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Aggression and Fighting?
#45993
05/17/05 12:20 PM
05/17/05 12:20 PM
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Anonymous
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Anonymous
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Hi all! It's me again!
Just recently my gliders (a sexually mature male and female ~2 years old) have started to fight. Rocky, the male, guards the food bowls religiously and refused to let April eat--when she approaches he launches at her and it's a mad crab and scrabble for April to get away from him. It has been so bad that she was literally STARVING last night, and so I separated them and let her eat--she devoured the ENTIRE bowl and then some.
I just can't stand that he's acting this way. He is always watching her from the corner of his eye, waiting to pounce on her and beat her up. I feel terrible for her as she is definitely not getting enough food. As this has never been a problem before, I am wondering if there is a possibility that this is sexual? If so, will she be ok, or is the best option to neuter this food guarding beast?
Or is there the chance that this is neither? I have never seen them doing anything, so in a way I wonder if it is more than just it being that 'time of year'? But you folks are the experts here, help me out please!
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Re: Aggression and Fighting?
[Re: ]
#45994
05/17/05 12:32 PM
05/17/05 12:32 PM
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 22,749 80 acres of paradise in KS
Dancing
Glideritis Anonymous
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Glideritis Anonymous
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 22,749
80 acres of paradise in KS
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First suggestion is to offer two or three different food dishes located in different places in the cage. If the food hogging is the only time they squabble, then that might solve the problem. If it isn't the only time, I would get the male neutered. One, this agression is not good for her and two, it is a trait I wouldn't want to pass along to offspring. If you have to, just feed her seperately to make sure she is getting enough to eat. Also, I suggest to make sure you have 2-3 different sleep pouches/nests for them incase they feel the need to sleep seperate once in a while.
620-704-9109 Judge not until you have walked in their shoes and lived their lives. What you see online is only part of the story.
I could have missed the pain But I'd of had to miss the dance
The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes had no tears.
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Re: Aggression and Fighting?
[Re: ]
#45995
05/17/05 12:41 PM
05/17/05 12:41 PM
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Anonymous
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Anonymous
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I had the same problem with one of my pairs. I tried seperate feeding stations and everything, but the male would never let the female eat. I eventually had to seperate them. Now they are both with new mates and doing wonderfully, no more food aggression at all... Some gliders just arn't ment to be together.
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Re: Aggression and Fighting?
[Re: ]
#45996
05/17/05 01:55 PM
05/17/05 01:55 PM
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Anonymous
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Anonymous
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well are you planning on breeding them?? if not the common sence answer would be to neuter him. You have a male, you have a female. One plus one very will and most likely make more.
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Re: Aggression and Fighting?
[Re: ]
#45997
05/17/05 02:01 PM
05/17/05 02:01 PM
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Anonymous
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Anonymous
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Neutering doesn't always cut it... Be prepared to seperate them if you have to, at least until you can get the male neutered and see if that helps...
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Re: Aggression and Fighting?
[Re: ]
#45998
05/17/05 02:39 PM
05/17/05 02:39 PM
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Anonymous
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Anonymous
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They have two different food bowls, and as I have said, they have never fought before, nor shown this sort of behavior. On occasion, yes, they will fight over a prized piece of food (the LAST apple piece left!, LOL), but otherwise they are pretty much content. They have three pouches in their cage, and one basket that they can also sleep in, but always sleep together. They have been together for at least a year, if not more (I got them as a rescued pair last year). I have tried putting their food at different ends of the cage to no avail--Rocky's eyes are always watching April, and he is always ready to chase her away...but yet they have enough food (always leftovers in the morning) but here we have the aggression that is unexplained. Should I keep them separated? I know how important social interaction is for these guys, so I'd hate to do that to them, any ideas? I plan on getting Rocky neutered, but do you think this is really the problem? I'd hate to have to separate them permanently...is this just a seasonal issue?
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Re: Aggression and Fighting?
[Re: ]
#45999
05/17/05 02:59 PM
05/17/05 02:59 PM
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 22,749 80 acres of paradise in KS
Dancing
Glideritis Anonymous
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Glideritis Anonymous
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 22,749
80 acres of paradise in KS
|
It could just be a phase they are going through. They sound very bonded so I wouldn't suggest seperating them on a permenant basis. Perhaps for now you can feed them seperately. One thing you can do is take Rocky out for play time while she gets first go at the food. After she has had some time to eat, then put Rocky back in the cage with her. Since this is new behavior, it might be just a passing thing. I don't know when their last wellness check was but any drastic changes in behavior is an indication that a wellness check might be warrented. That is a judgement call on your part. I would also get (if you don't have one) a scale and weigh them to monitor, especially her's, their weights. You don't want this behavior to cause her any drastic or significant weight loss. Please keep us updated on these two as we all can learn from your experiences on this.
620-704-9109 Judge not until you have walked in their shoes and lived their lives. What you see online is only part of the story.
I could have missed the pain But I'd of had to miss the dance
The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes had no tears.
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