Senior/Lone Rat Questions

[Lise]

For those of you who keep large colonies of rats, do you ever find your rats picking on the elderly rats??

I currently have 5 rats in a FN... one 25 month old lumpy girl Tevy, two neutered males approx 22 months (true age unknown) and two six month old girls.

I keep reading on rat forums how rats take care of each other, and they need companionship always etc etc. But my colony seems to pick on the weak. It has always been this way, they have plenty of space (excessive space actually), tons of hiding spots, two water bottles and a water dish, and lots of food. Doesn't matter, they always seem to pick on the weak rats be it sick or elderly.

Tevy is constantly being flipped and pinned down multiple times daily even when she doesn't do anything wrong -- just trying to eat some blocks. She or someone else has barbered her completely bald since being put back in the cage with the other rats. There isn't one specific offender, all four of them seem to go out of their way to over-dominate her. They did this to my last rat Nora when she was very sick with respiratory problems. Lately she also has bite marks and scabs on her which worries me. When not being picked on she will curl up and sleep in hammocks with the other rats, though.

Do you really think a rat is happier in this situation, then living alone?? A large part of me wants to take her and let her permanently live by herself and coddle her for the rest of her months. Because I know I would be miserable in her position. But I am not a rat....

Expert rat keepers opinions please.

 

[jorats]

I sure can relate to your predicament.

Currently, I've got a big colony of 14, ages range in 7 months to 40 months.
The older ones and one of the sick one is getting picked on. So I decided to take Cado out, he was very sick. When I took him out, he became even more distressed, it was clear, he needed to go back in with his gang.
Neela on the other hand did far better being out of that cage but she's still not happy and would like to return.
Bijou was taken out almost 8 months ago to keep Mister company. Now that Mister's gone, she has no one to groom her, cuddle with her or even pay any kind of attention to her and I know she misses that big time. But there's no way in her condition that I could put her back in. I just have to make sure I give her plenty of attention from me.

Here's a thought, have a cage set up to give your Tevy a chance to be alone for a few hours a day with the best foods and a nice comfy hammock. But don't keep her out too long so that she becomes a stranger to the colony.

 

[Lise]

I had Tevy out of the cage for 1 week when she was recovering from her lump removal surgery, and that made the situation a lot worse when I put her back that is for sure.

She didn't seem to be sad or lonely when she was by herself though... she was the same playful Tevy. I think by putting her by herself though it is unfair to give her such a small space to live while the others have a mansion. And I don't have room for two giant cages (I had to work on bf for months just to get the one).

Hard decisions.

 

[Bati]

I have never seen anyone beeing picked on in the boys cage (except from new babies), I've had very sick and old ones, one dying from headtilt (no vet in the weekend, so he was just waiting for monday) - mine go down in the bottom of the cage and cuddle themselves around the sick one, maybe I'm to romantic, but it seems like they are taking care of the old / sick. Have had one in the cage with 26 others, he couldn't eat, clean nor move himself around, but I kept finding him cleaned up and with lab-blocks around his nose.

The girls - they are cruel, once someone is just a little week she's abandoned, so I keep a very close eye on them

 

[jorats]

he couldn't eat, clean nor move himself around, but I kept finding him cleaned up and with lab-blocks around his nose.

That is just beautiful. My Mister was a nurse like that, taking care of all the sick and old. I miss him.

 

[Moon]

Well, being that they ARE prey animals, as much as they are capable of taking care of their ill, they're also capable of trying to weed out the ones that are older or sickly lest they draw in predators.

I'm sorry your girl is getting picked on.

 

[SQ]

I had to separate my older rats into their own section of the cage (I have a martins) as I found that when they became weaker, the younger rats were too much for them ... power grooming them, challenging the established hierachy, so active that it was hard on the eldery ratties ...

My older ratties seem happy together. Some of my rats that have passed would help care for weaker ratties ... while others would steal food out of their mouths.

 

[Lise]

Thank you for your experiences.

Unfortunately I don't have another elderly rat to put with her, she has long outlived her old sisters. Otherwise I would have done that in a flash.

I am going to have a really close look at her today when I have them out, and if I find more bites on her skin then I am going to separate her to live by herself with lots of out time and love from the humans.

The only thing that has kept me from doing this is just she still moves around the FN great! I don't think putting her into a one level cage is very fair no matter how much time I keep it open for her to free roam, and I can't afford to buy another cage.

It is a very hard decision! (Would be much easier if I had other elders.)

 

[Vanessa]

I have been in the same situation.
When I have not been able to integrate them into living full time in a cage with other rats, I have been successful in freeranging them together. At least they have some companionship without the stress of being picked on inside a cage.

 

[Bati]

Do you know anyone in your area that can borrow you an older rat? I've given some old girls out many times, to keep other oldies company, mine have always comed back and continued life with me afterwards, have one girl who's been out two times, and it worked out fine both times (but make sure you make an agreement about expenses and vet-visits and pts in case it comes to that)

 

[jorats]

My mom is worried that one of her old guys can't live with the young ones anymore and she asked me about Bijou.
I told her, NO WAY, but Caleb can come live with me. She said NO WAY, but Bijou can come live with me... lol Around and around we went... and we live in the same building. :roll: