# Introducing two male rats from PetSmart.



## ldsjratties (Feb 17, 2015)

Hi, I've been eyeing two very cute boy rats from Petsmart. They've been there for so so long and I feel awful, I've been wanting to give them a new home for months but I only have one cage for my 4 girls (that aren't all spayed yet). I recently got a job and now have enough for a double Critter Nation (yay!) so I want to take those boys out of that awful place and give them the most amazing life a rattie could ever have! 

My concern is that the boys are in two totally different cages (one floor aquariums containing only a wheel and an igloo, no life for a rat!!) so they have never come in contact with each other (other than when i visit about once a week to play with them but I never hold them both at the same time). 

How should I go about introducing them and making them cage mates? I can already tell which one would be the dominant male, he's a lot more active and playful while the other rat is very timid and cuddly. I've never had to introduce rats before because my 4 girls are related and I'm so afraid that the boys wont get along!!


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

How old do you think they are?

We have two guides on introduction. If you get them, i would let them meet somewhere (since they're both new it'll all be neutral) and then stick them in the carrier together if no one poofed up or otherwise was aggressive. 

I can't make promises, but I will say that the car ride is a great opportunity to do this. When I did a rat rescue with hey Fay it forced about fifty rats to bond very fast and I think it was because they met on neutral ground (my car) and were forced into carriers in a stressful situation (stress bonding). There were minimal injuries - only one male caused them, and he was otherwise aggressive so. 

The majority of the rats made the ten hour car ride without issue.


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## ldsjratties (Feb 17, 2015)

They're definitely about a year, maybe a year and a half old but I'm not sure at all. Petsmart obviously had no idea, one of the employees didn't even know that they sold rats as pets lol.
That sounds like an excellent idea though, thank you so much! I really doubt that either of them will be aggressive because they were both very friendly with me, even when I stunk of ten million different animals, but it's always something to worry about.


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## Smarion0006 (Nov 13, 2014)

I love that you want to give these little guys a home. Petsmart is really no place for ratties! Please update us when you can. I would like to know how it goes!


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## new_rattie_mommy (Aug 24, 2014)

If they had a good temperament towards you and are already trusting towards you that's a good start. It's good that you have observed them alot and know their temperaments. If you have don't feel like either of them have an aggressive personality most likely it won't go horribly and is something you can work with. It may not go perfect, as intact male to intact male introductions aren't necessarily one of the easiest intro to do but I think it is definitely worth trying to work it out for the sake of getting these guys out of the store and in a good home. For all you know, they may turn out to be best buds instantly. When I intro'd one a new baby I picked up into my group of boys I was so worried they wouldn't react well and my one boy from petsmart has such a chill and laid back personality that him and the baby became best friends instantly and there was literally no dominance fighting whatsoever. They cuddled together right from the get go. I think that had partly to do with the fact I had brought in a tiny baby girl and that is not intimidating at all like it may be to introduce to full grown males but I have a feeling that having that one male that you said is very timid and laid back will work to your advantage and he will just allow the other male to be the alpha and will have no problem with that. Therefore, they may not have problems getting along, because he will just submit and alpha role will be established quickly and they can live peacefully if that makes sense. if you had to dominant personalities I would be worried. My two boys from petsmart sound just like the ones you are talking about because one is very timid and chill and laid back, even though he is larger in size. The other is small, hyper and has the dominant personality. They get along absolutely perfectly because my timid boy just submitted to the alpha and the alpha doesn't feel threatened in any way so they just live peacefully and never ever fight. After the first couple months they never even do dominance fights anymore playfully. I hope that makes sense and gives you some encouragement if those personalities sound similar to the rats you are dealing with. If so, I think it should be fine. Just make sure you intro on neutral ground, keep your eye out just in case a fight breaks out, have an oven mitt or towel with u to break it up if that should happen. If it goes well do what the other person said and put them in a carrier together so they have to comfort eachother thru stress. it helps them bond and work out any issue they might be avoiding.


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## ldsjratties (Feb 17, 2015)

I'm getting them this weekend!! I just bought my double Critter Nation and I'm picking it up at the store on Saturday, along with my new boys!! I wasted my whole paycheck on the cage+accessories, I'm SO excited. Will be posting pictures for sure!!


