What do you do with a rat that WON'T intro?!?!

[crumbilina]

My brown rat's cage mate recently passed away. SO I wanted to get her some friends to play with. While I was away my ratties stayed with Chelle and Chelle chose 2 ratties that got along well with my brown rattie so I could take them home (I could always learn to adjust to the ratties, most important was that my rat liked the new ones). Everything went well at Chelle's, they played and got along well. They weren't living together when I picked them up because the bars on the cage that my ratties were staying in were too large of a spacing and the new pair would get out. I figured everything would be ok when I got them here to put them in the cage together... I was wrong haha.

When I put them in the cage together the brown one (sorry, that is what I call her, her real name is Cocoa, I will try and use that...) puffed up to look almost double her size fatter - she is already fat haha and began nipping and terrifying the new rats (Yoshi and Trixie). I think that she actually took some fur out of Trixie before I was able to break up the fight! Poor girl. I quick removed everyone from the cage (OH prior to putting them in I had cleaned and disinfected the ENTIRE cage) and separated them into different cages. One cage is on top of the other (don't worry they have no way of accessing each other). I have had them out in a run around area together and the SAME thing happens. I have stopped doing that for the time being so that Yoshi and Trixie won't get hurt. I'm just not sure what my next step is.

I also might be thinking that Cocoa is just one of those rats that doesn't need a friend! When her sister was sick she didn't bother cuddling much and tended to keep her distance. She never picked a fight but she didn't bother with her much. She doesn't seemed depressed having the cage to herself... She chills in the sputnik and is happy when she sees me. What would indicate depression/loneliness in rats? When her sister was sick, I kinda became her sisters cage mate, I snuggled groomed and scratched her ears... Cocoa never did any of that... I dunno...

I LOVE Yoshi and Trixie to death! Maybe Cocoa is better off alone in her cage? Yoshi and Trixie are in the CN so they are happy, and Cocoa is in her original cage that she knows and loves and she seems happy (once again I don't really know how to identify depression in rats well).

Any suggestions?

 

[Godmother]

You might have to back up a few steps. Cocoa acted differently when she wasn't in her own territory, but your place (especially her cage) is her territory. So you'll have to go back to the step where you swap cloths between cages, let them explore each others' cage, etc.

Frustrating, isn't it? Intros are my un-favourite part of having rats. The only thing worse is losing them so young.

 

[Rissa]

I had one boy who was impossible to do intros with, he would be fine on the couch or the table or anything with the other rats, for weeks even but the second you put them together in the cage, even if I cleaned every inch of it.. he would spaz on the rat. It took me a lot of time, dominance pinching, flipping him over with belly rubs and baths for him to accept the rat into the cage with him.

 

[crumbilina]

Yeah, I realize that now that she is in her own territory that things are different. I was just hoping that things would go well, Cocoa is usually so easy going and has never been territorial. That's why I thought that things would just work. I have never done intros before! It is such an intricate process.

I will try the cloth thing and see what happens. I will put a blanket into both cages tonight and switch them over later this week. How long should I be doing that for?

Any other "tricks"? lol

 

[Godmother]

I think that you'll find a "Sticky" thread about intros under the Behavior section.

 

[crumbilina]

I think that you'll find a "Sticky" thread about intros under the Behavior section.

ooooooh
Thank you! (Never really thought to look haha)

 

[SQ]

From what you have written, she will intro in with the others.
You just need to slow down as godmother suggested.
Plus you didn't mention it but when you do finally put them together in a cage you will need to scrub it out first and move things areound so that is a new cage for everyone, not anyones territory.

 

[crumbilina]

That's what I had done with the cage when I brought them home - It was a new cage for them all (haha I got laughed at then I was taking the CN apart and scrubbing it what a job!).

BUT I will slow down, I realize that now. They I think are starting to get accustomed to eachother's scent, living bunk bed style.

We will see how it goes with the blankets and try another intro on the weekend in a safe play area.