Rat likes being in small cage alone?

The Rat Shack Forum

Help Support The Rat Shack Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

DapperRat

Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2019
Messages
7
Location
Oregon, united states, earth.
Hey peeps,
So I adopted a rat from the shelter about 3 weeks ago. We started to try and intro him with another rat on mine in a nice big cage. Anyway, he just stayed in the top ledge 8n the corner hunched up in a ball. He stayed that way for like 2 days. So after about 2 days we took the other rats out and left him in there to get used to the cage. But he still just sat there in the corner. And stayed like that for a day. We finally put him back in his small cage alone and he loved it. He was jumping and checking things out. Today I started intros with another, very docile rat I set them both on my lap and he did not like that one bit, so he clawed or bit my friendly rat (to the point of bleeding) and i had to seperate him and get my friendly all cleaned and put him in another cage to rest. So here's my predicament, my adopted rat seems to love being by him self in that small cage alone. Is that ok to leave him like that? Or do any of you rat experts have any ideas? Thank you in advance
 
How old is he?
How old are the other rats?
What were you doing when he injured your other rat?

Please see joinrats.com and https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/introducing-new-rats.34842/#post-491257 for information on doing intros

It sounds like he is afraid but no, leaving him alone in the small cage is a really horrible idea
Read the info and work with him so that he can have rattie friends
 
Remmy is about 2 1/2 months younger than my other rats. He has been severely abused (like his ear got cut) and has never had any association with other rats his whole life. I will follow the instructions in the link.
 
His past might affect his ability to accept new buddies but what I would do is very slow intros. Every day let him play with the rats in a neutral area, never in a cage. Eventually, you will be able to integrate them.
 
Thanks @jorats. But that what i tried that on my lap and ye still didnt like it. That was the most neutrally area in the house. I had just changed in fresh clothes so there was no scent at all. My mom thinks he has some sort of social disability like autism. He looks like he has a lot of the symptoms of autism. So if anyone has some suggestions an rats with social disabilitys, that would be awesome. Oh and Remy is like 4-5 1/2 old. The shelter didn't give us exact info.
 
I rescued a boy whom I named Christmas several years ago.
Christmas and a large number of rats had been left in rubber maid containers at the local SPCA - all were injured and terrified.
The first night at the SPCA Christmas tried to kill his brother whom he had been placed in a cage with - when staff arrived in the morning the cage door was open, there was blood every where, and Christmas; brother was hiding in the room, terrified.
I adopted Christmas and had him neutered as he was not only terrified of other rats but also very aggressive towards them.

Christmas lived one section of a critter nation (CN) cage next to the CN cages containing my other rats for many months. He was very curious about them.
After several months I eventually became brave enough to try to intro Christmas to aa small group of gentle rats - Christmas tried to kill my elderly girl during the neutral area intro. Fortunately he was unsuccessful and she was not badly injured.
After another failed intro - Christmas was just too bossy for the mother daughter pair, I was eventually able to intro Christmas to 4 rescued babies (who I had spayed and neutered when old enough) - 2 boys and 2 girls who were at least 8 weeks old. Christmas was not threatened by them and they were used to being bossed and viciously groomed by their mama so things were ok.
Christmas loved his "babies" and they adored him. The 5 rats lived in a double critter nation cage so Christmas had a lot of room and space to get away from the other rats when he needed alone time. Christmas was a very happy boy, living with "his babies" for the remainder of his life.

My only regret was that I did not intro him to babies earlier.

So you may want to get 2 or more 6 week old babies to live in a cage nearby but out of reach. Then you may want to have him neutered - if you have access to a good vet with the knowledge and experience to do it safely. After about 3 weeks start physical intros in a neutral area with the 9 week old babies. If the babies are girls they will need to be spayed once old enough ( important for health reasons) and if boys neuters might be a good idea as well since Remy is easily frightened.

