*sigh* Intros

[Chevalrose]

So I had to take Oliver to the vet this morning to get a bite glued. Onyx bit him right above the eye. He did this to Romeo last week too, just not the the point of stitches.

I don't know what to do. Onyx keeps biting the little ones on the face...and since their hairless, they cut easily. They've been living separated on the top and bottom of the R-695 for a little over a week...what should my next step be then? Tobi could care less about the boys, but Onyx bites them bad...and he's already neutered.

 

[jorats]

When was he neutered?

 

[Chevalrose]

He was neutered October 29th...so about 5 weeks ago.

 

[jorats]

It can take up to 3 months for a rat to settle from his neuter so don't give up hope.

 

[Chevalrose]

What should I do in the meantime though...continue intro-ing them? I can't afford too many eVet bills at $90+ a pop to get these guys stitched up every time.

Maybe I should start switching them from top to bottom every other day or so? Is that reasonable?

 

[jorats]

Where are you doing their out time? Have you tried the bathtub? without water...

 

[Chevalrose]

When I put them together it's in the tub (with no water...a towel down and some boxes). When I let each group out separately it's on the couch one before the other.

I'm thinking of continuing things with Tobi...so take him out when I take the young ones out, then take Onyx out when I put the young ones back. Tobi doesn't seem to have a care in the world about them. Even when we took (stupidly) the young ones out on the couch with the older ones he didn't care (Onyx of course bit one).

 

[jorats]

Keep the intros neutral for Onyx. The longer you do that the more used to them he'll get.

 

[Chevalrose]

Is there something I could do about him biting so severely. I'm just afraid one of them is going to lose an eye.

I mean I don't think he's trying to maim...it's maybe because their hairless that his bites are so much worse than they should be. I just don't want them to get hurt any further.

 

[jorats]

When you see Onyx going near the babies, put your hand in between them with a firm NO. This may teach him that the babies are hands off.