# Need help introducing my two new rats. Please Help. I really need it.



## mandycat93 (Aug 6, 2012)

I KNOW THIS IS LONG BUT PLEASE READ OR SKIM OR ANYTHING! I REALLY NEED ADVICE! I bought my first rat Toui 2 days ago. He was the only rat in the cage so I just bought him. He got home and was entergetic, happy, fun, curious, everything I could've hoped for. He showed no signs of being lonely or missing another rat. But even still, I felt bad and went today to buy him a friend. Stuart is a smaller rat than Toui but I would guess that they are both 3-6 months old. I introduced them in the bathtub after letting them sniff each other over the wall of the plastic travel cage. I then let them jump in and out on their own to meet each other. Toui was a little rough with Stuart but Stuart immidiately layed on his back and was submissive. Toui kept wrestling with him until I could tell Stuart was terrified so I went ahead and put Toui in the travel cage (I didn't have another one at the time) and Stuart in Toui's cage for just about an hour or two.

I went out and bought a small cage, it's too small for a rat to live in long term but it is at least wire instead of plastic and has room for an igloo in it. (I don't have room or money for another normal sized cage in my room right now, but I did the best I could)

I tried again a couple hours later and Toui was even more rough, fur was coming off of Stuart onto the floor of the tub. I eventually stopped the meeting after Toui settled down a bit because Stuart was just not really moving and scared. I put Toui back in his cage that now had some of Stuarts smell in it and put Stuart in the new smaller cage. A couple hours later I tried once more. I put Stuarts cage (still locked) in the bathtub and let Toui out around it. Toui got extremly hyper and crazy. He was running laps around the cage, jumping on it, around it and just acting kind of crazed. I was going to let them out together but Stuart refused to leave his igloo until he was away from where Toui was, so i just didn't have the heart to let Toui rough him up again. 

I'm sorry this is so long but I really don't know what to do. Stuart is really timid and has no personality around Toui (but when he is alone with me, he comes out a littttttle bit more and explores). Toui just gets really really wild when he sees, smells or plays with Stuart and it seems like Stuart doesn't like it. 

I don't know what to do.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

I must say i am not a fan of cage swapping or putting cages near each other in buck intros particularly. From my experience this effectively winds them up as they can see and smell another rat but not sort out whose boss, so when they do meet the newcomer again they immediatly have to stamp there authority even more forcfully. I use another method of introing rats, its probably the most common in the active rat fancy here in the UK and works well in most situations (particualrly with bucks). The aim is to help the rats sort out there heirachy as quickly as possible as this helps lower the amount of time they are stressed for and sees them bonded as a group faster. It's generally reffered to as the small space intro or the carrier method. Here's a guide a wrote a while ago, might be useful if you want to try it.

*Introducing rats using the carrier method*

1. Get a small cage or carrier, making sure that it is small enough so that when the rats lie down they are forced to be close together but with enough space to add a water source. I use a big cat carrier for this, with not much height and enough floor room for a bit of movement - but not room to run away and hide. You can either have your carrier/intro cage completely clean and unfamiliar or have it smelling of the expected dominant rats, which will help them feel more secure and so calmer. However for some rats, if they see a space as 'theirs' they may be more likely to defend it, so watch the rats and judge which you think is best. Make sure that it is empty of everything except for a water bottle - or ideally two. You can scatter a little bit of food around to distract the adults but don’t put it in a bowl as this may be defended, or any cage furniture such as hammocks. 

2, Take the carrier and rats into a room that the rats don’t normally free range in which has a small neutral rat safe space in it (table top, couch, bed, bath with a towel down normally works) and add the rats to this neutral space. I usually add the alpha of my existing group and the youngsters first of all, let things calm down and then add lower ranking rats, leaving the second in command until last. It does depend on the rats though, but I do think it’s useful getting your alpha settled with them first as they will then squash any overly dominant behaviour by other rats. You should expect pinning and some chasing around and maybe some boxing. You should also expect squeaks and pitiful wails, let them do this, interrupting them will stop them working out whose boss. Look out for the aggressor poofing up (hedgehog impression) or sideling (walking sideways towards the other rat, head lowered, possibly tail swishing or chomping his teeth), this is overly aggressive behaviour and can lead into a bite, don’t separate straight away, try distraction with a loud noise or blowing on them. The idea is to prevent any damage but not stop perfectly natural battles which will let them know there position in the hierarchy, the general rule of ‘No Blood, No Foul’ is a good one to bear in mind. Once things have quieted down and the existing rat’s are ignoring them (at this stage they are probably cowering in the corner) then add another rat, and so on. You can also add all your rats at this stage, it depends on preference - I tend to see how the rats are coping and if they look stressed I do it one at a time. If they actually don’t seem bothered (which happens) then I add them all.