I have had many rats who were lone rats and whom I was told were aggressive to other rats. They were all successfully introed to other rats and were much happier once living in a large cage with friends. Sometimes you just need to find the right combo
 
Last edited:
I have had fosters who were very unsocialized, or had aggression towards strange rats, and were very big and violent, who severely injured my resident rats during intros, and who would not be reformed. Sometimes, even after neutering, they just won't accept other rats. In these cases I was forced to house them separately and just spend extra time with them myself. On a better note, many of these rates calmed down in time, usually when they reach the age of about 2 years. And I'd be remiss if I didn't say this, but in many intros, you WILL have to let them fight a little bit, as this is often the only way they can find their place in the group. Also, I have had rats who refused to be integrated and in 2 separate cases, I accidentally allowed a much tougher and meaner rat out for free range time (1 particular rat had already killed his cage mate not 5 minutes after being surrendered to me. He had always picked on that rat but he had a brother who protected him, but he just recently passed away before I got them. I think the aggressor must have gone crazy with the new smells of all the new rats I had and took it out on the newly unprotected rat). Anyway, so this rat got my other rat who was himself an aggressive rat, but not in the other rats league at all. So the killer rat got ahold of the smaller aggressive rat and hurt him good. And a funny thing happened, the next time I tried introducing him with my #1 intro rat, the smaller aggressive rat reacted totally different, and seemed to relish in the new friendship that they forged immediately. So, I took that to mean that he got his ass beat and now he actually WANTED to befriend another rat, maybe to team up, or maybe because he was shell shocked and didn't want to fight anymore. Unfortunately, once they became instant friends, he again would not be introduced to other rats. It was like he gave in and they became best friends, but he then behaved like it was the 2 of them against the rest. So my point is this.... Fighting during intros is often not only common, but necessary, since they need to figure out where they stand with all the resident rats. But the fights should not be allowed to go on for too long or become too serious. But you DO have to let them be rats, and rats fight.
 
Last edited:
Thanks guys for the stories. I dont know if I am able to get another rat.(we already have like 7 of them.) And the financial and emotional burden might be a bit too much.(especially that we are moving). But I will see what we can do. so we will need to assess what we can do. But I dont like the idea of fighting to the point of drawing blood. I'm fine with fighting as long as it's not meant to seriously hurt the rat. My docile rat, Micky was VERY traumatized by the drawing blood and will not go near Remy at all. So we will assess what we can do from this point onward. I dont think it's as much an agressive thing as it is a fear thing. Because he was fine when we first put remmy with the other rats (jumping climbing and overall checking out the other rats) but the he just stopped. This was a brand new cage and all the rats had spent the same amount of time in it.
 
Oh no, definitely no blood. That's too far. A couple bite marks maybe, but that's it. And I wouldn't use a docile rat to do the one on one intros, it's just not fair to him, and yes, he could be traumatized. I despise bullies in my rats. If one is bullying and attacking any others, I put him in a cage alone for an overnight timeout. Then I reintroduce him to his mates. Often though, he continues to bully, which leaves me with no recourse. As long as there's no blood I let them be, but it usually progresses. Eventually I end up moving him to a solitary cage, or house him with another behavioral issue male in the hopes they can sort it out. If that fails, I will consider neutering if he is young, but usually he ends up alone for awhile until aging helps him to calm down.
 
But I dont like the idea of fighting to the point of drawing blood. I'm fine with fighting as long as it's not meant to seriously hurt the rat.

Fighting is never ok!
(sometimes friends playing may look like fighting but as I am sure you are aware, they are very different things)

Please read the links I posted about intros, especially joinrats.com
 
You are wrong. Rats fight when they meet unknown rats, they also fight to protect their family. They will actually kill another rat if he is a threat to expose their safety. It is natural for animals to fight for many reasons. Even a pet rat. If a pet rat is introduced to a strange rat and feels threatened, he will fight to protect himself and his group. That's natural and normal. The trick is to convince h the new rat is now part of his group, but often they still need to fight to establish their places in the heirarchy. It's absolutely normal. Not always what we humans want, but it's what we have to accept. At least as long as it is not excessive, and then we have to separate them. But in the wild, they would not have that luxury. As I said, rats will kill another rat to protect the group. It's for the greater good.
 
