Pip's Intro to Ed & Al(RIP) [Success!]

[eagle]

He was given buprenex, so hopefully it will wear off soon. Poor Pip. anic:

 

[Scythe]

Ya,he can't have metacam until tomorrow morning. Poor liitle guy. Keep him warm and hydrated. Can you get him some gaterade?

Yeah, I get up at 5:30 in the morning so I can't give him anything until then... I don't have any gatorade, but I gave him lots of ensure and put him back in the cage and he seems to have passed out for now.

Was he given an opiate after surgery? Could he be having a pica reaction to it?

It doesn't say on the invoice, the invoice just says he was given something before and after surgery and it also says he was given a metacam injection. But Shelagh says Munn gives buprenorphine, which also causes pica behaviour...

Ive left him alone for now after giving him all that ensure and last i checked about half an hour ago he was out cold, snoozing away.

 

[Joanne]

Snoozing sounds good! How is he today?

 

[jorats]

How's our Pipster doing now?

 

[Scythe]

Pipsqueak is doing better! He's very, very hyper, now. I had him out last night and it was zoom zoom everywhere! And then he'd randomly stop and pancake out... and then jump up and do laps around me on the bed again. He's either still loopy or he's completely changed from the neuter, already!

 

[jorats]

Mmmm.... I don't think neuters will make a rat more active, but he could be feeling good with no more stress which allowing to be so carefree.

 

[Scythe]

So for the past while, Pip and the other two have been really good in out time -- So today, I cleaned up the cage and tried adding Pip in, and there was one scuffle with Ed and Pip and things have been quiet, since... However, nothing seems to be happening because Pip seems to be avoiding them. He seems to want DESPERATELY out of that cage.

Should I play tough love, or pull him out and keep going until he's comfortable in the cage?

 

[Joanne]

I added my latest a couple of weeks ago, and they are still chasing him around, but I think if I pull him out then it's giving up. I would leave him in there unless someone is so aggressive that there are injuries. I guess that means tough love...

 

[Scythe]

I ended up having to go to a work meeting(bleh) and they were chasing him and Pip seemed absolutely terrified, so I took him out since I had to go to the meeting and couldn't supervise. I guess I'll wait until next cage clean, Wednesday, to add him in.

 

[jorats]

Next time, go the tough love route, but certainly only if you are there to supervise.

 

[Scythe]

In the middle of doing that right now... So far it seems to be so good. When I got back from the meeting, I decided to suck it up and redid everything and put everyone back in and it was a little better. Ed especially bullies Pip, sometimes he doesn't let him up on the upper level. But it seemed to go well for the night, and I woke up to this...

Pip seems like he acts like he's forced into everything in that cage, but hopefully it'll get better, soon. Poor guy, haha, he'll learn, I suppose.

 

[jorats]

If Ed continues to bully, you could set up a "time out" cage for the bully. Wasn't it All that did all the bullying before?

 

[Scythe]

If Ed continues to bully, you could set up a "time out" cage for the bully. Wasn't it All that did all the bullying before?

Yeah, it was. Then Al quickly declined in health and while he still had the energy and spunk to flare up in a big threatening poofy bumrush when Pip got too close on occasion, he became fairly nice and uncaring towards Pip. Then Ed, while still somehow being a chicken... became Pip's biggest nightmare, LOL.

Unfortunately, Al actually passed a couple days after Pip was added to the cage, so now it's just Ed and Pip in there. A little ironic, it's almost like Al waited for Pip to go in the cage, because that's the entire reason I got Pip -- in case someone passed and the other was left alone.

Pip seems a little bit better, I still hear scuffles from the cage and Pip still acts 'tense' when Ed gets too close, and Ed still bumrushes him and orders him around.

 

[jorats]

Oh dear, I'm so sorry. Did I miss that thread about Al's passing?
This makes sense then, Ed is probably going through some grieving as well. What timing... Pip was added just in time for sweet Ed.

 

[Scythe]

I haven't made a thread about it yet, I've been so tired between work and supervising my turds to make sure all is well with the cage balance.

And it seems to be! I occasionally find little tufts of pulled-out hair in the cage, but other then that and the occasional protest "DON'T STEAL MY FOOD OR TOUCH ME!" scream in the middle of the night, they are starting to get along really well! I get up in the morning just to catch Ed running out of the hammock he was sharing with Pip, so they must be cuddling up together when I'm not around...

The only problem is I'm back at the dilemma that caused me to get Pip. I don't like having only two rats, it leaves me worried that if one passes, the other will be alone. And Ed is getting up there in years -- he's about over two, now, only a month or two younger then Roy and Al were, from my guess. So now I'm going to be starting this all over again once I decide on and find a third(and maybe fourth) buddy for them.

 

[hopefloats]

how about babies? they are easy to intro, will buy you a few year before you have to deal with that thought hopefully? or a girl that is spayed? they may take her in better and easier?

you did good. You worked hard at getting those boys together and you did it.

 

[jorats]

That's great that they do cuddle now.
I agree babies or females. (spayed) Ed is not neutered right?