Intros are definitely not my thing.

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Zephye

Dat Rat Lady
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
309
Location
Ottawa
Okay, background on this.
Nemo is my eldest rat, his cage mate Zephye passed away this past August so I was looking for a friend for him (He would've been 1 year and 8 months or so, older now)

Vincent is a younger rat that I obtained from an owner who no longer could care for him. He was about 5-7 months when I got him in July. He's under a year and that's about as much as I know right now. I had him neutered since my previous attempt to intro him and Nemo together ended in well minor disaster. (He wasn't very aggressive but would pick fights from time to time)

Bandit, is a foster I'm currently fostering and will adopt if intros go right. He's about a year old maybe (previous owners had no idea his age), he was rescued from an abusive situation and since then has made it into our hearts. He was also recently neutered and was very aggressive before the neuter towards other rats. (flinging himself at their cages, ripping any barriers to get to the other rat)

Long story short, I have zero ideas how I'm going to go about introing 3 boys, when I could barely do 2...

Right now I've put Bandit's cage near Vincent's. Since Vincent and Nemo share a DCN that's separated there's not much I can do about putting Nemo near them.

Bandit is puffing like a porcupine and Vincent and him are charging at each other's cages. I think they tired out since Bandit is grooming now and left to go find food. Vincent is still watching. Sigh.

Any tips/advice would be great though.
 
First of all, don't be worried about their attitudes towards cages. That is perfectly normal for them to charge the cage and freak out behind bars. Same thing with dogs. Dogs on leash or behind their fenced yard can look like they want to tear you apart, but have them loose, they are just fine.

I would do a table top intro. In a neutral area, another room preferably. Have nothing on the table except a dish of yummy baby food or baby cereal. Keep it short your first one, maybe 20 minutes. And report back here. lol If you can video it, that would be awesome.
 
Do you think it would go smoothly if I tried all 3 of them at once? Or do you think I should establish one relationship between 2 of them first?

I guess I'm not used to the charging very much. Nemo and Zephye were very relaxed and never did this behaviour towards any other rats.

I'll hopefully do an intro soon. School finals are taking my time up, and my rescue advised me to not do full intros until 21 days after the neuter. Though Vincent is almost done his 21 days by the end of this week.
 
So, today I let Vincent and Bandit my more 'aggressive' males before their neuters meet in the bath tub. I was going to grab Nemo but he was snoozing away and I didn't want to bother him. (He hasn't been feeling well).

I put them into the tub together and I was surprised. No puffing, no challenging, or siding or anything. Just the, being curious and they like to sniff each other's butts. <-<; I'm assuming that's normal behaviour though. They also liked to step over one another. But honestly I was expecting the worse when I put them together so this is a real nice surprise.

As I was typing this Vincent did puff a little but I just deflected Bandit for a bit until Vincent's fur went down.
 
Bleh, so another update. I just tried introing Nemo with them on the bed. Since Nemo has a fear of the bathtub/water and will just panic the whole time trying to get out. Vincent and Bandit were FINE together in the bathtub but when Nemo was introduced that's when everyone got really puffy -___-. Real puffy, lots of siding and one squabble between Nemo and Vincent. I don't know what Nemo is saying to them in their ratty language but the other two seem very offended.
 
Are they used to being on the bed? If so that would be the worst place to attempt intros. I dotn even do intros in the same room they used to being in. You can switches cages out to get them used to their scents and I wouldnt worry about the one that is scared of the tub, they loosen up after a few days of intros in there and oddly enough it is the fear that bonds them.
 
That sounds pretty normal for a less scary? spot, the bed. The good thing is no instant lunge and attack.
How long is your intro session on the bed?
 
Nemo has always been fearful of tubs and water, he basically will claw my up my arm and spend the whole time trying to jump out. Last time he landed on a rat things went pretty badly I just want to avoid any unnecessary fights. >-<

The intro on the bed was maybe 10 minutes? I waited a bit after the squabble once everyone was calmed down before ending things. Unfortunately I don't have the luxury of switching rooms since we live in a bachelor apartment. The only other place is the bathroom, maybe I'll try the bathroom floor next time.

I guess they'd be semi-used to the bed. We usually let them have out times either on the floor or the bed. Mainly the bed lately since I haven't had much time to keep an eye on them when they're out on the floor.
 
