Einstein Is A Huge Whiner (Intro Advice?)

[fenshae]

OK...I usually have obscenely good luck with intros, but this one's just shy of perfect so I'm not sure if it's OK to leave them be or if I should back up a step. I've never had to do "scary place" intros before, I usually do play-area intros and then move them all into a newly-cleaned cage together, usually doesn't take more than 1-2 sessions for everybody to be totally chill.

I think this one will have to take a smidge longer although I'm not 100% sure what's going on.

So I tossed them all on the bed together with lots of yogies. Splinter and Wesley were content to totally and completely ignore Einstein, except to step on him on their way to something else -- totally unbothered. Basil seemed pretty fascinated by him and would follow him around sniffing his man-bits but no puffing or anything. This carried on for awhile, Basil following him around, but they were still OK....until Basil touched him. He put his paws on Einstein's back and started grooming his shoulders -- not in a pin-down-and-power-groom way I don't think as much as a friendly-hi-let-me-groom-you way....and as soon as he did that Einstein squealed like a stuck pig, did this little pirouette thing to spin around, and immediately tried to pin Basil. This didn't work overly well as Basil is about the size of a small sumo wrestler and Einstein's still a baby, but Basil apparently got the hint because he just shuffled off. Einstein sat there totally frozen making a sort of clicky noise I've never heard a rat make before and wouldn't move at all until I picked him up and gave him some lovin' and checked him over to make sure he wasn't dying or anything (considering how insistently he was screaming).

Then they were OK again for awhile until Basil happened to come up to Einstein (still following him around everywhere) and I didn't see who started it this time but Einstein again was SCREAMING (he seriously sounds like a baby pig) and flailing around. And then freezes and does the clicky thing, and whenever *I* touch him he screams again. Also, he's doing a LOT of peeing all over everything which concluded the bed-introductions for the time being.

What the heck? Is Einstein just an enormous whiner?

I'm really surprised that it's *Basil* that he's having issues with because I always thought Basil was the "omega" of the group but maybe I'm totally misunderstanding rat social hierarchy. The other two box and wrestle a lot but Basil never does. He usually grooms the others and is always the first rat during intros to come over and say "Hi".

Einstein is probably 8 months old and did have an older roommate for awhile but has been living alone for awhile since that one died, not sure how long he's been on his own. He's very lovey with people and not hand-shy at all.

Any ideas?

And pics, because they're cute:

Einstein checking the place out...

Nom Nom Nom. See how Basil (the mink hood) is following Einstein?

Totally oblivious.

Completely unbothered by Splinter

 

[jorats]

Einstein is 8 months old... Bingo!
Einstein is in a hormonal whirlwind and anything is setting off his high alert system.
I believe your Basil is the boss. But a good boss. He backs down gently, any other alpha would have forced the pin on Einstein.
Anytime a rat gets up to groom a newbie on the back/neck, it's a dominance stance.
I would do the "scary place" step with this one. Get Einstein to bond with the two guys instead of freaking him out.

 

[Rattus]

Im doing intros right now, my boy constantine is a BIG WHINER.. I feel so bad. Willy is very dominent and Constantine is just really nervous which makes him aggressive and my boy legion is very submissive so he just backs off and lets others own him LOL :giggle: but willy and con. were fighting so i started the in the tub intro and they didnt fight but constantine starting screaming SOO LOUD like a baby pig, you could probably hear him outside the house.. and it lasted a long time.. I felt bad so i took them out and they didnt fight for a while because they wanted to dry themselves..willy will just not back down and he does the butt nudge thing and it scares constantine and then a fight starts.... I think they were really up set after the intro.. they breathed heavy for a while(the didnt fight really but willy got a nip out of his shoulder) ... he was very upset and acted funny afterwards.. for a while.

 

[jorats]

Rattus are you putting water in the tub? Try the intro without the water, it might be just too scary with the water.

 

[Rattus]

Yes, there was enough just to cover their feet.. they are not a fan of water all at, next time I'll try without.

 

[fenshae]

I'm so confused by ratty dominance. I was watching my trio playing yesterday and Splinter was boxing with the other two and pinned Basil; Basil was totally complacent about the whole thing, not a squeak. I really always figured Splinter was alpha...so I'm still baffled that he's not the one giving Einstein trouble.

But ah well. One way or another, i think I'm going to trim everybody's nails before the next introduction. I discovered a bunch of small scabs on Einstein's neck/shoulders last night that I think must be from Basil....checked him all over for any other scabs in case he might have mites and can't find any, JUST the ones on his shoulders....spaced at paw-sized intervals. So yeah. We'll see what happens....

 

[jorats]

It could still be mites, keep checking to make sure.