Issues with a lone rat

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F

Frith

Active Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2009
Messages
40
Location
Oshawa
I've read a couple of the topics in the behaviour forum here about rats always should have 'buddies', but I'm really worried about Scout. Moose passed away last night and Boober passed in January, so Scout is all alone. I'm strongly considering hitting a shelter and getting him some cage mates, but at his age, I'm also worried about stressing him out with introductions. He's 31-32 months, so he's no spring chicken. At the same time, I'm worried about him just dying from sheer loneliness :( I'd love for him to be happy and to have more cage mates in the house, but I don't want to stress out Scout to the point where he's gone too...

The fact that I only have the 1 huge cage (modified ferret cage) means I need to buy more cages for intros... If we were to get more friends for scout, would you recommend a medium sized cage so that the new boys can familiarize together, or several 1 suite Hiltons?

Any advice is surely welcomed, first time rat owner with 2 of my 3 friends gone. I just want what's best for Scout :\
 
At that age I know I wouldn't do introductions, it probably would stress him a lot. If he was younger, then it wouldn't seem fair to keep him alone. But at that age I would just give him lots of one on one attention, treats, and probably a smaller cage to retire into and maybe have the door open so he can come out a lot.
 
At his age I think it depends on Scout.
Is he healthy? Does he seem to miss his friends or be depressed?
Are you able to give him the hours of extra attention a lone rat will require?

If you think he needs friends, you may want to consider two or three young rats around 8 to 9 weeks old.
They would still be babies so intros might be less stressful and easier on everyone. In a large cage, they would have plenty of space to run off their energy without irritating Scout.
Another option would be a very gentle laid back older rat or one or two spayed girls. Scout might appreciate a harem in his old age.
 
It really DOES depend on Scout... intros could be tricky if not with the right rat.

Maybe speak to some of our rescues about getting an older, already spayed girl if they have any? A sweet older lady might be the right fit for him.

ETA: Holly just suggested that, LOL... somehow I missed it.
 
I've had several lone rats over the years for various reasons. And I've had a few instances where I introduced another rat which led to rather tragic consequences so if I've got a guy over 2 years old I generally avoid that route. I think you should become his buddy. Give him lots of attention and he'll be fine. (And keep his cage close to some action, not isolated.) Giving him attention isn't a lot of work. I'll have mine wandering on the sofa while I watch TV or even keep them at my desk while I'm on the computer.



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I have never had a lone rat... with time, patience and the right buddy, all intros are possible. But... I agree with Moon and SQ, what do you think Scout is telling you? If he's in good health, I'd get him a mate, preferably a spayed older female. Many rescues now try to match a rat to yours.

My mom did intros with a rat that was 36 months old, he was always a grumpy boy, didn't really like his cage buddies but when they all died of old age she knew he needed another buddy so she introed him to another group of old menrat who were more docile... you should have seen the change in this rat. He loved them so much. He became sweet and loving and cuddled with his new boys.

You really need to "read" your rat, listen carefully what he's telling you and do what you can for him.
As for cages, I'd keep him in his own home and have the new rat in a decent size cage for one. Do your intros not on neutral ground for him because you don't want to stress him, start them off on familiar ground and go from there.
 
I've rescued older rats and have always intro'ed them with someone. Sometimes it didn't work out with one group but with the next it did. Just make sure you don't stress your old man.
 
Sorry I couldn't type more. I'm not just trying to constantly disagree, but I do have lone older rats, and lone others.

Victor is alone because after Lenny, he would *not* accept company. He met Caleb several times, and then others. It didn't work. He now has a PT sadly. :(

Sadie was abused at her previous home and came with Darcy. After she completely "freaked out", she attacked Darcy. Since then, I don't touch her (she bites, and she hates humans, she gets extremely stressed). I tried, but she didn't want company, human or rat. It's not my fault, or hers, it's her previous home.