I carry rats from downstairs to their room upstairs and it is funny how they know they are in their room again. While these rats are scared in the living room that is down stairs. I get that door opened and the life springs back into them, they are trying to escape my hands and get in their room. It wasnt something I noticed often but when it clicked that rats may not only see a smaller area as their space but a whole room that they are used to as being their room. That is why I do my intros in another room. One of my adopters did her intros on a bathroom floor and it was great.
 
I never use water in the bathtub. That's just overkill.
But... the fact that the bed is not neutral zone and the rats didn't straight out attack each other is very good news. I would keep doing your intros but make them longer, at least 30 minutes. If they go after each other, break them up, move them away from each other but don't stop the intros. Have some yummy food available and even treats. Each time one rat goes up to another rat and turns away, hand him a delicious treat.
 
Do you have a table? If you have one that's not too terribly small----such as a kitchen or dining room table---you could do intros on the tabletop. Might want to have barriers on all the sides though in case one jumped up in the air and flung himself off. Another idea is a couch.

I agree that it needs to be a place that's unfamiliar to all of them. Otherwise, if it's familiar to one rat the other rats will feel like intruders.

If you do try out the bathroom floor, make sure to check at the base of the cabinets near the floor. So many times I've noticed there are cracks underneath bathroom cabinets that can be large enough for a rat to squeeze through. I had my very first rat (back in 1990!) go into the walls of a condo in which I was living because he squeezed through a crack underneath the bathroom cabinets. Thankfully, he eventually came back out. From then on I always check for cracks under the cabinets and seal them off.

Good luck with your next intro session. Sounds like you're making progress, slowly but surely. :)
 
I carry rats from downstairs to their room upstairs and it is funny how they know they are in their room again. While these rats are scared in the living room that is down stairs. I get that door opened and the life springs back into them, they are trying to escape my hands and get in their room. It wasnt something I noticed often but when it clicked that rats may not only see a smaller area as their space but a whole room that they are used to as being their room. That is why I do my intros in another room. One of my adopters did her intros on a bathroom floor and it was great.

I have this happen, too, hopefloats. My rats know when we're going back to their room. They try to slide off my shoulder as if that will allow them to get back in more quickly. It's amazing they can tell what room they're in!
 
Time: 40 Minutes
Location: Bathroom Floor

Beginning, everyone was curious and sniffing around. Bandit would sniff everyone's genitals and no one liked that so lots of puffing. He keeps trying to put his head under Nemo and Vincent, Vincent is siding a bit.

Bandit backed Vincent into a corner while trying to get Vincent to groom his head, a small fight breaks out.

After the fight, Bandit refuses to let anyone near him and will puff up and back into them if they approach him. Nemo runs away when this happens even though it's Bandit who comes up to check him out.

Vincent is puffy whenever a rat goes near him but constantly keeps being curious about Nemo (running up to him). Even though he does what Bandit is doing and siding/puffing if Nemo looks back at him.

End result, all the rats in their own space on the bathroom floor ignoring one another and grooming themselves.
 
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Sounds like you're doing a great job. Have you tried what jorats suggested earlier by placing a dish of babyfood or yogurt or anything they have to lick to eat in the middle of the bathroom floor? That might make them want to all be closer...

I loved reading your report. Made me feel like I was there! :)
 
Sounds like you're doing a great job. Have you tried what jorats suggested earlier by placing a dish of babyfood or yogurt or anything they have to lick to eat in the middle of the bathroom floor? That might make them want to all be closer...

I loved reading your report. Made me feel like I was there! :)



Thanks guys, I'm never sure if things are going okay since they're all so puffy and on edge a lot. I've only ever done 2 intros before and those went ridiculously smooth.

Yes I did put a dish in the middle c: they never shared it, just would watch each other if someone went to eat.
 
So today,
Intro: 30 minutes.
I tried with just Vincent and Nemo. Ugh.

It just seems that Vincent doesn't like anyone close to him. Nemo keeps trying to mount him which doesn't help but even if he's just near him. Vincent likes to push other rats away with his back feet and if he doesn't get his way he rat balls with them. I:
Nemo and Vincent rat balled, no injuries from what I can see. I'm trying to teach Nemo to not chase after Vincent when he wants to run away from the situation. Am I doing that right? I'm also stopping him when he tries to mount.
They were both in my lap and because Vincent was near Nemo he would eep and squeak a lot.

The intro ended with Vincent approaching Nemo and letting him bite his ear and they both moved away from one another after that. (This is a thing Nemo has always done... and did with his previous cage mate)
I ended it shortly after that since it was getting late.
 
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