Weird intro behavior

[Chevalrose]

So we're at the point where all the boys are in the same cage together. Onyx is the jerk...you can read more about it here.

Sometimes when the boys are in a hammock, Onyx pushes the hammock like he's trying to "shut them in" or something (like a tunnel hammock). It's really weird. Anyone else had a rat do this?

Also...do you think it'll just take some extra time for him to stop being defensive/jerky?

 

How old are your boys? & how long have they been in the same cage?

 

[Chevalrose]

Onyx is around 1.5 years and the young boys are...5 months. They've been in the same cage for about 3 weeks, maybe 4.

 

[Ewa]

Thats a major age difference ... he may just not like the youngins

 

Thats a major age difference ... he may just not like the youngins

I agree!

 

[Chevalrose]

After watching them tonight...I think it has a lot to do with the boys becoming hormonal, Romeo especially. When the young ones aren't paying attention to him, Onyx will sniff them a little, but he gets defensive when they look at him or obviously try to hump him. He hasn't really BITTEN them (knock on wood) for a long time. I think they are normal nips, but since both the young ones are hairless they do get marked up.

Hopefully it'll just take some time...

 

Usually when hormones starts causing trouble a neuter is in order, but at 1.5 years im not sure? but the young ones, usually they start getting hormonal at 5 months of age.

 

[Chevalrose]

Onyx and Tobi aren't hormonal, they are 1.5yrs (Onyx is actually neutered)...Romeo and Oliver (a little) are getting hormonal, they are the ones that are 5 months. Romeo is the one that seems to want to hump Onyx (since he's neutered) so he's the more hormonal one...but he doesn't seem aggressive or anything just....excited.

 

[lilratsy43]

The hammock behavior you describe sounds normal to me. My boy Rhys used to do it all the time, I think he was trying to get the fabric from the hammock into the hammock...or at least that is how I took it.

If its only been 3-4 weeks, you have sometime for the 'jerky' behavior to decrease. When I introed all my neutered boys together they were still having tense moments weeks later. I just let them work it out. I realized it was Casper and Gunther, they both thought they were alpha and neither of them wanted to give up their position. So it took them longer to figure things out. Also now that your younger boys are getting to that age, they may try for Onyxs' spot as alpha...I am sure he will put them in their place.

Keep checking on them when you can and as long as the scratches remain minor, I would leave them all together.