Keeping separate groups

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mvZD

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Does anyone else have separate groups of rats living in the same room/area? I recently rescued two rats and their cage is in the same room where my other group of rats live, and I have set up a play pen around the cage so the others don’t have access to them. The two newbies are unneutered males, while my other group is a mix of females and neutered males. So my plan was just to house them separately and have part of the room sectioned off for them.

Today my current group could smell and see the new guys through the play pen and got extremely aggressive. Everyone is all worked up now. I’m wondering if they will calm down eventually? The girls were all in heat the other day so they were going crazy trying the get through the playpen and to the boys.

So does anyone else have issues with separate groups of rats being aggressive outside of the cage? Or do you keep them in separate rooms to avoid this? I wasn’t planning to do real introductions as I would have to get these two neutered, but maybe I should?
 
I have several separate groups living in the same room because I am involved in rescue.
I try to intro rats so I only have one or just a couple of different groups.

I would suggest that if you have access to a good vet, you either have the 2 boys neutered, or the girls spayed (important for health reasons).
Then you will be able to gradually intro them …… having one large group that can live together and have play time together makes life a lot easier.

Having two intact sexes in the same household not only stresses the boys every few days when the girls are in heat, but it is an accident waiting to happen. Rats are very smart and very motivated, especially when girls are in heat, and people are not perfect 100% of the time.
A former member had a group of rats get out of their cage in the basement rec room and they found the opposite sex in a third floor bedroom one night …. all the girls got pregnant.

Please get the boys neutered or the girls spayed ( https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/why-spay-or-neuter-rats.35402/ )
 
In my experience, the intact boys around intact girls are relentless. Best thing would be to neuter the boys or spay the girls.
 
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