Difficult intros

[halcyonday]

Maly and Pollux's introduction went so smoothly in January, I had hoped adding a third rat wouldn't be any trouble, but no such luck

I've been using the same intro method I've always used in the past, half because it worked before and half out of lucky-charm faith: I clean out an unused cage, use some enzyme spray so there's absolutely no animal smell, then I take a cheese knife and "butter" my rats with a mix of adzuki bean paste and honey. Usually they'll sit contentedly and clean themselves off, which takes some time, but as soon as they're paste-free they start in with the fighting.

I'm kind of at a loss, so I'm just gonna keep doing this for another week or so and see if anything improves. Does anybody else have weird rat routines? Good intro tips?

 

[hopefloats]

You should do intros in an open area with males. If you are doing them in a clean cage it still causes rats to see the newbie as an intruder. A table top works well it just has to be somewhere none of the boys are used to playing at. You need to try that for a week. You dont have to lather them up with food to make them like each other they need to get used to the other rats smell trying to cover it doesnt help them get acquainted.

 

[jorats]

:yeah: what hopefloats said.