Intros - Completely Succesfull!

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adreabri

adreabri

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2010
Messages
671
Location
Carlyle, Illinois
Alright so I've had my clan of 6 and brought him Mr. Pickles and am currently working on introing him to my current clan.

Alright so intros didn't go horribly bad. He mainly didn't get along with my alpha. Nothing happened into neutral territory but it escalated when it was brought to regular territory. So I kept going back to neutral and the same thing repeated... So I decided to try an experiment and just introd Mr. Pickles into three of my boys and they are currently living together now. Moving in went really well and very peaceful and I thought this would help getting Mr. Pickles in on the good side of my alpha.

Well tonight we retried intros with everyone again and everything went well until it wasn't. Sundae (my alpha) went on a rampage and started harassing everyone including his cage mates for the past 8 months. Well he went after my newest boy and put a pretty good gash on him and bleeding. Everyone went into tense mode so I put sundae in a "timeout" cage for about 10 minutes or so... Its a smaller cage with nothing but a water bottle and I put a blanket over the cage to make it dark. When I let him out he seemed mellower and I put him back with the other two boys he's temp with.

I just need to take it slower I guess... What Sundae really needs is a neuter but my vet isn't comfortable doing a neuter. I'm just frustrated with tonight. I guess I'll use the timeout cage again in the future.

Anyone else have any luck introing a boy into half the clan then the rest??
 
There isnt much that I havent tried with my boys. It just causes havoc for them regardless of introducing to half or all. The alpha will do his bullying and it usually will tone down after a few days. I think it is part of the roll for alphas, at least at my house. My boys have been living together for months, the one still gets picked on.

Just go slow with crabby alphas, but watch them, the biters can do a lot of damage fast.
 
Where was the gash? This Sundae right out lunge and attack or did he take his time? Did it look like he wanted to groom but ended up being forceful?
 
The gash was on his backside sorta to the side and know he didn't just outright lunge. He took his time then all hell broke loose. Alright so back to neutral territory we go... *sigh* been there for like two weeks already
 
No, don't go back to neutral, not yet. Do another one or two familiar ground, they need to get beyond this.
I've got a couple of rats with a gash in the exact same spot and that's an oops booboo. Someone got antsy when they shouldn't have.
Also, I don't think Sundae needs a neuter. If he needed a neuter, he's be doing lunge attacks and he's not...so he's just being forceful, they can get passed that.
 
I have seen boys bite only one time, then never again. Boys are difficult lol especially big boys :) I found with my crabby boy if i call his name in a "mom" voice lol he stops his attitude.
 
Alright.. So new update. Had my boys seperated. Had Gizmo, Rufus, Milo Mr. Pickles in one half of the FN and had pinky Brain & Sundae in the other half but since I've had a few passings sundae is alone and I don't want to have any more separation so tonight I will start a "scary" intro. I was in chat the other day and was suggested to me to put my boys in the bathtub with an inch of water or more to sort of "scare" them into liking eachother. I've tried it all with my alpha and my youngest boy so I'm up to doing anything new.

Getting ready to take my walk but as soon as I'm back i'm trying this and will video tape
 
Thinks went as I expected earlier. Sundae was normal for about ten minutes then all hell broke loose. Once he got puffy and stressed Mr Pickles would NOT stay on the island and would continue to jump to the edge of the bathtub and sundae harrased him and then bit him. Several times but never produced any blood. It wasn't until the very end where he bit hard enough to make him bleed after aprox 20 minutes. I'm uploading a video now but its not really any help.. It doesn't show any of Sundaes dominant behavior and I didn't catch it on tape. The video does however show the ferrets follow us upstairs into the bathroom wondering what the heck was going on lol. It was their play time tonight!

Kyle keeps telling me to be paitent and we will try again tomorrow but I'm loosing faith here...
 
In the video both rats look fantastic. About when did you take this video at the beginning or the end?
Where did Sundae bite Mr. Pickles? on the butt? back?
 
I took this video at the very beginning. Sundae was poofy at about 15 minutes. And he was biting him on the back and wasn't drawing any blood. He was bleeding around his neck on the left side. It was pretty small but my rule blood = intro over...

Normally Sundae is attacking mr pickles at about 5 minutes or earlier but he last twenty minutes or so!
 
Ok how do you feel about trying clicker training? You can you your tongue to do the clicker, use unshelled sunflower seeds as your treat.
Put both boys in together. When Sundae goes for Mr. Pickles, wait till he turns away from Mr Pickles, click with your tongue and give him a treat. Do this each and every time he moves away from Mr. Pickles. Keep your intros short, about 10 minutes.
Don't end on a bad note, it's got to be on a good note. Mr. Pickles doesn't get any seeds because Sundae has to see that the high value treat only happens when he turns away from Mr. Pickles.
 
I know the one guy is sick, so if the others are not feeling well they can be crabby and bite too. I had a horrible intro with my girls when they were having issues.

Sundae is a big boy! Mr pickles sounds like a screamer? I couldn't tell who did it but sundae doesnt move like one.

I really dont have anything to add lol other than that. :)
 
Yes.. Sadly Mr. Pickles is a screamer. Ugh It makes the whole situation stressful lol. I will try the clicker training He's a fatty and loves his food so of course he'll love doing that
 
Alright so we've done the first Clicking/positive reinforcement intro today. I didn't realize it but the last video I uploaded on uploaded like the first bit and there was lots more. Gizmo is feeling much much better and Mr. Pickles old would was almost completely healed up so tonight we did the first time and it went FANTASTIC!. We went for about ten to fifteen minutes or so but no blood for the first time ever! I'm so exited! There were a couple scuffles and Sundae would get a big chunk of Mr. Pickles but he wouldn't draw blood. But he would let go. After I watched the videos I notcied Sundae got a treat when he shouldn't have but other than that it was extremely successful! As soon as the videos are done uploading I will post!

[BBvideo 425,350:e8ao8fxh]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3COXh7xnsI[/BBvideo:e8ao8fxh]
 
I am glad to see that is helping and even happier to see that Gizmo is feeling a lot better ;O)
 
Yes Gizmo is doing great! He is back to his original licky self always escaping to the top of the cage when he can and smothering me with kisses!!
 
Alright. Time for an update on my intros..

Day two went... Okay? It was alright not the greatest

Day three went horrible. Mr. Pickles must have been in a foul mood and wouldn't stop launching himself off the table to get away from sundae. It didn't matter if he could jump and reach me or not. Sundae could just take a few steps towards pickles and pickles would scream. He screams if Sundae comes towards him or walks past him. Sundae and Pickles had a few scuffles but Sundae never bit hard enough to make him bleed. If sundae approaches Mr. Pickles and siddles up next to him Mr. Pickles matches Sundae face to face hissing untill sundae walks away then turns to his butt and bites him. Seems to be getting worse...?

Ugh
I didn't record tonight since I was doing it alone but I will tomorrow
 
With most of my screamers I would make sure none hurt them or bit hard. The screamers usually stop screaming usually you can see how they will slowly stop screaming. Romeo still screams and has for months the others just ignore him mostly. Tart was a screamer I had him neutered and he hasn't screamed since. Now he gets on his back and let's the others boys groom him.

You have to have more meetings with screamers it seems to take a bit longer to get them together. They have to learn the others wont hurt them.
 

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