# hairless + haired, both females fight...



## kancerr (Apr 7, 2007)

i have a hairless rat and a brown colored rat. both are females. they get along together if i put them both in the bath tub for bathing. they wont attack each other there. but if i take them both out of their cage to hang out together they fight(which ive only done once because the hairless is so easy to get scratches and infections from the scratches). anybody have tips on getting them to hang out together without fighting?


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

They don't fight in the bath tub because, a) it's neutral territory, and b) they're both probably too scared to even think about fighting.

Always make sure to do introductions on NEUTRAL territory - somewhere neither rats have been, at least not anytime recently. Also, putting a couple dabs of vanilla extract on both girls will make them smell the same. Here is a good article on introducing rats.

Do both girls live alone?


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Rats will always fight strange rats because they are naturally territorial. You cannot get non-cagemates to play together outside of the cage normally. 
If you plan on introducing them to live together you need to research how to do it. But if you plan on them living alone with playtime together...ain't gonna happen.


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

lilspaz68 said:


> Rats will always fight strange rats because they are naturally territorial. You cannot get non-cagemates to play together outside of the cage normally.
> If you plan on introducing them to live together you need to research how to do it. But if you plan on them living alone with playtime together...ain't gonna happen.


Oh come on! You know Moth wants to play with the other ratties


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## kancerr (Apr 7, 2007)

i always introduce them in neutral territory, never in one cage, its too dangerous to try and get one of them away if theyre fighting in the cage, always take them to an open anrea on the floor and one of them always starts a fight within a minute or two, depending on how long it takes them to smell around the area and explore a little. ill try the vanilla thing, that sounds like a good idea, they always pick a fight with one another after they get their smelling in. and i do want to be able to put them together, figured itd be best to get them along outside of the cage first. ill read the guide though and see what it says. thanks for the help, ill post back if it works ;D


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## kancerr (Apr 7, 2007)

is it okay to put the vanilla extract on the hairless rat? is it possible that it might irritate her skin? may be if i try some kind of orange juice(from a fresh orange and mix it with some water? and try that on her skin) or will vanilla extract be okay to place on her?


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## Dimitrius (Mar 19, 2007)

I'm sure the vanilla is fine. Just don't get it in any orifices. Orange juice, even diluted, will be sticky, and it won't smell strongly enough to have much of an effect. As far as I know, rat skin isn't that different from our own, and vanilla doesn't irritate human skin.


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## kancerr (Apr 7, 2007)

okay guess ill give it a try, if it does ill be rinsin her off afterwards any ways.


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

kancerr said:


> okay guess ill give it a try, if it does ill be rinsin her off afterwards any ways.


The vanilla extract will be fine. You'll probably find she'll lick it off before you can get to rinsing her 'cause it tastes so yummy! Licking it off is fine, too


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## kancerr (Apr 7, 2007)

i tried the part where it says put the cages close enough so they can see each other but not attack each other...my hairless wouldnt stop trying to eat through the cage bars...thats probably not very good for her teeth? or should istill leave them close enough to see(i moved her a bit further away and now she cant tell shes there, shes kinda old).


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

kancerr said:


> i tried the part where it says put the cages close enough so they can see each other but not attack each other...my hairless wouldnt stop trying to eat through the cage bars...thats probably not very good for her teeth? or should istill leave them close enough to see(i moved her a bit further away and now she cant tell shes there, shes kinda old).


Ours got a bit excitable at first, too, but we persisted and they settled down after a few days. We knew they were ready for introductions when they used to hang out close to each other (whilst still in their own cages) without jumping around and sniffing like crazy.


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

chewing on cage bars won't her teeth any. leave tehm close enough so they know the other is there but not close enough that they can get at each other an wait for them to settle then go onto the next phase. 

i know you're worried about your hairless' skin but her skin is no more snesitive then the skin of your furred baby. with scratches its true the hairless is prone to more because there is no fur to deflect the claws but you furred will porbably have just as many that you don't notice it because of the fur. the only skin sensitivity that the hairless will have more then the furred is to sunlight as there is no furr to deflect the light. but if your furred is a while rat or has white on it then its going to be sensitive too as its skin is going to paler under the fur. but sunburns are VERY easy to avoid anyway so i wouldn't worry too much about either rat with that.


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