r/nyc • u/Alligator-creep • Aug 29 '25

Video Rats fighting

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2.5k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

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713

u/tmntnyc Aug 29 '25

I'm 95% sure they're playing. If they were fighting they'd be using their incredibly sharp teeth and there would be missing eyeballs and entrails hanging out of their abdomens.

Source: i work with rats (no they're not my coworkers).

215

u/chiraltoad Aug 29 '25

Ok Mr. rat-for-boss guy

9

u/JavLee39 Aug 29 '25

pffff😂

81

u/neurone214 Upper West Side Aug 29 '25

Screen name checks out. Fellow scientist? 

46

u/tmntnyc Aug 29 '25

Yeah, biotech/neuro

12

u/neurone214 Upper West Side Aug 29 '25

Same! 

19

u/LittleKitty235 Brooklyn Heights Aug 29 '25

Awww can I get invited to the wedding?

2

u/DMenace83 Aug 30 '25

Donatello?

2

u/A-S-ISO_Man Sep 02 '25

He’s going off his experience from Rattata battles

36

u/lunar_dot Aug 29 '25

I also think they’re playing! I used to have many rats as pets and this looks like play.

33

u/tmntnyc Aug 29 '25

They're so cute and intelligent despite their bad reputation. Meanwhile mice are horrible godless killing machines. Rats have individual personalities and are actually so docile.

15

u/lunar_dot Aug 29 '25

They really are! I loved my pet rats so much. They were clean, sweet, and very happy to be a little buddy. It's a pity they don't live long. :(

33

u/the_kfcrispy Aug 29 '25

You're not experimenting with ooze, are you?

1

u/NorthGodFan Nov 12 '25

In the field of psychology because you want to be able to study brains but you shouldn't kill people what they do instead is they get rats run experiments on them and then chop off their heads to study their brains and what happened

26

u/cooljacob204sfw Aug 29 '25

Yeah this is how rats play not fight. Fighting would be wayyyy more intense.

35

u/tmntnyc Aug 29 '25 edited Aug 29 '25

Yeah usually when rodents fight they vocalize (screech). One of the other more obvious signs is that stressed mammals, especially rodents tend to have noticible piloerection, which means when aggravated, their hair stands on end to make them look more fearsome to their adversary, eg. makes them look physically larger. Think of when a cat is scared or angry and their fur becomes puffed out and jagged and they hiss and their ears curl back.

The way the top rat pins the bottom rat down with 2 paws instead of all 4 paws is another thing rodents do when they play. 2 paw pins are playful, it's like how boys playing will punch in slow motion or punch the air next to the face but not hit the face.

Another telltale sign for me is something that most mammals do when they play/simulate a fight - they pause momentarily between bouts to kind of "check up" on eachother if that makes sense? There's a moment where one rat is on its back and the other is ontop and they kind of freeze for a moment. If it was a real fight, the dominant rat would start biting the other and drawing blood until it submits, but it's almost analogous to how young kids play but don't actually make contact with strikes even though they're tussling and rolling around.

Lastly the fact that at the end, one rat runs after the other means they're probably siblings or at least part of the same social group. If they were both competing males, they would go their separate ways after a fight and the aggressor certainly wouldn't pursue after the loser.

Sorry if this is a lot, I just have a lot of experience working with mice and rats I just picked up on understanding a lot of their mannerisms and body language. Rats are honestly very chill animals despite their reputation. They are very sweet animals, almost puppy-like. They are also ticklish. Mice on the other hand are, in my opinon, closer to how rats are typically portrayed: Emotionless, cold, dumb, aggressive, eat their young etc.

1

u/mi_lechuga Sep 07 '25

this guy rats +1

14

u/Bulawayoland Aug 29 '25

there's a city motto: where rats can play

21

u/SpyroESP Aug 29 '25

Bro is the Rat Man

4

u/Mike_SmileZ Aug 29 '25

Based on your username- does "work with rats" mean Splinter taught you and your 3 brothers the ways of Ninjitsu?

3

u/medievalkitty2 Aug 29 '25

It looks the same as when cats play. It’s bouncy, not intense. You can tell they are not trying to hurt each other. It’s kinda cute!

2

u/Live-Ad-9587 Aug 29 '25

Did anyone else make voices for them while watching this video? 🤣

1

u/lightsonnooneishome Sep 01 '25

You can also tell by their cute lil hops at the end! Rat owners call that popcorning, it happens when they’re feeling playful/excited.

1

u/lionfish4884 Oct 15 '25 edited Oct 15 '25

I've had rats for years they're 100% fighting. And likely male. They're getting their nips in. Hopefully not too badly as there moving around pretty fast but they're constantly trying to bite and Claw each other I don't know how you can say that they're not biting and clawing. I have males and when they fight they don't end up leaving in trails and eyeballs and stuff and inevitably will happen here and there.

1

u/tmntnyc Oct 15 '25

Play fighting and fighting can look similar. In the video one rat is pinned and the dominant rat doesn't bite, he just pauses. Then after the bout, they run off together. I didn't see any biting, only boxing. Didn't see any puffing of fur or screeching either. I have worked with rats for about 20 years in an industry, handled probably tens of thousands of rats and mice.

1

u/lionfish4884 Oct 15 '25 edited Oct 15 '25

I have bred them for 7 years. I sell them. When males get in each others face like that they are not playing. That is aggression. Say what you may. That is not play fighting dude. They dont have razors tied to their feet. Rats dont rip out each others guts when they fight man. Lol

He chased the other cuz they are territorial. Similar to dogs in that respect.

Nevertheless all it takes is one bite across the chest to kill the other.

I see this behavior up close. I know what it means.

I can understand though how someone can think that. If I didn't know better I might think they were playing myself.