Rachael
Well-Known Member
I just typed this whole post and my laptop just turned itself off so I lost the whole thing, so I'm sorry if this is a bit messy/rushed.
Arthur is about 15 months old.
He has always lived with his 8 other brothers, but then he got a serious injury to his eye, which ended up having to be removed. Because of that he was taken out of the cage, his brothers can be quite rough and have hurt eachother before and we aren't sure how he got the eye problem, it could have been fighting in the cage. On the morning we took him to have the eye removed, we asked the vet to neuter him at the same time if that was possible. I didn't think it would be very easy to try introduce him back with his brothers again.
We gave him 4 weeks to heal/so it was sage for him to meet girls without any accidents and starting introductions with him and a group of 5 girls. In the group, Ava is his mum - and she definitely recognised him when she met him again, Teal and Pixie are his sisters and they've been fine with him, Olive isn't related to them at all but she is a very sweet girl and already seems to really like him.... but Jessie is the problem. :? She is the smallest in the group, but she's also got the biggest personality.
The group originally had 11 girls in it - but in January we lost 5 to a virus and 1 to a PT/the virus.... since it's just been the 5 girls. At one point I tried to introduce Nell (42 months old) to Jessies' group, she's been left alone as all her friends have passed away
But Jessie didn't like her at all, Nell was terrified, and I had to take her back out.
Arthur and Jessie are fine together out of the cage.
They even play with eachother a bit. But as soon as Arthur is in the cage, Jessie is having none of it. She is very territorial. If she ever goes in a carrier/small cage like she did have to for a while until they got their new play area, and it smells of other rats, she fluffs right up and doesn't like it at all. :wallbang:
In the cage Jessie will attack him and he hides in a tube, doesn't come out until she is taken out the cage, or he jumps to the door and desperately wants me to take him out... and the last time he climbed the bars, looking to get out, and Jessie grabbed him, pulled him down and started attacking him again :wallbang:
Not sure what I am going to do, but Arthur can't stay living alone. He's playful and not too old, and he would love friends.
Any advice?
Arthur is about 15 months old.
He has always lived with his 8 other brothers, but then he got a serious injury to his eye, which ended up having to be removed. Because of that he was taken out of the cage, his brothers can be quite rough and have hurt eachother before and we aren't sure how he got the eye problem, it could have been fighting in the cage. On the morning we took him to have the eye removed, we asked the vet to neuter him at the same time if that was possible. I didn't think it would be very easy to try introduce him back with his brothers again.
We gave him 4 weeks to heal/so it was sage for him to meet girls without any accidents and starting introductions with him and a group of 5 girls. In the group, Ava is his mum - and she definitely recognised him when she met him again, Teal and Pixie are his sisters and they've been fine with him, Olive isn't related to them at all but she is a very sweet girl and already seems to really like him.... but Jessie is the problem. :? She is the smallest in the group, but she's also got the biggest personality.
The group originally had 11 girls in it - but in January we lost 5 to a virus and 1 to a PT/the virus.... since it's just been the 5 girls. At one point I tried to introduce Nell (42 months old) to Jessies' group, she's been left alone as all her friends have passed away
But Jessie didn't like her at all, Nell was terrified, and I had to take her back out.Arthur and Jessie are fine together out of the cage.
They even play with eachother a bit. But as soon as Arthur is in the cage, Jessie is having none of it. She is very territorial. If she ever goes in a carrier/small cage like she did have to for a while until they got their new play area, and it smells of other rats, she fluffs right up and doesn't like it at all. :wallbang:
In the cage Jessie will attack him and he hides in a tube, doesn't come out until she is taken out the cage, or he jumps to the door and desperately wants me to take him out... and the last time he climbed the bars, looking to get out, and Jessie grabbed him, pulled him down and started attacking him again :wallbang:
Not sure what I am going to do, but Arthur can't stay living alone. He's playful and not too old, and he would love friends.
Any advice?
