Advice needed fast!

[Robzy]

I have a male chipmunk who lives in a large 6,4,5foot cage with 2 females. The females are sisters and get on really well. Recently though, cookie (one of the female sisters) has been chasing chippy (the male) around the cage. I've not managed to catch what starts the chase. Chippy doesn't make any panic noises but he has always been a quiet guy. I've also noticed Cookie is really destructive. She has chewed through ropes, toys, tubes and branches. She was also picking on another female (not her sister) who is now in a seperate cage.

What should I do? I don't want chippy being bullied, I don't really want him to move out the big cage because I see that as his (he has lived in it the longest) but at the same time I don't want to split up the sisters. I feel I might have to separate them though and swap Cookie with Poppy (the female in a cage of her own).

Please please help. It's quite stressing watching chippy being chased about 

[ste6]

Wot age are they? could cookie be pregnant? Chasin the male when pregnant is common. May still have to seperate.

[jennyb]

Hi Robzy, i'm sorry you are experiencing this but this is common with Chipmunks. I've had lots of it in the past and had to separate individuals.
Willow and Nutkin were not sisters but were same age and got on really well until just recently when Nutkin has been chasing and even bullying Willow. Sometimes they can sit fine together without incident but increasily Nutkin is bullying her. Nutkin also has been chasing and even attacking Bailey by running at him and jumping on him and this has meant he has been chasing her around too and sometimes there are fights. Nutkin also went for my hand when she was wound up after attacking Bailey. I think its because Nutkin is now establishing herself as the dominant female. And from what i have seen Willow doesn't challenge her for that position but Nutkin keeps bullying her anyway. Bailey was the dominant one before this happened and he still appears dominant as if jumped on by Nutkin he will chase her and attack her.

I'm hoping this won't get worse and mean separating them as in the past this behaviour has just got worse and there was relentless chasing and the one being chased was chased everytime the bully saw him/her and she/him was terrified and squeaked in fright when being chased and was very unhappy and had barely any peace.

I know too that other people on this forum have had the same problem, it is very common and i agree its very frustrating.

As Ste said it could be because the female is pregnant, many females become aggressive to the males and often other females too but not all.

All i can say is i hope it will get better, you could separate or try a new female in the group but you may get the same problem happen again as they establish dominance.

[Robzy]

I think the females are approx. 10months old, certainly younger than a year. Is this to early for pregnancy?

[tarcus]

10 month is too early for pregnancy but not for dominance, it sounds like this particular female wants to be the boss she already has dominance over her sister now she wants to control the male(typical bloody woman ) my advice would be to ensure there are plenty of hiding places on the ground; tubes, upturned pots with access both ends a large patch of hay perhaps or anything in fact that he can hide in temporarily most chases tend to fizzle out if the one being chased goes out of sight. As long as there is no blood drawn there is no real problem. I suspect also that they all sleep together in the same nest box on an evening but the male will be the last to enter which is normal practise(men are always at the pub ) hope this helps calm your worries.....

[Robzy]

I have several nest boxes and little "tents" that hang from the top of the cage. Sometimes they sleep together sometimes alone. I tried separating them temporally earlier and they hated it. They kept cheeping and trying to get out the new cage into the old ones. No blood has been drawn and sometimes when a chase starts the other female decides to join in and run after them.