Sleeping alone?

[Melissa's ZOO]

So, since Lilly's passing I was able to open up the FN so that my remaining 7 could be one big happy family (Sunflower tormented Lilly so I had to separate the old from the young).

Dolly my lonely little Petsmart rescue (who took months of intro since she had ZERO rat skills) finally settled in with her family of 4 raging girlies and seemed to be happy sleeping with everyone and even on the odd occasion letting someone groom her, which was a huge accomplishment since she would go out of her way to draw blood when first intro-ing.

Anyways now that I have opened the cage up to everyone Dolly is sleeping all alone at the bottom while everyone else is in a happy little rat pile way up top. Even during out time she goes to her little place and stays there (she has a stash off HT in an office chair) pretty much the entire time and when someone comes near her she has gone back to doing the angry cat tail swishing and grabbing Sunflower and Pumpkins ears again.

She hates, I mean hates being touched by me so I pretty much leave her alone and let her be a rat. She will come see me when she wants and will sometimes just sit on my shoulder looking around and trying to grab my eyelashes. OUCH!

So my question is should I go back to having the cage separate or leave it be and she will adjust? I wonder if she just prefers to have the option of joining the family ruckus or being alone. I know that I enjoy my alone time more than most people and get pretty angry when it is interrupted, so maybe she is just like me. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Oh and her is a recent picture of my confused girlie.

 

[mamarat]

She's such a little cutie. My Ben was in a huge colony but preferred to be alone most of the time. Even during out time he had his own stash in a drawer and if another rat "discovered" it, he would find another spot.

 

[lilratsy43]

I say leave her with the group, she may enjoy her alone time now...But one day she will seek the company of others.

 

[ryelle]

No advice at this end, because im only just used to have two rats living together. but oh wow!!! She is SO cute!!

 

[lj]

Both Arthur and Harry go to the bottom of the cage and get away from the younger ones. Arthur sometimes sleeps down there.

 

[henry's_mum]

My Murdoch is going through the EXACT same thing.
Henry's passing has turned him into quite the loner... it's heartbreaking isn't it?
The odd, VERY odd time i'll see him fall asleep and a baby will come snuggle him, but the majority of his time is spent alone, and just like your girl, it's even in out time...

:sad3:

 

[pomegranate seed]

Wow, she sounds and looks so much like my Oona (RIP), who took forever to be accepted by my other girls because of her lack of rat skills. I would often find everyone in a big ratpile, and Oona all alone, but over time she did become accepted and learned from the others. I would leave her where she is and wait to see how things progress.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

My Murdoch is going through the EXACT same thing.
Henry's passing has turned him into quite the loner... it's heartbreaking isn't it?
The odd, VERY odd time i'll see him fall asleep and a baby will come snuggle him, but the majority of his time is spent alone, and just like your girl, it's even in out time...

:sad3:

It is very heartbreaking! I hope Mr. Murdoch gets out of his funk very soon. :hugs:

Thank you everyone for the input. I think that I will just leave the cage open that way if Dolly wants to sleep with someone she can if she wants to be alone she can do that too.

Last night she was being a pain in my rear, trying to get her in the cage last night when out time was over. Since she does not like me to touch her I have to trick her with the sound of treats which takes FOREVER since she is so skiddish and leary of everything. Little brat will get within grabbing distance and the second I move ZOOM she is gone. SO I have learned NOT to grab for her and just keep shaking the treat jar till she deceides to get in the cage. Dolly has that "I will do what I want when I want and just try to stop me!" :gaah: