Post neuter for Quilt.

[DadRat]

Our biter Quilt got snipped Monday. He was under the care of Dr. Kuhnle http://www.ahah.biz/StaffBios.html#KuhnleTag at Arlington Heights Animal Hospital. He came through his surgery well, and was sent home with 3 daily dosages of Metacam for his pain. Also, no external stitches to worry about; Dr. Kuhnle has had enough rats pop or chew their stitches that she has switched to a glue, something like Dermabond. I can't really say how his incision looks, as he is still not fond of being picked up, but he seems to be grooming himself like normal and doing a few owie stretches from time to time.

The little fellow did not sleep all day, or even the ride home, after his surgery. He was awake and shifty....just couldn't get comfortable that first day. However, he seems less anxious already. Haven't caught him huffing any, although he still puffs up whenever he is unsure about a situation. Today was his first human interaction in outl time in 2 weeks. We had just been letting him play by himself every day during out time, because he was nipping/biting hard enough to draw blood just by being near him. Here is hoping to a calm ratboy as his body adjusts, we hope to reintroduce him to his cage-mate in a week or 2, as long as he does not show serious aggression towards anyone.

 

[jorats]

Hopefully this will be the answer. Don't forget, it can take up to 3 months for his hormones to settle down so don't lose hope if the first attempt doesn't work.
How was his first human interaction during out time? Did he try anything?

 

[DadRat]

What I experienced was a great improvement. I was more or less ignored. Before the neuter he would walk by an nip hard enough to break the skin [smelling the other rats perhaps] and then when scolded would huff/puff and bite hard if attempted to be put back into his cage for a time out.

Yesterday he just explored the bed and walked over and around me a few times to get somewhere. Never asked for attention or petting, but didn't act aggressive if I gently redirected him from climbing down or something [the bedroom isn't rat proof, but the bed is a good play area]

 

[jorats]

Excellent! It's a start.

 

[mamarat]

Hope Quilt, (love his name) becomes a sweetie real soon.

 

[ryelle]

Patrick is normally a little love, but after his surgery it took him a week before he would "talk" to me again. He was so pissed with me it made me cry.. LOL

Once he is over the actual surgery, and has a better, nicer, non-hormonal agro view on the world he will be a sweetheart

 

[DadRat]

Update:

Almost 2 weeks post snip for Quilt. Somewhat mixed results thusfar. Quilt has improved by leaps and bounds as far as the rat to people interaction goes. He still is not a great cuddle rat, but he does come out and explore over around and on his humans now. He can be picked up as long as it is slowly, he still startles easily. And with Quilt startles can be bad.

On the rat to rat front is where we are having some odd issues. Quilt and Gregory [these 2 are established cagemates for their entire lives before we adopted them] have had some out time together thusfar. And the fur has flown. Literally. It typically goes something like this as Gregory is our 1lb rat and Quilt is our 2lb rat:

Gregory: "Hi. I'ma nibble on your ear now, k?" nom

Quilt: "..."

nom nom nom

Quilt: "That's it! Die-die-die! Yarrrgh!"

tussle, huffing, thumps, squeaks, fur flying

human rescues Gregory from further blood loss, lets Quilt calm down and Greg stop hiding on us. Returns the two rats to the same place.

Gregory: "Hey. An ear!" nom

*Scene repeats, humans sigh and separate the boys again. Investigate Greg for serious injury, notice bald spots where fur has been pulled out. More sighs.*


What is with these two? Crazy furballs.

 

[jorats]

ROFL... you have that conversation down pat.

But the fact that Gregory returns to Quilt to chew his ear is a good sign, he's not scared of Quilt which he should be if Quilt meant business... keep at it!

 

[ryelle]

the ear chewing and the way you wrote that conversation was just too funny!

"Gregory: "Hey. An ear!" nom"

LMAO, as if he goes back for the ear again. must be one tasty ear!

 

[MomRat]

Update: We have started allowing Quilt and Gregory, his old cagemate, free range time together, on the couch, supervised. Pretty much the only violence is occurring when one decides to invade the other's cage space, so I think pretty soon we'll be trying them back together, so it becomes mutual space. Gregory actually groomed Quilt yesterday, instead of remaining in perpetual boxing pose when Quilt tries to submit. And I found this, during free range time this evening, particularly heartening:

Yay!Although, of course, once the camera was pointed at them it looked more like this:

Tee hee!

 

[jorats]

Oh my!! That's promising!!!! Sweet sweet boys. :heart:

 

[Rachael]

What great pics.

 

[mamarat]

That's very good seeing them together. Soon!!

 

[Dahlas]

Keep up the great work... :thumbup:

 

[Tarah]

:joy:

 

[DadRat]

Our boys did so wonderful today! No nips, fights, or anything.

We took them to chapel for the Blessing of the Pets in honor of St. Francis day. Yes, I am in seminary.

Quilt and Gregory rode together in their travel box and stayed on mom's shoulders/lap the entire time.
Jacob and Dominic were on my shoulders/lap/down my shirt; as the intros are not complete yet so we still have the 2 pair apart.

The boys were very popular with everyone, especially the preacher who got to bless them.

 

[jorats]

That's great!! Were you the only ones with rats there? How truly special!!

 

[MomRat]

We were indeed, as usual, the only ones with rats. Usually the St. Francis Blessing is limited to Cats and Dogs, last year we were the only other type at the one we went to. This year, there was a goldfish, and I think I saw a houseplant in the mix. A friend said the one she went to on Sunday had a tortoise. =) We'll post pics of the rats singing hymns later, if we get any copies from the photographers...

It's great, since they got home from the 'trauma' of having to go to church with all those loud dogs and such, Quilt and Gregory have been piled up in one hammock together, cuddling and grooming each other. Misery loves company? I think pretty soon we'll move their cage over by the big one, as the next step in getting all four in the big cage...

 

[Moon]

and I think I saw a houseplant in the mix.

Part of me found that wildly, wildly funny!!

 

[MomRat]

Yeah, apparently, all of her houseplants have names(I can't poke fun, mine do too, makes it easier to talk to them) and each year she brings a different one to the pet blessing... after all, they're the only pets she has!