Intros?

[noodlebutts]

So I recently picked up two new rats, one was a baby and the other was about three months old (though he is the same size as the adults). The baby I have had no problem having around my one year olds for out time, I haven't tried to put them in the same cage yet because the baby could squeeze out.

The three month old however, has been bitten a few times by my intact male (the other two adults are neutered). He seems very jumpy when somewhere he is uncomfortable but when I try and intro them somewhere he is more comfortable but the big boys are unused to, he just humps them like crazy and that starts fights.

Do I need to start back with stress intros in the bathtub? I'm also unsure about how long I need to do intros at each stage since this is the first time I've tried intros with adult males.

 

[hopefloats]

Hopefully the baby is at least 8 to 10 weeks old. You do not want to do intros till then.

where are you doing intros at with the other boys? When doing intros it is important to remember to make sure you do them on unfamiliar grounds.

Most people do intros in the tub or a table. Anywhere they are not used to being. If you place a new rat on familiar ground then the other rats will see it as an intruder rather than a friend.

 

[hopefloats]

At least 20 mins for intros. I go as long as I can with them during intros. Maybe try a different spot for the intros with the bigger boys. Sometimes it takes a few different spots to find the right one.


sorry hit the wrong button and posted to soon

 

[noodlebutts]

I tried the baby and the big neutered boys early, I knew they would be fine with the baby. I did wait for longer with my intact male, but he is fine with the baby too.

I'm doing intros in the tub right now with a little water, what should I look for so I know when to move to the next step?

 

[hopefloats]

I wait untill I can go a few days in that area with no noises or scuffles. I say usually a week is good for each spot. If they are being mean in the tub of water you may have a problem.
How did it go?

 

[jorats]

I would try a table top area, with no toys, not boxes, nothing, only yummy liquid food in the middle. Each time a scuffle breaks out, say a firm no and separate. Don't allow them to go near each other the rest of the intro. End the intro with a really yummy treat for all. Next time you put them together, each time you see an adult go near the adolescent and turn away, give him a treat. Do this each time. He will learn that turning away from the boy is a good thing. You can do the same thing with the adolescent, teach him to turn away from the adults and not jump them.
When you say he has been bitten, is that big gashes and blood?

 

[noodlebutts]

I did an intro in the tub today with yummies and vanilla on their balls (or lack thereof) and backs and I think it went really well? There were no fights (no fights in the water either, just lots of humping which I think is more rude then mean ) and maybe only three staring contests, though my big male was okay, its the three month old that gets stressed out. The young male tends to avoid my big male, though the big male was unconcerned today with anything but the baby food. They all ate treats together

The three month old was super curious about one of my neutered boys, and kept sniffing him, and the neutered boys just sat there and squeaked. Is that okay or should I separate them when that happens? The neutered boy is super squeaky and I had him fixed to help a screaming problem earlier in his life.

The bites themselves weren't that bad. Little/no blood, the one that abscessed was deeper and I couldn't handle him as well to get it clean as the second one that was shallower and longer. The abscess was TEENY WEENY. Both were gotten in scuffles that happened when the young boy ran away from my intact dominant male which got the big boy excited.

Overall this intro went better than the water intros or the couch intros, I had them together for half an hour and if you guys think it sounds good I'll keep at this way for a while

 

[jorats]

Sounds good! Keep those up. I wouldn't put anymore vanilla on their genitals though, it's like an invitation to bite or taste. lol
Ya, the squeaking is mild protesting, I wouldn't worry about that or stop it.

 

[noodlebutts]

Thank you! Its so different reading about all of this and actually doing it. Especially with a rat that isn't super fond of hands yet! Here are the two new boys

 

[jorats]

Handsome little guys.