Rat
Rescue :: Introducing
rats to one another
Introducing rats to one another
As rats are sociable animals, no matter how much attention you
give them, they will be happier if they have a (same sex) friend
or two living with them.
Obviously, the best way to do this is to get your rats from
the same place at the same time. However, where this is not
possible, you certainly can introduce a ratty friend at a later
date.
Females are generally easier to introduce than males and the
younger the better. While young males up to about 10 weeks age
can be introduced easily, older males can be more difficult
as it is in built to defend their territory. However, that does
not mean it cannot be done – you just need to be extra vigilant
when making introductions.
Where you have a young, lone female you should have no problems
introducing a friend at all. However, you should always have
a spare cage ready in case the pair don’t hit it off immediately.
Also, when introducing older rats, it could take up to a couple
of weeks so it is a good idea to have a spare cage.
When introducing rats you need to set aside a good chunk of
time so that you can supervise the introduction and then see
how they get along.
First of all, the introduction will be made easier by reducing
or masking the rats’ natural smell. A dab of vanilla essence
(the type you use when baking a cake), on both the rats backs
will help neutralise and dominant odours.
You then need to introduce them on neutral territory – this
should not be somewhere where the resident rat plays. (You can
try the bath, or your bed for example). In cases where you are
introducing youngsters (ie up to about 10 weeks of age), this
may need only one introduction. In the case of older rats –
either where you are introducing one to another older rat or
an older rat to a youngster or where you are introducing an
individual to a group, or where you – this will normally need
several introductions before they can live together happily.
If you have two youngsters, you could also try using your lap
(seated on the floor) as the neutral ground. This will show
the resident rat that you have already accepted the newcomer
as well as make both of them feel safe.
The introduction process may be several short ones or one long
one – it really depends on the rats and their personalities
etc. It may take an hour, or three intros over the course of
a day or even an hour playing together every night before they
are ready to share a home.
If at any time the rats fight and blood is drawn or fur is
pulled out, separate them immediately. Leaving them together
could cause serious injury, or even death. And never introduce
a youngster under 6 weeks old to an adult as there is a risk
that they could be killed.
You can expect a small amount of squabbling as they decide
who is ‘the boss’ and also excessive grooming, but this is natural,
as well as a few squeaks. If things start to turn serious, spray
them with water from a plant mister to break up the fight.
These sort of squabbles tend to resolve themselves over time.
However, if there is real aggression, you must split them up
(make sure you wear thick gloves). Sometimes the ‘new’ rat will
be scared and so strike out at the resident rat without even
thinking.
If they get on well straight away (which often happens with
youngsters under 10 weeks old), leave them to play for a while.
Let them share the same food bowl, ensure that they have plenty
of water and also make sure they have somewhere that they can
each retreat to (such as an empty wine box) in case they get
scared.
Some rat owners make intros easier by putting something like
a blob of baby food on to each rat so that they have to get
to know each other quickly by grooming and cleaning each other!
If the intro carries on going well (which will involve a lot
of sniffing bottoms and play fighting as opposed to ‘real’ fighting
and then both of them sitting happily together) then you can
move on to the next stage and let them move in together.
Make sure that the cage has been thoroughly cleaned as well
as the food bowls, toys etc so that the cage still smells ‘neutral’.
Use new bedding and hammocks. Watch how they react to each other
and certainly keep checking on them to make sure that they have
not started fighting (that is why it is good to do introductions
when you are not working so that you can keep a close eye on
them).
If they don’t hit it off immediately, then put both the cages
next to each other so that they can familiarise themselves with
each others smells etc. Then try again the next day. Swap toys,
too, to mingle their natural odours which will make them more
accepting.
By being patient with the introductions, unless there is real
aggression, your rats will soon be happily living together.
Useful links
http://www.ratfanclub.org/newrat.html
http://ratguide.com/care/behavior/introducing_rats.php
http://www.rmca.org/Resources/aintro.txt
http://www.ratz.co.uk/ratintro.html