3, Next add the carrier to this space with the door wide open and let them go in and out freely before finally closing the door when things are going well. If you hear squeaking don’t intervene. If you hear bangs don’t intervene (but maybe check and make sure your around). If you hear proper screams (these are very different to squeaks, long and drawn out and very loud) then you need to make a loud noise, spray them with a water bottle or separate with a towel, but only if it looks as though the babies are actually being attacked. Some babies can be very vocal! A bit of fur being pulled out is normal, blood is not - and this is a point to separate them. What you should see initially is the older rat going over to sniff the babies and the babies may well be interested in him too. At some point your older rat will get a bit rough with them and they will try to run away. This will lead to your older rat chasing and grabbing the babies by the scruff or bum, but with limited space this shouldn’t result in injuries (hence why this method generally results in less injuries than more open intros). The adult will then probably fluff up and try and pin or flip the babies, they will squeak and struggle (and make you feel cruel and evil). Expect him to furiously groom them - ideally you want them to submit and be still and the small space is to give them nowhere to escape to, so that they have no choice but to give in - when they do he should relax and let them go. He shouldn’t relentlessly pursue them or be constantly pouncing on them, though he may pin them a few times. The new rats may become overly defensive, freezing in a corner stood up pushing noses away or threatening to bite there new neighbours, if this last for more than an hour then try taking them out for a drive or a walk, this should encourage the new rats to seek comfort from there cagemates and bond. 

4. Once things have settled down to everyone sleeping together leave them in the carrier for at least an hour. Try to relax and breathe a bit! Stay within hearing range but maybe leave the room, as I am sure that rats can pick up on worry. There may be the odd 'war' again, with squeaks and bumps when you should go back in and check them, but don’t be tempted to split them up unless it’s serious. They will probably have to put the kittens in their place a few more times over the next day or two before peace reigns. This stage can take an hour, or it can take a few days. Times vary a lot depending on the rats

5. Once things have been settled in the carrier for a while then you can think about moving them into a cage. If you have a big cage then make it smaller or try and find an intermediate cage. I do introductions first in a Ferplast Mary sized cage, then in half my big cage, (SRS – which usually fits 12 in). This is still a big space and you may find it easier to go smaller, perhaps a Mary, Ruffy or similar. Start with it completely bare, apart from 2 + water sources. Transfer some of the substrate / bedding from the carrier and add the rats. I normally add the babies first at this stage, then the older lads.

6. The same applies as when they are in the carrier: expect renewed tension and more pinning and squeaking. You will need to watch them until it calms down, then feel free to leave the room but stay in hearing distance (try not to hover around the door - I have been guilty of that one more than once). After a few hours with no fighting they are probably sorted, thought there may be the odd scuffle for a few days. Once you see them routinely sleeping together, or even better in mixed groups (so one baby with some oldies, and another with others) then it’s done and you can liven up the cage (adding first 1 open sleeping place, then maybe a wheel, some branches etc, don’t use enclosed beds for some time) then make it bigger again or move into a bigger cage. It often takes a week or two to reach this point and don’t be afraid of taking a backwards step if they refuse to settle at the next stage. 

7. In terms of free range when this is going on, leave them together for at least the first 24 hours uninterrupted. After this you can spend time with them but try to do this with the whole group, or in mixed smaller groups (so a new rat and 1 or 2 existing rats) and keep it in an enclosed space, don’t be tempted to free range in normal or large free range area’s until the group is fully settled. Often this can spark of new confrontations if they haven’t fully bonded and established the hierarchy yet.

Here are a few pictures from a recent carrier introduction. The new lads are the blue and black top eared babies, Luke and Limi.

This was about 20 mins into the intro. They were a bit scared here and huddled in the corner, but my boys, especially Mu (agouti dumbo), wouldn't let them sleep alone so all piled in. What’s actually hard to see here is Mu (the cage alpha at the time) is protecting the babies from too much fuss from his cage mates):









All of them a couple days later when I let them outside on the garden table in their carrier for some more bonding time:









And venturing into the world together:









These lads moved into half an SRS together in about 3 hours and were a well bonded group in about a week (it was a very smooth intro). More normally I find they need to be in a carrier for 6-12 hours and in an inbetweeny cage for about 2-3 days before moving into half an SRS for a week then the full cage but at a very open set up for another week or two. You can tell when you’ve won when they routinely sleep together and even better if your introducing a pair and they sleep separately with other members of the group.


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