Eh, too late for a return (plus I've actually never had the pleasure of owning females), but thank you for the response!!

They're being housed separately and we're having them fixed ASAP to see if this solves the problem. If it still doesn't, we've decided we actually don't mind the schedule we've set up to be sure each rat is getting at least a few hours attention each day. I just hate them being by themselves!

They had plenty of socialization prior to acquiring them, so it's definitely not that. I think it's purely hormonal. Fujin started to mount Squee, and Squee got more and more aggressive about expressing his opinion about that (and I don't blame him). However, ironically, Squee has actually gotten more and more hormonal with all this time - rubbing himself hard up against everything (cage walls, pillows, me, couch, chair, anything), puffing up even at ME (and there's a running joke around the house that I'm the only one he likes - that probably just has to do with the fact that I'm the main one who feeds him and takes him out every morning and evening and all I can when possible, hmm...). He's actually puffed up, arched his back, hissed at me and bitten me already, all over a toy. He's thankfully not getting dangerous - I know what he's capable of and he didn't go full out attack on me by any means, but I'm not letting this continue without intervention. He's marking everywhere, gets puffy too quick, and he just seems uncomfortable and restless within himself! I'm still taking him out and keeping him busy and his cage is plenty big for lots of activity, but I feel terrible for the poor thing I've never had a male rat that's gotten so hormonal! Fujin is just fine and peachy with how things are, in tact and all, so Squee's up for the big change first and we'll see how it goes after he's had a few weeks for the hormones to settle down.

Skipping out on rats entirely? I'd rather live on the streets! At least I'd befriend a few there

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