Screeching

dspch911 · Feb 28, 2013

Yesterday we let Axe (one of the biggest babies) and Curley meet each other while I was holding Curley and Al held Axe. All they did was go nose to nose to sniff. Curley has a careless attitude, but Axe let out the biggest screech...... Al put him back in the cage and he refused to go anywhere near Al again. I've read all about your rats puffing up, but never knew what that meant until Al went to pick Axe up again. On about 3 occassions he stood up and puffed up..... Finally he did get to pick him up and took treats from him, but I don't know what happened. Do you guys think he was afraid of Curley or that maybe Al squeezed him to hard holding him??? :emb:

jorats · Feb 28, 2013

It was like a big scare for Curley. Imagine someone is holding you and bringing you closer to something that you don't know and are very scared off and you can't get away because you are being held there.
That's why all intros between animals, all animals shouldn't be restricted, held or on leash. Even when there is a fence between them, it's always scarier and brings out the bully in you.
So next time... you have Axe on one knee and Curley on the other knee and your hands ready to stop any lunges. A towel would be good.

firemedic · Feb 28, 2013

All was well when everyone got treats before I want to work this morning. The big boys were happy and little guys grab and ran.

hopefloats · Feb 28, 2013

My boy romeo screamed for WEEKS during intros and during move in time. It took him a good month to stop. some rats are very vocal about intros and maybe scream like they are being smashed. Turtle is my current screamer when she is laying there eating and another rat walks by her, she screams. Some rats just get scared during intros my boy daddy/boss and his son Boston, lay like a log during every intro. I wouldnt worry about it yet. In a few weeks when peanut is bigger you can try the 5 boys with 7 babies on some where unfamiliar to them all. I do mine on the table and when they get to stressed out I give the table a little shake and yell earthquake. The earthquake part is just to annoy my daughter but the shake of the table brings attitudes back down.

dspch911 · Feb 28, 2013

Ok apparently we were collasal failures yesterday.... neither seem to mind when he hold one or the other up to each others cages so we just thought we'd try a nose to nose and Axe went bonkers...... Peanut/Snickers are way to small for intros unless we get them step stools :laugh4: although Peanut thinks he's a big guy! Thanks

hopefloats · Feb 28, 2013

The cages are when I have had my worse problems, well through the bars of the cages. when they are in their cage it is "theirs" I have had noses ripped off, balls bitten through, toes lost the list goes on and on. Rats are fast let me tell you LOL you have to be very careful with bars it brings out the big guy in them. When you get closer to intros, you can switch cages, let your big boys play in the babies cage for a few hours and let the babies play in theirs. It will get them used to the scent of the other rat in their cage. It will also be a good exercise for your other crew, they will be all about smelling the babies cage.

dspch911 · Feb 28, 2013

Your terrifiying me!!!!!! Those babies stink - our other guys never smelled that bad - they better grow out of it the stinkers or I'm going to have to rename them.....