Spencer is my oldest boy right now. I tried him with others, and he walked around just ignoring them. He was not interested. He'd just ignore them, when in a cage, he slept alone. The others were stressed, or nervous, and he didn't even eat or sleep with them, did his own thing as if he was alone.

I don't think you can say all rats can have company, they can't.
 
Since it is the long weekend, we can't go to a shelter this weekend (it's too soon for us anyways), so I think that we will see how scout does this week alone. He is clearly old and slowing down, but he still has a lot of spunk in him. He will still take your finger off for a yogurt drop :wink2: , and amble to the front of the cage when he hears someone come near.

If we decide not to get more rats, should we move scout to a smaller cage? The reason I ask this is because the cage he is in is rather large, with 3 levels. Since he does have some hind leg degeneration should we maybe move him to a one level cage? I am just starting to worry about him having a hard time getting around.

Thank you so much for advice!

Amanda
 
If he's getting some HED, I recommend using a rabbit cage for him, something with TONS of floor space. Maybe you could add a home-made very low shelf, or something, and lots of low hammocks. But definitely try a rabbit cage, I find they're the best things for oldies.
 
What does my age have to do with it... I've owned rats a number of years, and had a *lot* of rats, I don't think it matters how long, I'd had experience with several intros.... ones that worked, and ones that didn't. My age is nothing to do with this.
 
Well, age sort of does have to do with it. Say Jo's owned rats for the past... 15 years, meaning she has 15 years worth of introduction experience. That's huge! (I also don't know if that's the right number, I don't think it is, I just picked a random number).

She has more experience than you or I, as 15 years ago I would have only been 10, and you would have been even younger, much too young to understand rat introduction techniques and rat social hierarchies. :thumbup:
 
Rachael said:
What does my age have to do with it... I've owned rats a number of years, and had a *lot* of rats, I don't think it matters how long, I'd had experience with several intros.... ones that worked, and ones that didn't. My age is nothing to do with this.
Click to expand...

It is a fact that a person's brain and mental abilities are not fully developed until you are 19 years old. That is a fact! So you can't comprehend things completely like adults do which is why so many teenagers struggle so much... and why adults know better, well not all adults sadly.

Sorry to hijack the thread. :oops:
 
I know I've not owned rats as long as Jo, I didn't say that, but I've had rats for enough time to have introduced several groups/lone rats together. And maybe my brain isn't "full developed" but does that mean I can't own rats properly till that age, can't do introductions? :/ I don't honestly know what you mean by the brain thing :oops: :?
 
I know that it isn't always possible to integrate rats.
However, I have had years of experience with a very large number of rats and I have yet to meet a rat that couldn't be introed and wasn't happy at having new friends. As mamarat said, there are often factors that need to be taken into account.

Often boys need to be neutered because their hormone levels are driving them nuts. This is due to poor breeding practices. Once neutered, these aggressive rats settle down and are able to be integrated in with other rats.

Too bad you don't live around here ... do you? (No location in your profile.) I would love to work with Sadie as I have experience with aggressive rats such as you have described.
 
Rachael said:
All intros are possible? I wouldn't agree with that sorry...
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I think it would have been more appropriate for Jo to say it's possible at all ages, if the rat is in good health and you can find the right buddies... like she explained. Some rats are MUCH harder to find companions for, and if you never find that right match, perhaps you never find that right match.
 
SQ said:
Too bad you don't live around here ... do you? (No location in your profile.) I would love to work with Sadie as I have experience with aggressive rats such as you have described.
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I come from the UK sadly.

I have tried with Sadie, but after what that little girl did to her and her sister, physically abusing them, they didn't even have a cage. She just doesn't want to be handled, touched, or have me or anybody else anywhere near her. Darcy (her sister) managed to completely turn around, was a complete sweetheart.
 
Rachael said:
I don't honestly know what you mean by the brain thing :oops: :?
Click to expand...

You just proved my point.

What Moon said... with the right buddies and in good health physically and mentally. But in all my years, I have yet to meet a rat that wanted to be alone. Not once.
 

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