Scardey Rat?

[Leala]

So I finally socialized the boys with each other enough to put them all in the same cage. Although they have been with me for a some time now I haven't really put them together until recently because I had a bad experience with a friends rats once.
Long story short they all escaped and killed my lone rat whom I rescued from being snake food.

Anyway, so boys are all socialized and getting along great. All hanging out and just doing their own thing. Rizzo was even mounting Jasper who was uninterested and waddled away to hang out with Pockets. My concern in all of this is Socks. Ever since I put them all in the cage together socks has been sitting in the top corner of the cage not really moving, away from everyone and seems very afraid. I think he's also nipping at everyone else including his brother! I'm not really sure what to do. I don't think anyone else will hurt him. I'm just afraid he might hurt someone else. I dunno what to do? =(

 

[minnow]

Can you keep Socks in a separate cage for temporary purposes, and back up a step on the introductions to playtime together in a neutral space?

 

[Leala]

That's the thing. They have been playing together fine for months now. That's really the only thing I can think of but I take them out every day and they play for hours on the coffee table

 

[fenshae]

Have you ruled out the possibility of any medical conditions on Socks's end?

I know in the past I've had rats separate themselves and act very grumpy before they started to show symptoms of illness.

 

[Leala]

No I never thought of that. It's a possibility although they are well taken care of and none of them have showed any signs of illness. I won't rule that out as a possibility.

 

[Moon]

A health problem could very well be a possibility, and is in no way a sign of being poorly cared for. Our dear rats can have so many things that can go wrong inside that we don't see until it is far too late.

Is he weird when you handle him? Will he let you palpate his body and move him around without protest?

 

[Leala]

He's absolutely perfect around me. He will sit on my shoulder and hang out and take food and treats and be himself. But when I put him back in the cage he freaks out. I left him for a few hours to see if it would make a difference but he was still hiding when I got back so I put him back in the smaller cage and he seems fine now.

He is being really skittish around the other rats. What I took for "nipping" was just him squeeking and opening his mouth. He never nipped any of the other boys. He would barely even let his brother near him. I gave him a good checking over and listened to his breathing and everything seems perfectly normal. No excess porphoryn or anything of the sort. His stools are still normal not runny or anything.

I gave the cages a really good cleaning with the pressure washer today and let the boys run around on the coffee table with a bowl of water and frozen peas to help beat the heat and he was eating and drinking normally playing with the other rats. I didn't notice anything else out of the ordinary.

And the funny thing is the other rats weren't even paying attention to him. They'd go try and snooze in the house or the hammock and if anyone even came near he would squeel bloody murder and run to the other side of the cage. Nor would he eat or drink anything when he was in the cage. I gave him a yogie and he wouldn't eat it until I had taken him out of the cage and he deemed he was safely sitting in my hands before he would even eat it.

On another note Tarah mentioned to me one of her babies from the same litter had pneumonia as well. So I guess a vet visit for everyone is in order ASAP.

 

[Leala]

Good News! I left the boys in the cage over night as Socks stopped showing any signs of agression towards the other rats and found him and Jasper snuggled up in their hammock this morning. I guess he was just being a spazzy baby. My cousins are also visiting and have wanted to play with them all the time since they got here. I think he just needed some alone time to chill out and relax by himself for a bit. =)

 

[jorats]

That's great news!

 

[Leala]

Thanks a bunch Jo! I never could have done it in the first place without your encouragement!

 

[Tarah]

I never seen this thread about the boys! I'm glad Socks didnt turn out to be a scaredy pants.

I still need pictures Missy! I'm missin' my boys!

 

[Leala]

I know! I wish my damn camera wasn't a piece of poo. I'll try and get pictures this week while my cousins are here.

My aunt has some pictures of me and the boys and my cousins and the boys so I'll post them asap.

 

[brittanyfork]

As I! I'd love to see pictures of Scabbers and Mrs. Norris' brothers!