There IS however, a place to intervene, it is where blood is drawn. If the fighting spills blood, other than minor bleeding, then the fight must be stopped before one of them is seriously hurt. As I have said, I had the horrific experience of a new surrender kill his cagemates. He was eviscerated, disemboweled, and had his testicles ripped out, which he was dragging around behind him along with some intestines and body fat. It was absolutely horrific. I had to rush him to be euthanized because he was acting as if nothing was wrong! Blood was everywhere, as well as some intestines and fat. Fortunately, I was able to hold him still in my lap for the 10 drive to my vet, who was awaiting me at the door, literally wiskes him away to be humanely pts. Very sad. So I am very in tune to introducing rats and I hover over them and pet them both and sooth them while they do the dance. But I also do a nose to nose first, watching for signed of aggression before I even let them mingle together. So far I am at 100% injury free rate, so I'm doing pretty well allowing the intro fights.
 
Sorry. Maby I should define myself. Fighting is not good. But dominant behaviors like pinning and power grooming or playing are fine. But I dont believe that actual fighting is ok.
I was replying to SQ. I agree with your ideals, but reality has a way of it's own. And as I said...rats will be rats. It's our job to help them get past their instincts.
 
There IS however, a place to intervene, it is where blood is drawn. If the fighting spills blood, other than minor bleeding, then the fight must be stopped before one of them is seriously hurt. As I have said, I had the horrific experience of a new surrender kill his cagemates. He was eviscerated, disemboweled, and had his testicles ripped out, which he was dragging around behind him along with some intestines and body fat. It was absolutely horrific. I had to rush him to be euthanized because he was acting as if nothing was wrong! Blood was everywhere, as well as some intestines and fat. Fortunately, I was able to hold him still in my lap for the 10 drive to my vet, who was awaiting me at the door, literally wiskes him away to be humanely pts. Very sad. So I am very in tune to introducing rats and I hover over them and pet them both and sooth them while they do the dance. But I also do a nose to nose first, watching for signed of aggression before I even let them mingle together. So far I am at 100% injury free rate, so I'm doing pretty well allowing the intro fights.
ummmmm.... WOW.... that's pretty rough
 
Fighting is never ok!
(sometimes friends playing may look like fighting but as I am sure you are aware, they are very different things)

Please read the links I posted about intros, especially joinrats.com
Sorry. @SQ Maby I should define myself. Fighting is not good. But dominant behaviors like pinning and power grooming or playing are fine. But I dont believe that actual fighting is ok.
 
Fighting is never ok!
(sometimes friends playing may look like fighting but as I am sure you are aware, they are very different things)

Please read the links I posted about intros, especially joinrats.com
BTW...friends playing does not look like fighting. Besides, we're talking about intros not going well, the reasons for it, and how to get beyond that initial instinct some rats have of defending the residents and asserting his will, and, for the newcomer, of defending himself and asserting dominance.
 
