Well, I'm on my 6th intro attempt (and I've only had a total of 6 rats!) and I saw a new behaviour I don't understand.
Peter kept poking his nose into Fred's shoulder/neck, not roughly, and not grooming. Just poking and then resting there. They rested like that for a couple minutes actually, and Fred started bruxing and boggling, but didn't puff up or seem upset. Is this a friendly thing, a dominance thing or what? Fred also did some hard grooming to Peter, and Peter accepted it calmly.
I'm re-introducing the neutered Fred to my group of 4 boys. He and Peter used to fight, so they've both been neutered. Right now I'm just doing Fred-Peter and Albus because it's easier on me without the babies in the mix, and I wanted to see if Fred's neuter has taken effect.
I think it has. He handled the situation very well. Albus was very nosy as he was with the intro to the babies too, sticking his nose right into Fred's behind a lot, and running under him, siddling next to him when while he ate. The intro only lasted 15 minutes or so, because I didn't want any of them to get too worked up. Once I get them to stay together for an hour without fighting (not that there were any fights today, Fred just started to seem agitated), I'll add the babies (really not babies anymore, but still smaller than my big boys). I'll try and get some video next time
I really want to get Fred in with them soon. He's been alone for far too long, and he keeps getting respiratory infections that keep coming back, and he doesn't even enjoy playing in the rat room...he likes to sit with me, but he doesn't want to explore or run through tubes or climb anything. If I leave him alone in the rat room for even 5 minutes, I'll come back to him sitting in his cage in a hammock. I'm worried that being alone is making him depressed and keeping him sick.
I'm ordering them a critter nation this week. When I put them together, it'll be in an all-new cage, which I'm hoping will help them adjust to the new group.
Peter kept poking his nose into Fred's shoulder/neck, not roughly, and not grooming. Just poking and then resting there. They rested like that for a couple minutes actually, and Fred started bruxing and boggling, but didn't puff up or seem upset. Is this a friendly thing, a dominance thing or what? Fred also did some hard grooming to Peter, and Peter accepted it calmly.
I'm re-introducing the neutered Fred to my group of 4 boys. He and Peter used to fight, so they've both been neutered. Right now I'm just doing Fred-Peter and Albus because it's easier on me without the babies in the mix, and I wanted to see if Fred's neuter has taken effect.
I think it has. He handled the situation very well. Albus was very nosy as he was with the intro to the babies too, sticking his nose right into Fred's behind a lot, and running under him, siddling next to him when while he ate. The intro only lasted 15 minutes or so, because I didn't want any of them to get too worked up. Once I get them to stay together for an hour without fighting (not that there were any fights today, Fred just started to seem agitated), I'll add the babies (really not babies anymore, but still smaller than my big boys). I'll try and get some video next time
I really want to get Fred in with them soon. He's been alone for far too long, and he keeps getting respiratory infections that keep coming back, and he doesn't even enjoy playing in the rat room...he likes to sit with me, but he doesn't want to explore or run through tubes or climb anything. If I leave him alone in the rat room for even 5 minutes, I'll come back to him sitting in his cage in a hammock. I'm worried that being alone is making him depressed and keeping him sick.
I'm ordering them a critter nation this week. When I put them together, it'll be in an all-new cage, which I'm hoping will help them adjust to the new group.
