Radar behaviour and pics

[jorats]

Tonight, Radar wouldn't sit still, so I decided to let him play in the "rat playground". He went a little nuts with all the different rat smells, but he never got bity with me, not even nippy. He really wanted to "talk" to the rats though.
Here he is meeting the young crew. Sophie, blue hooded dumbo is not too happy with Radar, she kept trying to strike at him.

 

[Melissa]

Poor Radar. He's making thing tough for his mum!

I's say he is making it tough for himself.

*snippy snippy* :flushed:

 

[mamarat]

I think Radar needs little buddies or a couple of spayed girls. I have a couple of spayed girls for him, Jo. :love11:

 

[jorats]

I think you are right mamarat.
Radar has been doing much better. I don't have to change anymore and Radar doesn't mind the other rat smells on me. :thumbup:

So I thought... maybe I'll try intros today sans neuter. Maybe it will work and if it does then I can cancel the neuter.

So Radar is being introed to Nessie, Sophie, Candé, Jorge, Davis and Rylee.

It went pretty good, the young rats are scared of the big old manrat though. Not terribly scared but very unsure of him. He goes to them and tries to get on top but they squeak and run real fast. He really doesn't know what to make of them.

Here they are all together in the enclosure:

Looking around for the other rats:

Scared and hiding:

Nessie, peaking out, wonders where he might be?

Rylee is found!

They still can't resist the baby cereal, Rylee on the lookout while Sophie eats:

Radar enjoying a piece of toast:

 

[lilspaz68]

Wow, Radar has the most wonderful Bad Hair Day thing going on. :love1:

And all of them hiding in the octopus....LOLOL

Are they just worried because he's a Big Manrat and they don't know him? His fur is down, he looks confused, but not terribly so. I have my fingers tightly crossed for this intro!!! :thumbup:

 

[jorats]

He must be giving off some signals, cause you really see the worry on their face when he comes around. But I suspect this may stop once he's put with them several times. I might try again tonight.

 

[Fidget]

Lol, those pictures are a hoot - of course the captions help but you gotta laugh at everyone peeking out of the octopus!
Man it seems Radar has come a long way in a short time. Maybe he's a wimp at heart and thinks the best defence is a good offense?

(Thankyou lilspaz for breaking the ice on the bad hair day thing :laugh2: )

 

[Melissa]

Oh goodness, that octopus makes everything so funny!

 

[ratamataz]

Oh Radar, you be nice to those pretty girls!
Everyone looks so cute hiding in the octoplay... says Radar, "come out come out wherever you are, little ladies!"

 

[LA]

:rofl4: HAHA @ the pic of them peeking out of the octapus. That is so funny.

 

[jorats]

I'm giving up intros for now. The three girls and three baby boys are simply petrified of Radar. He hasn't bitten them or hurt them, he does run after them and they scream bloody murder. :cry4:
So, rethinking my plan. I still don't think he needs a neuter because he's a doll with me and hasn't hurt the other rats either. I'll work something out. It may take some time.

 

[Melissa]

I'm giving up intros for now. The three girls and three baby boys are simply petrified of Radar. He hasn't bitten them or hurt them, he does run after them and they scream bloody murder. :cry4:
So, rethinking my plan. I still don't think he needs a neuter because he's a doll with me and hasn't hurt the other rats either. I'll work something out. It may take some time.

Hopefulyl some intros with some new baby boys will help. Less than a week!

 

[jorats]

I'm giving up intros for now. The three girls and three baby boys are simply petrified of Radar. He hasn't bitten them or hurt them, he does run after them and they scream bloody murder. :cry4:
So, rethinking my plan. I still don't think he needs a neuter because he's a doll with me and hasn't hurt the other rats either. I'll work something out. It may take some time.

Hopefulyl some intros with some new baby boys will help. Less than a week!

I soooo can't wait to get my lambies. But no way are they going near my Radar...lol These boy are going in with Shel's boys and the girls.

 

[Melissa]

I'm giving up intros for now. The three girls and three baby boys are simply petrified of Radar. He hasn't bitten them or hurt them, he does run after them and they scream bloody murder. :cry4:
So, rethinking my plan. I still don't think he needs a neuter because he's a doll with me and hasn't hurt the other rats either. I'll work something out. It may take some time.

Hopefulyl some intros with some new baby boys will help. Less than a week!

I soooo can't wait to get my lambies. But no way are they going near my Radar...lol These boy are going in with Shel's boys and the girls.

I really have to post pics. They are getting so cute... I don't know how it is possible!!

 

[Moon]

I've had boys (in tact) that have come in to try a day of daycare, and even though they were fine they seemed to give off vibes that would send the rest of the dogs in to a complete tizzy. They would do absolutely NOTHING wrong, and the other dogs would either flee or create a very wide circle around them and bark like maniacs. One came back about a month later, newly fixed, and all the previous bad feelings melted away. Another came back after a neuter (both had owners who were planning on showing them but decided against it) and there was no difference at all, the dogs perceived him as a huge threat.

Seems like the hormones of some boys are so overwhelming that others are terrified of it.

So, if you became desperate, a neuter COULD help... but it's a long shot. And it could be perceived as being entirely unnecessary with him being the age he is. Maybe you've got your first loner....

At least you're not being chomped anymore! And the pics are adorable.

 

[jorats]

I know what you mean moon... it's like they are unstable and all the other rats can sense that. Shoot, maybe I will do the neuter. :wallbang:

 

[Shelley]

In one of the dog training classes I was in, this young intact lab came into training. The moment he arrived all the dogs started going wild. My dog during his practice run on the agility course, ran over and tried attacking him. That is the first and only time thats ever happened with my dog. All the dogs just went into a craze like moon said. I know their not rats, but it does sound similar. The owner couldn't bring her dog to training class because he was disrupting all the other dogs and owners making it too stressful.

At the dog park sometimes there are intact males that come in and give off the same impression to my dog, but usually not as strong. A neuter could be worth it, but then again he is older, and I don't really know... With Maurice, all I know is he was so much happier once away from other rats. The first day I separated him from the others, he went to the top shelf and bruxed. Silly boy :roll: He still does that too.

Keep us updated with your , and his, adventures

 

[jorats]

Shelley, that's what I thought with Radar, that he may be happier but the bugger hates his cage, he doesn't want to be in there so when I let him out, he runs to the other cages and stays there.

 

[Shelley]

What kind of cage is he in right now? Which ones does he prefer? Maybe a cage swap would help? I've had Maurice in about 4 different cages. He had a 3 level cage to himself at one point, but he only used the bottom floor. I tried another one and he only liked the one small shelf and wouldn't go elsewhere. The cage he's in now is smaller than what I'd like for rats, but he hasn't liked any of my bigger cages. He seems happiest in the guinea pig one. He loooves his lookout shelf and actually uses all the space. Although now with his spinal nerve degeneration, it's the easiest for him to get around in as well. Some rats just don't like to be caged. Maurice will go on his shelf and beg to come out. As much as I'd love to have him with me all the time, I can't do that.

 

[jorats]

His cage is not big, it's 30 x 17 x 20 or so, and has a shelf, sounds similar to what your Maurice has, about that same size. But I think he's just right bored.