ummmmm.... WOW.... that's pretty rough
Yes, i was almost as traumatized as the rat. But i still had to keep, care for, and love the offender as much as any other. He may have done wrong, but what he did was instict, and i cant fault him for that. He was probably bred badly and raised wrong, resulting in an unsocialized, aggressive rat. But thats not his fault, in fact, he is more of a true rat than pet rats are in general. Once his URI got to him i did what i do with all my hospice cases and allowed him to live in a carrier by my nightstand so i could keep a close eye on him. In short order he became, as they all do when dying, a very, very nice rat. He stopped biting me and started licking me. It was a sad day when he died, regardless of his history. His brother is still with me. Has been living on Ensure almost exclusively for 6 moths, since his brother died. He has just recently become friendly, so i know his time is nearing. Its Iike they all eventually become lovebugs just before they pass away. Its failproof. I take in the sick, the old, the behavioral cases, biters, fighters. The rats nobody wants. So i am used to a little fighting amoungst themselves on occasion. I separate them when it becomes too serious. But i have to allow them to do it or else theyll never get past it, and will forever want to fight. They need to establish boundaries and limits. It just how it is. Im sorry if some people cant understand the true nature of animals. Humans are moral animals, we know fighting is wrong and unnecessary. Animals need to fight, they use it as a form of expression Its the law of the jungle man.
 
Last edited:
Maybe i need to clarify myself. I accept all the rats nobody will adopt. I am affiliated with a non profit rescue agency and they send me the worst of the worst. Unfortunately, this means i have many ill, terminally and chronically, injured, mostly HLD, morbidly obese, behaviorally deficient, usually fighter, biters, and traumatized, and elders. That said, i not only have to unconditionally love and care for them all equally, but house them all in a manner that is best for their happiness and lifestyle, as well as in a way that fits as many as possible in the cage space i have available so that they are not only comfortable, but that they are clean, which is a challenge in itself. I am neurotic about cleanliness and especially the smell of their cages. I keep them in my bedroom next to me so that i can keep a close eye on them all, for many reasons, mostly health and behavior. I dont allow fighting and separate the aggressors temporarily at first, permanently if they are unable to be reformed. The biggest issue, again, is space. I currently have 2 living in the hospice carrier next to my nightstand because a newly aggressive male keeps attacking his least resistive cage mate, so he needed a cage to himself on and off for timeouts, and took my personal boy Silvers home, but Silver has severe HLD so he is fine in hospice, and he has recently refriended his brother after a lifetime of aggressiveness towards him, so his brother is keeping him company. Currently i am at full capacity, no surprise there, never a shortage of misunderstood and mistreated rats, or ill ind unsocialized rats. Unfortunately, too many people get pet rats without even so much as reading up on their care requirements. So before anyone judges my thoughts or beliefs on rats fighting, walk a mile in my boots instead of the sandals you are wearing with your lovely, friendly, well bred and well socialized pets. And i bet youd never guess that i have every rat trained to use a litter box as soon as they arrive. If not i would be constantly cleaning up after them, not that im not already. Are your rats litter trained? My guys are so good that they do their own house cleaning and bring out peed on newspaper from their hideouts when i am cleaning their cage! So they are not all bad, all they need is a little love and understanding. And i understand their need to fight. Its in their blood. Its instinct. And they were never taught otherwise. Its Its not their fault. Its ours, the people who now say its bad to fight. Where were you when they were learning to be good pets? Unfortunately, they didnt have anyone to teach them that. Or worse, they were bred from bad stock, by bad breeders, and for bad reasons, such as color, markings, fur type, ear type. How about breeding for temperment? Or did that fall to the wayside. So before you blame them for being bad and say its never ok to fight, remember who failed them and why they are fighting. The only reason really? Because its their instinct, it was never bred out of them, or taught out of them. They just dont know any better.
 
To clarify, sometimes people mistake playing, especially in young rats, as fighting
If rats show signs of aggression (puffy hair, sidling, snorting etc) during intros, then people can intervene before it escalates. It should not be allowed to escalate.

if anyone has some suggestions an rats with social disabilities, that would be awesome. Oh and Remy is like 4-5 1/2 old. The shelter didn't give us exact info.
I have had rats that did not know how to get along with other rats. I took it slow, and introed them to other rats that were patient with them.
As Jorats said, do very slow intros.
You may want to give him more time in a large enough cage, out of reach but near the cage your other rats live in, so Remy can get used to them.
Also please read joinrats,com as it addresses many of your questions and concerns
 
Back
Top