any sugestion would help

[blackcatfrost]

ok so im picking up my two new boys on Saturday morning and i have never introed rats before i started with two boys miki and sammy and they are so awesome my daughter and i have decided that a larger group would be ok we have both been told rats thrive in bigger community's. so here is what im planing ...

(oh and fyi the two boys im getting are a rescue from a friend whos little girl(age 9)went and bought at a pj pets after seeing mine and has had them in a hampster cage if not on her person her mother freaked and blames me 'grin'... not happy about how it came about but im not sad that i have created another rat lover)

intro them in the tub first keeping an eye on how they greet each other wash out thier cage and descent as best i can then heap lots of extra food and treats and see how it goes I got miki and sammy from a pet store wich i never do but they where cramed in ther with loads of other rats i got them as babes in october so im thinking they should be ok for new cage mates. and if it all goes horribly wrong im just gona have to buy another giant cage??


can anyone see any flaws in my logic or have any additional advice i would very much appreciate any and all input
thankx for ur time Kitty

 

[jorats]

CongRATS!!

The meeting in the bathtub is good... but I would suggest several of these before adding them to the colony cage. Also, make sure the colony cage is indeed big enough for 4 males.
How old are your current sweeties.

 

[blackcatfrost]

my boys right now i got when they where mouse size on oct 3rd from a cramped cage at a pet store (i wish i could have bought them all ;( )they are both very sweet to each other and us .
should i buy another cage i have a 80 gallon tank that's ruffly the same size of a one level FN cage with hammocks and tubes and two hiddy huts but they also have a play ground that's five feet by 4 and a half feet that connects with a tunnel from the top of the grill of the tank iv been told its big enuff for up to six + rats???
i didn't even think to put them eles where are you saying i should buy a new cage for them at first???
thankx so much for your input
Kitty

 

[jorats]

I figure your boys are about 5 months old then... which can be a tricky age when introducing new babies. Yes they definitely need their own cage for now.
As for the tank, it's not a good cage for rats, it restricts air flow and allows ammonia and bacteria to grow too quickly. I'd invest in a wire cage.
I'm not sure what the dimensions are for an 80 gal tank but I doubt 6+ rats...especially since there are no level to climb and get away from others.

 

[Moon]

Yes, you'll definitely need to wait longer before they all go in the same cage. Sometimes intros can take a month or more.

Slow and steady wins the race! Don't get discouraged if intros don't start out wonderfully, either. They can take a while to get together but all the work makes it that much sweeter when they're together

 

[blackcatfrost]

the tank is 2f tall ,3f long, and 2 f deep . i have made multi height hammocks and two tubes along the top (a full small bar cage front) a small fan circulates the air from the bottom of the cage it was custom made reptile tank and a large tunnel connects in to a play ground that i custom made with wire mesh and wood framing thats a foot and a half high and 4 and a half feet by five feet (no pine) with the top removable when under supervision they kinda have their own room in my office im going to buy a three level all liveing things cage as thats whats available in my area but i will be attaching them via tunles when the boys are all in tune with one another .....in addition i use carefresh ultra (and yesterdays news in the litter box) and clean the cage every 4-5 days my house is drafty and i wanted to make sure they had a draft free place especially since i live in Canada and it gets darn cold. i figured with the fan system and the large playground coupled with frequent changes it was ok
do you think this is ok affter all or should i scrap it all