everything ie wheels (especially wheels), nest areas, toys etc and, when you handle, do you handle both? If they go in exercise balls do you switch them halfway through so they both have the same scents on them?

All of the above are really important things to do to try and keep pairs together. However if the scab is from fighting then really I'd consider separating them before it gets worse - don't know what everyone else thinks?

[PinkEmily]

They are in a rody with lots of different toys, 1 bed(but they sleep under the level thing), the food is scattered over the floor. They have 2 wheels but only use one. They dont go in excersise balls yet. At the moment the most dominant one is awake, i think, shes on her wheel like she usually is. I handle them seperatly, but only for a minute or two as they still dont like me.

They are fine usually, i havent noticed anything before, will keep my eyes open tonight.

[daffee]

It is common for robos to fight and bald bottoms are quite a common sight. It is not always necessary to separate them. It depends on the situation and the individual robos and is a bit of a judgement call based on the severity of the situation. If one is being noticeably bullied by the other then they may be happier apart, but you will need to watch them for a bit to see what is going on. Perhaps have them in your room for a bit if they are not already so you will hear them if they fight badly at night. Also, I would recommend handling them together out of the cage rather than separately and always put them back in the cage at the same time.

Good luck with them, hope they stay friends.