Velo's Intro Thread [Advice pls?]

[Velo]

4 hours down. 20 to go. When do they cuddle?? XD

 

[Velo]

Rockys sleeping in the fleece tube hammock and Pika Theia and Rizzy have been intermittently popping in there with him and no issues which makes me happy.

 

[jorats]

That is great!!! And even if there's no actual cuddling, that's no big deal.

 

[Velo]

Pika and Rocky have been resting together in the tube quietly for like 15 minutes. What a wonderful thing, rocky deserves some cuddles after being alone these 2 months!!

 

[dspch911]

:hug4: Yay Rocky!!!

 

[Velo]

And now Theia is in there with them too hehe. I feel bad for Rizzy, she's sitting outside the tube in the litter box. I'm guessing she doesn't want to go in the tube but wants to be close...

I am waiting for the next wake up and run around like hyper children session before I even attempt sleep.

Note to anyone doing intros ever:
Do not move in at night. Do it during the day so you have enough confidence to sleep a bit at night haha!

 

[Velo]

Well its been nearly 8 hours. Time for me to attempt some sleep (with a lamp on so I can see any issues haha)

Everyone is napping currently. Here's hoping everything is fine and everyone is fine the next time I'm conscious.

 

[hopefloats]

Cant wait to get tehre and see this!

 

[jorats]

Sounds like it was going good. Yay for some Rocky cuddles.
How is it this morning?

 

[Velo]

Well I'm all thrown off with the time change but I guess it's been 16 hours! 2/3 there. XD
I barely slept because my neck felt like it was gonna snap in half. The good part is that I know it was a quiet night. A few light squeaks but that's all.

Rocky woke up this morning, nibbled on some food and seeked out the girls. He found Theia and Pika in a hat and I think he was trying to lay with them but he just did NOT fit in with them so Pika was whining. X3

Rocky in the red hammock, Rizzy in the blue hammock and Pika & Theia in the hat. So they are all in really close proximity of each other this morning. C:

 

[jorats]

Yay!! I'd say it's a done deal for you too.

 

[Velo]

I'm watching like a hawk. They're all up now and it seems he's pestering them. They are very vocal when he's around and he was wrapping. Rizzy was baring her teeth at him earlier too.
What's the science behind the 24 hour watch? How do you know everything will be okay after that? :0

 

[jorats]

When I say 24 hours, I don't mean literally 24 hours I mean be there for the better part of the day/night in case something happens. Aggression always happens within a day. After that, it's going to be regular scuffles and cuddles. Colonies like in real families don't get along all the time, there will always be some issues at some times. Like for me, just now, I had to go and talk to Tachee because she was going after a baby, but I know she's not going to hurt him, she's just going to bully him which is normal.
Now that we know there's no true aggression in the colony, we can settle back and let them work out their differences. If it gets too loud, we get in there with light clapping of the hands, go in to move and destress a rat or make kissy noises or even gently blow on them, anything to redirect. And if the scuffles continue or start up out of the blue which can definitely happen, we use a time out cage.

 

[Velo]

Hm okay I just want to be certain since tomorrow is back to work and I will be gone 13 hours a day again.

Interesting stuff though!
I figure if they all are sitting on the same one shelf in an entire DCN, then they can't be all too uncomfortable with each other.

I read some things that said to keep them in the closed cage for the first day and don't do out time. What do you think about that? Do you not do out time or just do your regularly scheduled out time?

 

[Velo]

Also thank you SO MUCH Jo, I never could have done this without you!!
This will make a great resource for people who are having a hard time too.

"What's the big black blob over there??"

 

[jorats]

lol Awww, so sweet all together on the shelf.
I'm back on my regular schedule. Right now, I've opened up the cage and giving them the choice to come out for their out time. In 2 hours, that door closes and they will stay inside.

 

[Velo]

Ah good! I'd much rather they have play time together!
This is so wonderful, feeding will be easier, cage cleaning, out time all easier! Not to mention the hours I spent on intros no more and Rocky is loved!

He and Theia are napping nose to nose right now.

 

[Velo]

Well things seem pretty good. I stayed home today because I could and wanted to see how everything went.

Rocky is fine for the most part but he has a span of like an hour or two a day where he just non stop harasses the girls. He was just doing it now and now all 3 girls are hiding and clearly upset with him. \:

I feel bad for the girls, they're so frustrated that they don't even want to play or come out of the cage.

And now I have a headache just from yelling at him to stop when the girls are squeaking bloody murder. ~_~

 

[hopefloats]

It should simmer down after a few days. Just keep an eye on them. See how it is after a week.

 

[Velo]

Ya but I can't keep an eye on them for 13 hours a day for tomorrow through Friday. Ugh.
Not like it helps when I do. I can scream my voice out at him, hit the wall, clap, snap, anything and he won't stop.

I hope it calms down after a week, Theia hid all day and doesn't even want to come out for corn. \: