Scythe
Well-Known Member
So Pip has started getting pretty outgoing, starting to get a teeny bit better(though slowly) and since I had the day off today, I figured it was a good day to throw everybody together in the tub and see how it goes.
The past couple of days I've been swapping things between both cages -- and everything swapped went ignored. Ed even immediately went up to Pips hammock and curled up in it. And Pip curled up underneath the fleece scrap from the others cage and slept. So I figured it couldn't go too bad, and was at least worth a shot.
I'm no expert at intros, but I think for a first try, it went pretty well.
It lasted about 45 minutes. I had two 'helpers'(who basically watched and only carried the rats to the bathroom for me lol). The first twenty minutes was very relaxed. Everyone walked around, ate the pablum, Al curled up on the towels to snooze and I'm thinking, "Oh this will be a breeze!"
...Then Ed had to be a little PITA.
Pip was very interested in checking everyone out. I was expecting very aggressive behaviour from him, because from what I was told, he's NEVER been with another rat before since he was bought from the pet store when he was 6 weeks old. And he's about a year old right now. So he just kept sniffing everyone, curious, etc. Ed groomed his back at one point and I thought all was well... but then out of nowhere when Pip was sniffing him, Ed just snapped and we had our first squabble that Pip came out the victor of.
Ed and Pip had a lot of squabbles, mostly all that calmed down when I placed my hand over them just hovering.
Pip and Al only fought once -- but I thought they were going to go flying out of the tub from how bad the fight was. I had to throw a towel on them and pull Pip out to get everyone to calm down as I rubbed Pip's chest. Al was pretty much done with the whole scenario after that -- his alpha ego wounded because a young whippersnapper beat him up, he retreated to curl up at the side of the tub and ignore the other two.
After that, it was all Pip and Ed again. Lots of poofing, but no boxing, bum checking, hissing, etc. They would stand(on all fours) and stare at each other... Ed would slowly open his mouth, bare teeth... and lean forward to slowly inch towards Pips nose like he was gonna bite. More scuffles of course...
But because Al seemed like the whole ordeal was getting to be too much, I ended it at 45 minutes long and waited for Pip and Ed to separate themselves. Pulled Ed and Al out, put them in the cage and gave them both a treat and pettings, and then went back to pick up Pip and put him back and give him a quick pet and some treats as well.
About a half an hour later, though, I noticed that Pip and Al's scuffle ended in a few wounds on Al's back.
But... some pictures of intros!
The injuries... They arent bad, just a small cut and a puncture, but I'm gonna spoiler it just in case.
[spoiler:3qitnmbf]
[/spoiler:3qitnmbf]
And two videos! Ignore my 'helpers' in the background... :giggle: :roll: 7 year old girl and a 5 year old boy who don't know how to be quiet... :emb: There was one point where everytime they fought, Emma would scream and yell that they were fighting, and 'OMG Aren't you watching?! Stop them!' Please ignore the stupid conversations and dumb sibling rivalry :emb:
This was how Ed and Pip stood, I think this was just after Ed was baring his teeth and leaning forward to Pips nose...
Did I do okay for a first? D: Any tips?
The past couple of days I've been swapping things between both cages -- and everything swapped went ignored. Ed even immediately went up to Pips hammock and curled up in it. And Pip curled up underneath the fleece scrap from the others cage and slept. So I figured it couldn't go too bad, and was at least worth a shot.
I'm no expert at intros, but I think for a first try, it went pretty well.
It lasted about 45 minutes. I had two 'helpers'(who basically watched and only carried the rats to the bathroom for me lol). The first twenty minutes was very relaxed. Everyone walked around, ate the pablum, Al curled up on the towels to snooze and I'm thinking, "Oh this will be a breeze!"
...Then Ed had to be a little PITA.
Pip was very interested in checking everyone out. I was expecting very aggressive behaviour from him, because from what I was told, he's NEVER been with another rat before since he was bought from the pet store when he was 6 weeks old. And he's about a year old right now. So he just kept sniffing everyone, curious, etc. Ed groomed his back at one point and I thought all was well... but then out of nowhere when Pip was sniffing him, Ed just snapped and we had our first squabble that Pip came out the victor of.
Ed and Pip had a lot of squabbles, mostly all that calmed down when I placed my hand over them just hovering.
Pip and Al only fought once -- but I thought they were going to go flying out of the tub from how bad the fight was. I had to throw a towel on them and pull Pip out to get everyone to calm down as I rubbed Pip's chest. Al was pretty much done with the whole scenario after that -- his alpha ego wounded because a young whippersnapper beat him up, he retreated to curl up at the side of the tub and ignore the other two.
After that, it was all Pip and Ed again. Lots of poofing, but no boxing, bum checking, hissing, etc. They would stand(on all fours) and stare at each other... Ed would slowly open his mouth, bare teeth... and lean forward to slowly inch towards Pips nose like he was gonna bite. More scuffles of course...
But because Al seemed like the whole ordeal was getting to be too much, I ended it at 45 minutes long and waited for Pip and Ed to separate themselves. Pulled Ed and Al out, put them in the cage and gave them both a treat and pettings, and then went back to pick up Pip and put him back and give him a quick pet and some treats as well.
About a half an hour later, though, I noticed that Pip and Al's scuffle ended in a few wounds on Al's back.
But... some pictures of intros!
The injuries... They arent bad, just a small cut and a puncture, but I'm gonna spoiler it just in case.
[spoiler:3qitnmbf]
And two videos! Ignore my 'helpers' in the background... :giggle: :roll: 7 year old girl and a 5 year old boy who don't know how to be quiet... :emb: There was one point where everytime they fought, Emma would scream and yell that they were fighting, and 'OMG Aren't you watching?! Stop them!' Please ignore the stupid conversations and dumb sibling rivalry :emb:
This was how Ed and Pip stood, I think this was just after Ed was baring his teeth and leaning forward to Pips nose...
Did I do okay for a first? D: Any tips?