# Quick! i need your help my rats are killing each other!



## bffel3 (Apr 20, 2008)

hi,
i've been trying to get my rats to like each other for about two months now.
my one rat daisy, she is a gray and i just got another rat because daisy's sister died. (from URI and heart disease)
and my other rat is named cookie. (cookie is a fancy rat and daisy is a dumbo)
she loves to explore and is healthy and is white and bage.

i have made playsets after playsets puting them together and daisy keeps fighting cookie. cookie really wants to be friends with daisy but daisy won't let her. i am getting so ticked off at daisy because she keeps on biting cookie! i love them both so much!

it is also hard for me to give them the same amount of attention because i am kindof favouring cookie, (mostly because she is young and i can take care of her better and that she is LESS violent!!!

should i get rid of daisy? 
and also she is biting me now!! she never bit me before!!!
whats going on with my rat!!!

(sorry for the long post ut this is urgent!!)


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## melon (Mar 27, 2008)

is she drawing blood when she`s biting cookie? if not then i wouldn`t worry too much about it, could just be a dominance thing which is perfectly normal.
are you putting them in neutral territory when they`re together?
as for daisy biting you, all i can suggest is telling her 'no' firmly and putting her back in her cage, she`ll soon learn who`s boss!


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## bffel3 (Apr 20, 2008)

ok thanks,
well actually, daisy takes chunks of hair out of cookie!!
i stop them before it gets too bad.


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## windyhill (Apr 19, 2008)

Did you take the proper steps when letting them meet eah other?
They are going to fight if you just shove them together.
Unless they are drawing blood, dont worry about it. They are going to fight at first,they are trying to figure out who the boss is. 
All pet rats are fancy rats. Dumbo is just when they have ears on the side of their head and they are larger then standard earred rats.


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## OnlyOno (Apr 4, 2007)

yeah, try some more general introductions at first. methods to try include:
~ giving the rats a bath together - they will be more upset about a bath than they will at each other, and may get over some of their differences.
~ letting them play on neutral territory, like the bathtub, etc - somewhere that isn't going to smell more like one rat over another
~ putting their cages next to each other to get them used to each other
~ switching their fleeces and hammocks from cage to cage to get them used to the smells of each other
~ feeding them a wonderful treat that they will have to share, like a small plate of oatmeal, etc

don't just stick them both in one cage, because the rat who normally lives in that cage will get upset and defensive. when you do finally put them both in the same cage, CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN it first, and rearrange everything so that the rat that used to live in it alone will not recognize it as their own, and may tolerate a new cagemate while she figures out what to do.

also, know what kind of fighting is aggressive fighting, and what is regular rat-play. rats will squeak and jump around all the time, will flip each other over onto their backs, will climb on each other, etc. a rat that is actually getting hurt will SCREAM and bleed. if daisy is really taking chunks of hair out of cookie, i think they just need more vigorous introductions and more time.

do not just get rid of daisy because you got a new rat that you like better and you can't figure out how to get daisy used to you again. the new rat simply upset her, and you need to remind her that you are her momma and she should love you still. hold her more, it sounds like you are neglecting her because cookie is cuter, but she needs to know that you still love her. give her lots of yummy treats so that she knows you are still the bringer of good things.

click!:


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## bffel3 (Apr 20, 2008)

thanks onlyono.


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Two months?

In your first post you say you only have daisy, that was a couple of weeks ago.

http://www.ratforum.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=8404.html

We need the correct information so we can help you properly, bffel


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## bffel3 (Apr 20, 2008)

i just got a new rat, and that was a couple of weeks ago and it is possible for me to get another rat in that time!!
didn't think of that now did you!


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## leilastroud (Apr 6, 2008)

I don't understand what you're trying to say with the time scale thing bffel, but it doesn't matter.

Everyone just wants to know how long you've been trying introductions for so that they can support you better in getting Daisy and Cookie to be friends.

