Alright my favorite rat experts :) only when difficult :) ha

[hopefloats]

Ok so as you know. We have 3 sets of two rats each of males that I am going to want to introduce. I know Jorats said it would be best to wait and do all 3 sets together which is fine. I am just wondering about a few things. I know I need to get all boys used to each others smells. Loki and Templeton are use to Al and Ludo. they have had a lot of time out together. They are the 5 month old group and the 8 week old group. They cuddle up together and sleep when they are out and the interaction as far as the dominance, it is minor power grooming from each set. It has not been anything major.

Toby and dopey have had no interaction with either sets of boys. or the girls for that matter. They catch a smell on occasion from my hands but that is about it. It causes toby to pee on me when he smells them LOL

My problem is the boy scent for the hairless to the other two sets and vice versus. I am trying to find the best way to go about introducing it, so it is not as foreign as it is now. I cannot really put their cage to close, it would become a jumping thing for pika, and The double fn already takes up a lot of room in the corner. I was wondering about putting the two haired rats in one half, and the hairless in the other half. That is how we introduced the little boys to the bigger boys. It seems to work well. but this is a totally different story because the hairless and Templeton and Loki, are the same age.

Or should I maybe start switching out beds, and so on to get them used to the smell without actually seeing the others? I can tell when either set smells the other it is an issue. I don't expect it not to be, they are boys. I just want to start introducing it slowly to get them acquainted with the smell before the actual meetings start.

or am i wrong completely on doing the scent mildy first before intro's. I would like a few week of scent intro before the actual intros, it just seemed to work for us in the past.

 

[SQ]

It is a good idea to get them used to the scent.
You can switch dirty cloths from one cage to the other.

 

[hopefloats]

When is the proper time to start it? Toby was just fixed. I don't want to make matters worse on him to soon...


But side note I have been working on his biting on through the bars and he is actually listening. I would say something to him so he knew it was me and we are actually able to rub his head through the bar...I think thtat the neurter has started to help his mood.

 

[jorats]

I would do the half fn thing with two at the top and two at the bottom and switching them every day. It's a good idea to get them used to the smell.
As for when is the best time, I'd say in about a week or so. Toby should be completely recuperated by then.

 

[hopefloats]

Awesome. I am waiting to make sure I guess i could play musical cage with all 3 of them. I could switch them all out. The babies cannot fit out of the bars and I can do it while I am here. you can tell they sniff them, because they all start marking. I would like for them to get that out of the way before they start seeing each other.

Right now the fn is occupied by the haired 5 month olds on top and the babies on bottom. THe hairless are in their own cage.

 

[jorats]

If you can do the swap with all three, that would be fab.

 

[hopefloats]

I totally can. I did it with the little boy and big boys the other day. Just to see how it went. I wanted to see what the big boys would do. I haven't touched the hairless yet. I didn't want to push my luck but he is doing so extremely well. I was worried about dopey, I never see him during the day hardly. Then I stayed up late last night, that boy was up all night. SO that explains why he is sleeping during the day. I am gonna have to get them up with me during the day,

So it will be normal, pretty much for them to start rubbing their smell over the other boys smell right? Anything I need to watch out for, that might be an indication of problems when they do meet?

 

[hopefloats]

I will be so glad when I can refer to my boys, and not set 1 set 2 and set 3 LOL

 

[jorats]

lol it's so much easier to have one big colony as opposed to several little ones.

Rats are not predictable when it comes to intros. They could be like real bullies in the cage when they smell the other guys but yet be gentle during the actual meeting or the other way around, not mind the other smells and go ballistic when meeting them face to face. So at this point, don't look out for anything, don't be on the alert. Have good energy to help the boys in these stressful times.

