I washed out my big cage really well, and put my new baby, Eve, in with my other two one-year old does, Nellie and Alice, for the first time. They had finally stopped wrestling (for the most part) when out in the play area together, after a month of slow introduction. Well, when I put them all in, Alice just wanted to go to sleep, but Nellie and Eve have been carrying out mind games with each other for the past two hours! They seem to be playing "let's see whose head can be raised higher!" Occasionally Nellie will tire of this game, and chase Eve one lap around the cage. Then they'll both return to the nest and start over again with the head-lifting.
I have a feeling Eve wants to be the dominant rat! She is not going to lie down and submit to Nellie!
No bites or scratches, just a lot of chasing and staring. I hope they figure it out soon, poor Alice still wants to get her sleep, and she doesn't care who is dominant!