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## ldsjratties (Feb 17, 2015)

new_rattie_mommy said:


> If they had a good temperament towards you and are already trusting towards you that's a good start. It's good that you have observed them alot and know their temperaments. If you have don't feel like either of them have an aggressive personality most likely it won't go horribly and is something you can work with. It may not go perfect, as intact male to intact male introductions aren't necessarily one of the easiest intro to do but I think it is definitely worth trying to work it out for the sake of getting these guys out of the store and in a good home. For all you know, they may turn out to be best buds instantly. When I intro'd one a new baby I picked up into my group of boys I was so worried they wouldn't react well and my one boy from petsmart has such a chill and laid back personality that him and the baby became best friends instantly and there was literally no dominance fighting whatsoever. They cuddled together right from the get go. I think that had partly to do with the fact I had brought in a tiny baby girl and that is not intimidating at all like it may be to introduce to full grown males but I have a feeling that having that one male that you said is very timid and laid back will work to your advantage and he will just allow the other male to be the alpha and will have no problem with that. Therefore, they may not have problems getting along, because he will just submit and alpha role will be established quickly and they can live peacefully if that makes sense. if you had to dominant personalities I would be worried. My two boys from petsmart sound just like the ones you are talking about because one is very timid and chill and laid back, even though he is larger in size. The other is small, hyper and has the dominant personality. They get along absolutely perfectly because my timid boy just submitted to the alpha and the alpha doesn't feel threatened in any way so they just live peacefully and never ever fight. After the first couple months they never even do dominance fights anymore playfully. I hope that makes sense and gives you some encouragement if those personalities sound similar to the rats you are dealing with. If so, I think it should be fine. Just make sure you intro on neutral ground, keep your eye out just in case a fight breaks out, have an oven mitt or towel with u to break it up if that should happen. If it goes well do what the other person said and put them in a carrier together so they have to comfort eachother thru stress. it helps them bond and work out any issue they might be avoiding.


Thank you so much for this!! It made me feel 100x better. I can only hope that they become the very best of friends  they're such cute, sweet boys! Thank you again for your advice!!


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## new_rattie_mommy (Aug 24, 2014)

I just have a random question for you. Did you say you've been playing with them at petsmart? Do they let you go in and just play with them? I got my boys from there and i'm considering getting another boy and i wonder if they would let me sit down and spend time with the rats individually playing with them there to really know their personalities before I buy one. I'd have to know the personality before I bring one in to my pack cuz i can't bring a dominant boy in when I already have a very dominant one. Did they have an area you could play with them in? 

Anyways, that's great that you are getting your boys tomorrow! They are so lucky to get a home with you and get out of the petstore. Good luck with your intros. I hope it goes as well as i think it will. I will send good thoughts and prayers your way. Definitely update us on how it is going.


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## Shine (Feb 20, 2015)

new_rattie_mommy said:


> I just have a random question for you. Did you say you've been playing with them at petsmart? Do they let you go in and just play with them? I got my boys from there and i'm considering getting another boy and i wonder if they would let me sit down and spend time with the rats individually playing with them there to really know their personalities before I buy one.


I don't know if every store is the same, but I got my two from Petsmart, and they did let me play with all of them first before I decided. Of course, I had the added benefit of being there with a former employee, but according to him, they usually do this anyway.


Now, back on the main topic: Mine are also two males who were in separate cages at the store, and when I got them I introduced them on the ride home. I learned later that I probably shouldn't have done that in case one or both of them jumped out of my lap and got lost in the truck, but luckily they both took to me, my friends, and to each other immediately, and we were all just a mass of cuddly guys and rats driving down the road to my house. lawl

I'm not saying you should do what I did, but I wouldn't worry too much about how exactly to go about your task. They are likely to get along. c:


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## Millie & Daisy (Mar 7, 2015)

I can say from experience that most major pet stores will let you play with them. I have gone into several Petcos and PetSmarts over the last few months and have handled the rats there pretty much every time. Granted, there always has to be an employee watching you - so be careful not to take up too much time or they tend to get a little annoyed. They do sort of have to go out of their way, and I felt bad since I kept on going in to handle them without actually buying one. (I had been planning for months but waited for an indefinite amount of time to be approved by my landlord organization to bring them home. The moment it came through I rushed out to get my girls). If you are going to buy them same visit, they will almost certainly let you hold them. As for an area to play with them, they don't really have one. I just scoop them up and play with them on the floor in the small animal aisle.


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