 

[hopefloats]

Ok. I know for a fact, they all pee typically on me, if the smell the other boys on my hands. The sad part is, I have gotten used to it. now I have noticed a bunch of dragging our butts on the ground, I wont say the song I sing when they do it. which I figured out means, they are leaving a nice little pee trail. I just hate when they do it on my book on the desk though LOL. I know that when they smell them, they get goofy. I know when they smell the girls to close, one typically tries to hump the other so that makes me assume that I should expect a lot of markings LOL

I would like to say that a whole colony is easier, My girls are a handful and magically the fights have stopped over the past two days. Isis is the queen of denial. She is the only girl who marks me. She does it just like the boys. I watched her closer, she is starting stuff with every one. So I guess she took luna's place lol. I would much rather have my boys out separate than my girls lol. I was kinda lied to about females, luna was such a calm girl, so sweet full of kisses and hand licks. I thought more would be great. Yeah. My girls drive me nuts. it is constant watching them when they are out. but they are by far more entertaining. I do love all the craziness that comes with females. BUt i must say, i love the calmness of my boys. They are who i have out when i do a test online or homework.

That why I was hoping this would ease them into it a little more. I really want to make this as smooth as possible. I am trying every trick in the book. I was hoping they would get the attitude out about another smell before the meeting takes place.

 

[hopefloats]

I have another question, figured I would keep it on this thread....

SO will toby ever quit marking me? LOL it cracks me up, he will sniff my hand or shirt, I am sure he smells the girls on me since they were out, then he will walk up on me, with one leg up on my arm and the other on the ground, then he will go to town marking me.

 

[jorats]

No. probably not.
Rats don't only mark for "ownership" but they also mark for showing them the way back home or the way back to you. It's like Hansel and his little bread trail.

 

[hopefloats]

I am totally taking up the answers on here lol. But i am trying to keep them on the same threads. I put Toby and dopey in the Double fn, while the boys are on my table. I opened up the levels so they can smell both sets of boys. This way the babies who can have play time out with Templeton and Loki with out any problems, can smell the hairless boys while in their cage but still be protected from both sets of boys. I put the older boys at their cage for a few too. I am only going to do it for a few minutes today, just to test the water. they all seem to smell but that is about it. No one seems to be puffing up or fighting with their cage-mates because of the smell. I am keeping the babies on my desk away from the others during this time because, i still feel like i need to protect them lol but they are the same size as pika now, unreal considering they were smaller than my daughters ipod, about half the size of it when we brought them home.

Dopey is lazy during the day so he just crawled in their tunnel and went to sleep, Toby, Templeton, and Loki are all checking things out. I went and talked to them, and they seem to be doing fine.

you can see a lot of marking going on, but that is what i want so they can smell the others and get used to it.

 

[jorats]

That's good... keep that up.

 

[hopefloats]

yeah i am not sure how well that is working, toby and dopey are fine, my older boys are being odd though. I will see tomorrow when I switch them again.

 

[jorats]

You can do that for a while before attempting anything more. Go at your pace and what you are comfortable with.

 

[hopefloats]

The boys have been doing fine with switching cages, the don't seem to be horribly bothered by the smell. No one gets cocky or mean. So I thought well since I cleaned the cages today, lets see how it goes with the hairless boys on top, and the other boys on bottom. I had the ramp up, and it was cover by plexi glass and a coroplast so they could not see each other at all. My boys Templeton and Loki freaked out about the sound. Hearing something up there, they were a basket case, they where hanging on the side of the cage and hissing like they do to the dog. I dont know if it is the sound or if they new other rats were there....sigh. I know it is going to be a slow process, that just really worries me.

 

[jorats]

That's perfectly normal behaviour, probably more curious or even, upset that they can't go upstairs to their comfort zone. Rats tend to like higher ground.

 

[hopefloats]

That is good to know, the older boys usually live up there, I would like to get them all in one cage even if separated , but that did worry me, would they do it constantly or till they were used to hearing that? it takes me hours to clean all these cages...........

The big boys and little boys do fine, together even with the ramp down for short periods, but they have been meeting for weeks LOL.........

I guess I will keep doing the switch, maybe I will put the hairless closer, so they can see each other tomorrow for a bit and see if they go crazy then. I know boys like to do that at the cage, they all do it to the dogs when they walk by,

 

[jorats]

When I introed a colony of 5 to 2 and to another 2, it took me over 2 months and even then, I was questioning myself but patience and perseverance paid off. You're doing great!