Hormonal Aggression Guide
Hormone-dependent (Hormonal) aggression in both male and female rats is when they display distinctive and drastic behavioral characteristics such as unprompted attacks to either cage mates, yourself or both, aggressive humping, dominant posturing, chasing everything aggressively, kicking, pinning and biting again all can be towards cage mates or yourself.
Don't get this confused with normal hierarchy behaviour fighting for dominance/play. Fighting a dominant/ playing rat is likely to stay calm and tolerant while facing off, pushing, chasing ,humping, etc. (no blood, no fowl), failed introductions (fights will be more serious, and blood might be drawn), or even illness/injury can cause a rat to act aggressively.
The usual time frame for hormonal aggression to surface is between 6 -12 months old. With hormonal aggression, the only cures With hormonal aggression, the only cures are surgical ones that will be outlined below, though due to this, please make sure that you are 100% sure that it is hormonal aggression.
Now, the only way to cure hormonal aggression is to level out the hormonal imbalance, causing it by either surgical desexing or medical desexing. The most common way is castration for males or spay for females.
These surgical procedures are done under general anaesthesia. After 4 to 12 weeks post operation,the hormonal imbalance should level out, and they should stop displaying signs.
The less invasive option, though still surgical, is the Suprelorin implant this placed between your rat's shoulders, which slowly releases a hormone over 6-12 months. The anaesthetic for this is quite short, generally lasting for less than five minutes.
Now, with all surgical procedures, there is a risk involved, so please consult your vet for further information for pre and post operation care
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