Unepuce
Well-Known Member
Yop, another intro issue... but I so would love to succeed with this one once and for all!
I currently have two neutered males that just cannot stand one another. Since my Mac moved in last June, I have been trying to intro them everytime I got newbies home, but it never worked, they always act aggressive when they just even smell one another (even if the other is not physically present)
A few weeks ago, I have adopted two girls and started another set of intros last week. So far, intros had been about 30 minutes, in neutral, then not so neutral grounds, and now, everybody is on the play area (my couch). Yesterday, intro lasted two hours, the boys puffed up and tried and rub against one another, but my Mac is getting less and less vocal, which I believe is a good thing. I usually would intervene whenever they get close to one another, but yesterday, I decided to pretend not to see them and only dropped in when backs where high up or when Mac was getting vocal, as this sets Pollux off.
You need to know that Mac has been a lone rat until he moved in with us. He is now around 25 months old, is either getting HED or arthritis, and has an abcess on his abdomen that is currently being treated, so he is vulnerable. Pollux had a history of being aggressive up until I adopted him and had him neutered (he had actually cut his brother's abdomen open during a fight), and he is my biggest rat by far (currently about 720 g). He's a sweetheart with his humans, but he is VERY territorial with other rats. Previous encounters between the two have resulted in blood being drawn - Mac's and my own.
My question - This weekend, I was planning in moving everyone into the Double CN: Mac and his current cagemates on the top as they currently occupy the whole space, and Pollux and the new girls on the bottom. They had shared the CN before I "retired" Picolo (RIP) and moved Pollux in with him, and Mac and Pollux were spending most of their time in a corner, sniffing and acting aggressive towards one another (Mac was in the bottom, standing on a house and smelling up, Pollux on top, smelling down at Mac and dancing that frustrated aggressive little dance). After they all move in, I am planning on continuing intros by having everyone together at play time, in hopes that Mac and Pollux will finally give up and start getting along. If moving Pollux back in the CN triggers their little game again, will that compromise any future chance of intros?
Those two are my intro nightmare!!!
I currently have two neutered males that just cannot stand one another. Since my Mac moved in last June, I have been trying to intro them everytime I got newbies home, but it never worked, they always act aggressive when they just even smell one another (even if the other is not physically present)
A few weeks ago, I have adopted two girls and started another set of intros last week. So far, intros had been about 30 minutes, in neutral, then not so neutral grounds, and now, everybody is on the play area (my couch). Yesterday, intro lasted two hours, the boys puffed up and tried and rub against one another, but my Mac is getting less and less vocal, which I believe is a good thing. I usually would intervene whenever they get close to one another, but yesterday, I decided to pretend not to see them and only dropped in when backs where high up or when Mac was getting vocal, as this sets Pollux off.
You need to know that Mac has been a lone rat until he moved in with us. He is now around 25 months old, is either getting HED or arthritis, and has an abcess on his abdomen that is currently being treated, so he is vulnerable. Pollux had a history of being aggressive up until I adopted him and had him neutered (he had actually cut his brother's abdomen open during a fight), and he is my biggest rat by far (currently about 720 g). He's a sweetheart with his humans, but he is VERY territorial with other rats. Previous encounters between the two have resulted in blood being drawn - Mac's and my own.
My question - This weekend, I was planning in moving everyone into the Double CN: Mac and his current cagemates on the top as they currently occupy the whole space, and Pollux and the new girls on the bottom. They had shared the CN before I "retired" Picolo (RIP) and moved Pollux in with him, and Mac and Pollux were spending most of their time in a corner, sniffing and acting aggressive towards one another (Mac was in the bottom, standing on a house and smelling up, Pollux on top, smelling down at Mac and dancing that frustrated aggressive little dance). After they all move in, I am planning on continuing intros by having everyone together at play time, in hopes that Mac and Pollux will finally give up and start getting along. If moving Pollux back in the CN triggers their little game again, will that compromise any future chance of intros?
Those two are my intro nightmare!!!
