My Experience Of Reintroducing

[petal10]

Thank you for sharing this - it's really interesting to hear how it's all going. You seem to be doing a great job, well done

[kyrilliondaemon]

Sounds like its going quite well, I'll keep my fingers crossed for them when you eventually let them meet without mesh in the way

[lucyeleanor]

Thank you all

Day 7 (Friday)
A very smooth swap. No fighting or distress whatsoever, not even much digging. Pumpkin, the less tamed of the two, even let me pick him up easily. I'm guessing it's the combination of happiness and a larger cage which has made him tame up a bit

Day 8 (Saturday)
Today is the day! It's been a week since I first put them together in their split cage, and since things are going so well I'm going to have an attempt at trying to let them meet without the bars.

Any advice? Should I do this in their bin cage or should I take them to a neutral ground?

[amie]

I have never tried this myself but from what I've read you just remove the divide from the cage they are in.
Thinking of you and your Roborovskis. Good luck.

[lucyeleanor]

Day 8 (Saturday Continued)

Bad news. We tried the introduction with little success. They began 'rolling' in a ball, biting each other. Pumpkin has a very small nick on his stomach. I separated them pretty swiftly, so it didn't get much worse than that. My fingers got the worst battle scars, as both of them latched their teeth around my fingers and wouldn't let go!

I think I might try again in a little while (they are both enjoying some ball time at the moment), although I very much doubt it will help. If it doesn't, they will be back to a split cage for a while. Although I'm not sure for how long - any advice? Perhaps they could live in the split cage forever pretty happily sharing the space?

[kyrilliondaemon]

Ah... Yeah. Thats a bad idea. Maybe leave them in the split cage for a fortnight this time? Or wait a week after they seem completely settled.

How old are they now?

[lucyeleanor]

Day 8 (Saturday Continued)

We gave them a quick second chance, which did seem to go better for a few moments. They didn't go straight into fighting. However, a few moments later and they were back to their roll-fight. We separated them as soon as we could. Nutmeg now has a bloody nose. Pumpkin now has a bloody side of face.

Safe to say, I'm feeling pretty negative about the situation of them living together. I might contemplate carrying on with the split cage for a fortnight, but I'm leaning more towards a full separation.

They are now back in the split cage, and have resumed being okay being together.

I adopted them on Sunday 4th November, and I was told they were 4 months old. So approx 4 months 3 weeks.

[kyrilliondaemon]

Then strange as it might sound, maybe give them a few months apart and try reintroducing later? They might just be hormonal at the moment and once they mature they might decide being friends is ok after all.
Separating completely would work too though

[amie]

I'm sorry to hear that after all your efforts it didn't work. I think you did so well to try it. I just wouldn't have the inclination to do it myself and in your position would leave them living apart in separate cages. But, as kyrilliondaemon said, it is possible to try it again after a few months apart.
Hope the 2 little uns are no worse for their encounter. You did your best and perhaps it's just not meant to be. Best wishes.

[Pompompoms]

It sounds like you have done the right thing there at this time. Just a note as I'm not sure whether you did or not, should you decide to try again at a later date to reintroduce, always make it on completely neutral ground so neither feels the other is encroaching on territory. Put a massive pile of something they both love in the middle, and let therm much away.

The hope is they are so busy eating they're not bothered by being joined by a friend

Teenage males can be incredibly tricky, males are in general compared to females I have found in terms of reintroduction. All that testosterone flying about