Retirement Cages?

[Cityratt]

I know I've seen a couple of you guys have cages set up for your senior ratties....
And i was just wondering - do you sperate them when they get older? or do they all grow old together? because well..i had S out last night (yes ANOTHER post about me being anal about my baby girl) and shes got a large-ish scratch on her back (just behind her shoulder blades) it looks to be healing well...and isnt very deep at all....but it is noticiable and it worried me so...

I think Rube is the dominant female around that cage but everything is pretty lax...no one really gets 'bullied' per se and everone grooms everyone else with no big hastle....but S is older than the sisters....and Maverick also occasionally get scratches so im assuming it must be Rube. I just worry with S getting older, but I dont want to move her away from her buddies...then she would be all alone....
but i dont want them to decide shes a weak link and beat up on her. Especially when I plan on intro'ing the boys (once they're netuered which is SOON! woop woop) and Indi and Lilli after their quarentene is up....

I dont want lil S to be alone. but i dont want her having the crap kicked out of her on a regular basis either.....Because i know she'll just sit there and take it....

 

[Moon]

I look forward to hearing what others have to say about retirement cages, also.

 

[Godmother]

It's nice to have a few oldies to grow old together. I know that SQ has to watch her elderly sick ones, so that the young ones don't hog all the food.

 

[mamarat]

I've had oldies and younger ones together and I did find it hard for the oldies. From now on I will be trying to have them close in age in the same cage.

 

[Cityratt]

S is maybe.....6months older? So i guess shes kinda close to them in age? ...

 

[mamarat]

Oh, I didn't realize she was still that young. Yes I would have them together.

 

[Cityratt]

yea...so that makes her....maybe...1.5ish....

but just as a rat in general she doesnt seem to have 'strong' genetics...if that makes sense....she just seems more fragile than the others and i often see her as a senior old lady tottering around the cage on her own adjenda

 

[Bronwyn]

I'm glad you asked as I've been wondering myself. My old girls hog the food shockingly, they're just bitter old gals. All five sleep together, but two are still tiny teenagers, and the oldest are over two years in age so there's a gap. There's just a few more tussles than normal as the young'uns want to play, the older wants want to nap.

 

[jorats]

I have not had to separate my colonies. I think it would be very hard on them to lose any bond they have made. This is why Archie and Fred are living with th oldies, they've really bonded to them. I remember once, I removed Sebbie from his colony thinking he would be happier and the poor boy went into a deep depression. He finally came out of it but it sure took a while.
I would only separate if I thought it was very necessary and I wouldn't separate if it meant they had to live alone unless they had a severe illness that wouldn't make them aware of buddied in the first place like a something neurological.

 

[Godmother]

So do y'all think it would be OK to put a bonded pair (about 1.5 years and just over one year) in with my two-year-olds?

 

[jorats]

It all depends on how your 2 year olds are doing. Are they still quite healthy and active and happy rats or are they set in their ways, grumpy and other special care needs.

 

[mamarat]

I don't separate my oldies from their buddies now unless it's something neurological and they are not aware of their surroundings, but in the future, knowing what I know now, I will try to put them together closer in age.

 

[Cityratt]

Yea that all makes good sense guys

Thanks I just worry about her (As im sure you're all well aware!)
She was my first girl and shes such a special, snuggly little love bug....(not that i dont love my others, but i'll always have a special spot in my hoodie for my little S munchkin)

 

[user 78]

I know this was answered pretty well, but I thought I'd share my experiences. Cause, honestly, it depends on the rat and their situation.

Grey is a little over a year old now and she's a big fat meanie head. Penn has just turned 2yrs, and has [we think] a slowly developing PT that I've [apparently] managed to hold back with steroids and abs. Grey harasses Penn to the point where Penn will hide and do everything in her power to avoid Grey completely. We've figured that Penn is "off" as far as Grey is concerned, and she's just trying to be a "good" alpha and make the weak one go away so as not to attract predators and such. Penn was miserable, Grey was always edgy, and the baby Lil was caught in the middle. The day Lil went after Penn, I said enough was enough and got Penn out of there.

She currently lives in her very own Rene 72 [marchorio-what'sitthing] and is perfectly content. She gets 2-3hrs of play time with the other two girls daily in the pen and is just fine with going to her own house afterwards.

Prior to this, though, I had Mac, Penn, and Tully. Tully was older by about 6mo than Mac and Penn, but she wore down quite quickly. She was only a year and a half when she passed from severe resp problems, but up until that point she was so very happy in that cage. She took her frustrations out on Penn every so often [Penn's the whipping rat, no matter what], but they were very closely bonded. I never would have dreamed of separating any of them had Tully stayed with me longer.

So long as everyone gets along for the most part, I would always leave well enough alone. There will always be little squabbles and such in any cage, no matter the age ranges. When someone's getting singled out and really pushed around, that's when you get concerned. Like with Penn, her actively avoiding Grey made me notice things were really bad between them. You also never know if a new addition will stick up for the older one.

 

[Cityratt]

thanks Java - that really helps put things in perspective for me

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

I recently had to separate my oldies from my babies. My oldest Lilly 22 months was being picked on constantly by Sunflower 6 months. Sunflower would hunt her down just to attack her. I also noticed scratches on Ivy 20 months. So I decided to separate once I did that Lilly became happier and would no longer hide when another rat came around and the scratches on her and Ivy went away.

They still get out times together and everyone gets along until the last 30 minutes or so when Sunflower goes after Lilly that's when I know everyone has had enough and it is time to go up.

In my old group there is no real alfa that I see they all 5 get along so well and I never hear a peep out of them.

My young ones on the other hand constantly make a ruckus, screaming, hidey holes flying across the cage. Sunflower is usually the culprit but all the girls are her age and put up with her very well. Rose is about 16 months and is the oldest of the young ones and she definitely puts Sunflower in her place when she gets too far out of line.

 

[Bati]

I've tried the retrirement-cage without luck, put in 4 above 2 years, they looked old and kind of lazy, but once I put them in their own cage they woke up and started fighting like mad, guess the loss of the young alfa made them go for it. I had a lot of injuries and they just kept on till I gave up and send them back to the big flock. Immediately they cooled down and it was peacefull again. Maybe just mine who are strange