Introductions... Should I separate my guys again?

[kaytee]

I have an almost-2yo male (neutered), Zeke, whose cagemate died at the beginning of July. He was pretty stressed and needy after this. I adopted two new baby boys a few weeks ago, did a 2-week quarantine, then did some introductions. There was never any aggression during the intros--not even a whole lot of interest or attention on any of their parts.

So on Friday evening I tried them out in the same cage... did a full clean, put them in to the empty cage... everything was fine. Added some more gear, still good... a few minor pinnings, but no squeaks, nothing that raised any flags, so I let them all stay.

Yesterday Zeke seemed a little stressed... I chalked it up to the newness of having crazy babies flying around the cage all the time. One of the babies crawls over him and urine marks but again nothing major.

So today, Zeke seemed like he had completely given up. He stuck himself in a corner and wouldn't move. Stopped cleaning himself. I was still hoping he'd come around but after supper I found him sitting in his litter box, all puffed up and shivering. I removed him and he stinks of urine and just seems... not himself. Poor little dude. So I haven't put him back in with them, he's out with me, and I'm guessing he should be put on his own again, but... what gives? There was no aggression that I could see. Is this something he just needs to get over? How do I give him enough exposure to them to become familiar without stressing him?

 

[SQ]

how old are the babies?
how big is the cage? Are there lots of places he can go for alone time?
How long did you spend on intros?
Personally, if I had an older boy that was that frightened, I would go back a step or 2 in intros to a stage where he seemed relaxed and ok

info on intros http://www.ratshackforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=32368

Hope he is soon feeling safer and back to his old self

 

[Petunia]

could have nothing to do with the cage mates, he may be coming down with something (or already have something without other symptoms showing up yet) and at 2, it's possible he's just old and tired.
Rats vary a lot in their lifespans, while some can make it to 2 1/2 or more, some are old men sooner.
I've had more rats pass around the 2yr mark than who have lived much beyond it, I don't know if it's the gene pool of the rats in my area or what, but... it may just be that he's feeling his age.

I'd love on him and spend as much time with him as you can and probably have a vet check him out to be sure he's not sick.

 

[jorats]

Could Zeke be sick? Shivering and not grooming is not a behavioural symptoms but more a symptom of sickness or neurological. I wold get him checked by a vet.

 

[kaytee]

Just an update: I'd removed him from the big cage (with the babies) and set him up solo. That evening (when I posted this originally) he was still very subdued and didn't really want to hang out. The next day-- totally back to his normal rascally self, full of energy and wanting to come out and run around the couch and steal our food. He's been separated all week and still seems okay so I'm going to re-try some intros this weekend and see if he'll come around with the babies. I mean-- maybe he's just too old to deal with their nonsense? He had gotten really needy after Sam died so I figured he was lonely, but maybe he just wants people for company, not little balls of energy who climb all over him?

 

[jorats]

Starting intros over again is a good idea!

 

[SQ]

so glad that he is feeling better ..... I have had older lone rats that liked being introed to babies but also needed lots of space to get a break from them too