Thinking of adopting some more rats

[BriannaDawn]

I was just curious of what you guys thought. I'm not talking about right this week but sometime in the future. Mindy passed on and now Charlotte isn't doing so well. I put her on another round of antibiotics, and about 5 day's into taking them I found a Tumor on her back leg. All I can do is keep her comfortable til it get's to big and have her put down. I can't afford to remove it so I gotta just enjoy the time I have with her. Well I'm thinking of after she dies getting some more rats for the big cage. I will still have Charlotte's Mother Mary-Beth, she's pretty healthy surprisingly. Never seem to get respiratory issue despite living with Charlotte. Her temperament isn't very good, so I'm not sure if any intros will be in her future. So what I was thinking is moving Mary into the smaller cage I have (pretty good size for one rat to live in) and give her some of her old toys and doodads from her old cage. While moving maybe a new troop of rescues into her old cage.


What is your Honest opinion? Should I try an intro? (how should I go about this if I do) Should the cages not be in the same room (since she shared a cage with a sick rat.) Or should I just wait til Mary dies to get another rat.

 

[purinpurin]

You can never really know when a rat is going to die; if Mary Beth seems fine, then it might be best to do an intro (whether you choose to do it while Charlotte is around, or after she passes is your choice :3), in my opinion! If Mary Beth has had no problem getting along with Charlotte and Mindy, then she probably isn't a loner type. If she's all by herself, she will most definitely get lonely and that might shoot her into depression.

 

[jorats]

I'd definitely try an intro with Mary Beth.

 

[BriannaDawn]

You can never really know when a rat is going to die; if Mary Beth seems fine, then it might be best to do an intro (whether you choose to do it while Charlotte is around, or after she passes is your choice :3), in my opinion! If Mary Beth has had no problem getting along with Charlotte and Mindy, then she probably isn't a loner type. If she's all by herself, she will most definitely get lonely and that might shoot her into depression.

Well she does seem to like there company. Having Charlotte die is going to be hard enough on her. Having her die is going to be hard on all of us. I think for me seeing a cage with just her in it will be to depressing. When my rat Orion died I went out and adopted Mary, Mindy and Charlotte right away. See an empty cage made me feel worse about her death. Mary Beth is a pretty shy rat, I don't know how she will react about moving in new rats.

I'm not really sure anymore if Charlotte has a tumor or not. It doesn't seem to have grown since I last found it. I know Orion's tumor grew so fast she couldn't walk within 2 weeks of finding it. When I get money I think I'm gonna take her to the vet and see what she thinks of it.

I'd definitely try an intro with Mary Beth.

I have never done a rat intro. I'd be pretty nervous about it. I have read articles about intros.

If I were to adopt one or 2 more rats and added them to the cage, would they be at risk for catching what she has. She's on antibiotics, I know when humans are on antibiotics they are not normally contagious. I know Charlotte would get along with another rat. She's very laid back.

 

[jorats]

Every time someone brings in a new rat, they risk spreading something or infection the new rats. It's up to you to weigh the pros and cons of that.

 

[BriannaDawn]

Every time someone brings in a new rat, they risk spreading something or infection the new rats. It's up to you to weigh the pros and cons of that.

That's a very good point. Worse case scenario happens, I could always weigh the new rat and start her on the meds I have left over til I get her to a vet. I think I may just start working on a plan for adding a new little lady. Time to start reading lots and lots of articles.


Wish me luck through my very first intro ever...... :thud:

 

[jorats]

Good luck!