Leila :0)


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## k9luver (Dec 19, 2007)

A good trick too is putting some vanilla extract on the backs of their shoulders. It makes them smell the same so that they are giving eachother a chance (hopefully). Then put them in a neutral territory. I put my boys in the bathtub...one at each end and let them find eachother. I had a water bottle on hand to spary them in case they started fighting, and a towel to separate them as well. Luckily...I didn't need either


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

bffel3 said:


> i just got a new rat, and that was a couple of weeks ago and it is possible for me to get another rat in that time!!
> didn't think of that now did you!


Didn't understand that =/

But if you've only had her a couple of weeks and haven't really tried any proper introductory methods, favouring instead to throw them together and hope for the best - I'm not surprised that Daisy is having trouble adjusting to a new rat at home. Sometimes you have to take things slowly. Try some of the methods outlined above, and if after a good period of time they are still not getting it, it's safe to assume that right now it's just not gonna happen.

And just because it doesn't happen .. doesn't mean Daisy should be given a raw deal and be gotten rid of.


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## bffel3 (Apr 20, 2008)

ok i'm sorry i got mad at you! its just that everyone has been really mean to me lately and i just got really ticked off!!
sorry, i know you guys had been mad ever since i came! sorry!!


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## pinkyXstary (Apr 15, 2008)

Bffel3 i don't think that people here are mad at you it's just you need to learn to slow down and be a lot more descriptive in what your writting.

I'm guessing that you didn't quarentine your new rat? It's a shame, not to worry though it's too late now and every body makes mistakes but you MUST follow the steps given by onlyono and SLOWLY.

Some rats will get on fine over time, some will get along straight away and some will never get along. the only way you can try and get this working is to take the intorduction steps very slowly


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## bffel3 (Apr 20, 2008)

ok thanks,
i will slow down, i am only 13 and i am still learning stuff and this is my first forum that i have been on so ya.


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## pinkyXstary (Apr 15, 2008)

How are your introductions getting on bffel3? any luck?


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## bffel3 (Apr 20, 2008)

no, i decided to just keep them seperated and to just let them play with each other in non-territorial area's.
thanks though for all your posts and replies i really appreciate that!
thankyou,
bffel3


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## beanieboo-rattles (Jan 3, 2008)

Ok Time for me in input here.

first i wanna straighten a few things out.



> Cookie is a fancy rat and daisy is a dumbo


All pet rats are fancy rats. Dumbo is just ear orientation.



> trying to get my rats to like each other for about 2 months now


In your first post you say you only have daisy, that was a couple of weeks ago.



> i am only 13


in previous posts you have quoted many ages..which is correct ?




Onto the topic at hand. If youre rats are now playing nicely with each other in free range time , then put cages next to each other !! TO be brutally honest with you if they are playing nicely there its not a huge step to have them living together. Dont just give up. You will have unhappy lonely rats. 


Sometimes i am unsure of the credibility of your posts. Due to carying information given and unlikely hood of certain events.

If you wanna give up with these two then fine. But be it on your head if they are sad lonely miserable furkids.


have fun bffel3



...


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## pinkyXstary (Apr 15, 2008)

BeanieBoo-Rattles said:


> If you wanna give up with these two then fine. But be it on your head if they are sad lonely miserable furkids.
> 
> 
> have fun bffel3
> ...


Ouch! that was slightly harsh


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## Gobo (Mar 6, 2008)

yeah that was a bit harsh, all that stuff has already been said, i dont think it will help to repeat it in a negative way. thats just my opinion though...


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## ChrissyGz0r (Mar 3, 2008)

i dont think she was being harsh she was just being honest cus like everyone says on here get two rats so they aint lonely and that a lonely rat is an unhappy rat ect


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## pinkyXstary (Apr 15, 2008)

well, she has got two rats but the intros didn't go too well. and that's what we were helping her with.


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## ChrissyGz0r (Mar 3, 2008)

yup i know 
but like u said ur helping her ...
the other poster is tellin her not to give up cus the rats will be unhappy ect .. 
so basically saying the same but different LOL


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## pinkyXstary (Apr 15, 2008)

lol >.<

Your mental!


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## ChrissyGz0r (Mar 3, 2008)

why thank you  LOL


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