Introducing rats?

[LoveMyHams]

Tomorrow I will be taking in a rat that needs a new home. I've been told she's a 9 month old girl and lives alone. I've been reading up on rats and all the sites say rats should live in pairs or more. Since this one is currently alone and is grown should I get her a friend? It seems a baby girl would probably be the best option for quick success.

Help rattie owners!

[Wisper]

Yes rats always need company and usually introducing babies to adults goes fine as long as you do it slowly on neutral territory e.g in the bath tub.

Since this girl is already 9 months I would recommend getting 2 baby girls to introduce, that way you won't end up with the same problem of one being left alone. Plus I found 3 a great number with rats, always someone to play with if one of the others wants their own space.

[crazygal330]

to add to what wisper said, a pair of babies is better than a single. babies are pingy lunatics and need company of their own age group so they have someone to play with while they grow up. adults can sometimes find pingy babies a nuiscance, and won't want to play all the time. but yeah intros with rats are a breeze! either neutral space, or my personal favourite way is to confine them to a small neutral space e.g a carrier for a couple of hours, then pop them in a cleaned out cage and add toys bit by bit. something to do with the stress of being shoved in a carrier combined with lack of space to have territory gives 'the carrier method' a high success rate. :D

[LoveMyHams]

I'll post a pic of her on here. She's a little turd!(even though she's huge compared the the hams) She bit me on the nose!

[Amethyst_ice]

intros with rats are a breeze!

Can I step in and be the bad guy here but I feel that comment is a bit niave. While I do not wish to scaremonger the OP, you should be prepared for a BAD intro.

I agree wholely with going for a pair of baby kits and am sad to hear of a lone ratty, bless her.

I have tried the bath method and carrier method, both successful but I was left with a lone ratty after his brother was pts and he was craving company.

I am personally hoping to intro a baby to my group of adult 5 but am prepared that it could not work, split my group or end up in a very hurt or even killed baby.

So please just be aware it is a POSSIBILITY that your doe could kill babies.

Behaviour to look out for during intro is pinning, kicking and bum bashing. This is all fine. Also LOTS of squeaking! DON'T interefer at any point, this will just delay intros. If there is ANY blood separate immediately.

If it is not too bad leave for a few hours and try again.

I have tried vanilla dabbed on bums but i wouldnt bother. I'd try the carrier and try let them get on with it. Id have a carrier spare nearby also if you need to separate.

I would then put them into a small cage totally cleaned and neutral with no toys for a week, scatter food and if all well progress from there.

I don't want to sound all negative but you should be aware that she may hurt new rats or may not take to them
x

[Amethyst_ice]

oh..and i have been bitten on the nose! Remember rats have poor eyesight, so never approach down like that, always let a rat know you are there :)

[LoveMyHams]

Here is Nikita!
http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l551/LoveMyHams/IMG_0631.jpg
http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l551/LoveMyHams/IMG_0630.jpg
http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l551/LoveMyHams/IMG_0628.jpg

[Amethyst_ice]

aww bless her, she is one of the blues (russian/british blue maybe?) hooded top eared :)

[Ren]

Would love to hear how it has gone. Have you found her some friends?

[blade100]

i always intro my rats in the bath (dry) and if all goes well after half hour i then pop them in a small hamster cage. i leave them like this for 3-4 days with nothing in except food and water.

if i feel all is going well i then scrub down the main cage so it gets rid of any smells and add all the rats.
i leave the cage bare for another 3-4 days and then day by day i add one hammock etc.

there will be some pinning down,boxing and stand off. they will squeak and run.
leave them to it unless of course there is blood drawn.
you'll know when things are going bad as the agressive rat will have fur bogged up,side sidling and ninja kicking.then after that comes biting and a fur ball fight.

rat babies should be introduced at 8 weeks,at 12 weeks is when rats get there hormones and this can go on till 12 months.

i have 10 males living together,i had to have 1 boy neutered due to him being too hormonal.

yes your girl looks to be a blue hooded. not sure which blue though as you can get russian (i have two of these one dumbo one top ear) powder blue and british blue.
british blues are known for blood issues where there blood doesnt clot.

did you get company for your girl?

[Hammielover]

My friend had rats and this is how she done it .

Put their cages together for a few days
Swap their cages so they get eachothers scent
And then swap back to their normal cages
Have them both out in the bath tub daily for about a week
Then move them into the main cage

When moving into the main cage i would move the toys and things around so it seems like a different home for them both .

[blade100]

When moving them into the main cage it should be bare so that they don't fight or get territorial.

[Queen Of The High Teas]

I bonded mine the way Blade advises and it worked like a charm:p

[LoveMyHams]

She actually went to a friend's house who had a rat. She had rescued a female from someone who only wanted to breed for snake food that wasn't producing babies. She is trying to get the rest of the rats too. Nikita is much happier now that she has a friend to play with.

[Gamina]

I have had a bad intro that led to vet being needed for one boy and the castration of another. I agree with AI it may seen simple and in 99% of the time it is but you have to also be prepared for the worst and the acceptance that you may need to house two separate groups for some time or for the remainder of the rats lives. I have a group of 6 boys and have had a wealth of amazing intros along with one bad one.