# Picked up our first rat today :-)



## BlueRats (Apr 1, 2007)

Hello all.

So my fiancee and I picked up our first pet rat today. We are in our late 20s and have had many pets, we both take a lot of pride in taking excellent care of our animals.

Our new Fancy Blue Rat is a male, not neutered, and joins a happy family of four cats and two people.

We got him a big cage, proper bedding and food, and he is actually getting settled in quite nicely...he is shy, but that is to be expected.

After doing a LOT of reading, we have decided to go back to PetSmart and get one of his brothers (there was a mischief of 5 males who all got along splendidly) to keep him company.

My question: Since we will be introducing him to a rat he already knows and has spent time with in harmony...should we follow a formal introduction process, or just put them together and just keep an eye on them?

My name is Chris, and my fiancee is Drea...we will probably both post from this account.

Thank you in advance.

Chris and Drea.


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

Hello Chris (and Drea). Welcome to the forums! 

I would probably err on the side of caution. Perhaps put them in the bath tub for a short while to be sure that they still get on, and before you put them in the cage together, clean it out and rearrange a little so it seems a bit different.

I don't think you need to go to great lengths like you would with 2 strangers, but you should still assume that your current rat will be at least a bit territorial. You are doing it at a good time, though, so it should be straight forward enough.

It would be nice to see a picture of your new little guy


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## BlueRats (Apr 1, 2007)

Thanks a lot, we will definitely add some new toys and rearrange...and host their initial meet on neutral turf 

I will definitely post some pics soon, thank you very much for your input.

Chris (and Drea).


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

You're very welcome.


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## BlueRats (Apr 1, 2007)

Ok, as promised...here is a pic. It kinda sucks since I didn't use the flash (I didn't want to bother them with the flash), but I cleaned it up in photoshop as best I could.

We did decide to go get our new guy a companion from the same litter...here they are...Miles and Coltrane (miles is on the bottom).

They took to each other immediately, and are frequently grooming each other...they were thrilled to see each other.










Thanks for your advice....its amazing to see how much Miles values the addition of another rat...he was very lonely without his brother.


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## Nazarath (Feb 20, 2007)

welcome to the forum!  Very cute little ones!! Miles is the name of one of my best guy friends lol (just a side note lol). What have you named his brother??


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## reachthestars (Feb 27, 2007)

Aww, lucky duck, you got two blues right away . I've had rats for years and never gotten a blue! I had to contact a breeder to get a blue girl, and she doesn't come until next week.


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

Beautiful rats. Glad to hear the introductions went well for you!


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## BlueRats (Apr 1, 2007)

Thanks guys.

Yeah, their names are Miles and Coltrane (we have a jazz theme going) and they are doing very well.

They are both taking food from our hands and seem to be more and more friendly every day. They are still a little squirmy when held, but we are being very patient with that.

I do love the Blue rats...I have a Lilac-point siamese cat with the same exact coloring, so its pretty cool that they match 

Our cats are interested, but not aggressive. I am hoping that they will eventually be able to figure out that these little ones are NOT food. They developed a good relationship with our last hamster (RIP of old age), but of course they were never left unattended.

Thanks again!


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## JennieLove (Jan 2, 2007)

Awww : D


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## linz_04 (Mar 5, 2007)

Congrats to you! Your boys are adorable and glad to hear the re-intro went so well! They look so happy to be back together!!!


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## Wench (Apr 5, 2007)

Aww, they're precious. I would love to have a blue, they are absolutely beautiful.


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## BlueRats (Apr 1, 2007)

Thanks all.

Its been about 10 days now, and they are getting along really well...and warming up to us a lot.

Next step will be getting them comfortable with being held.


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## VayeraGirl93 (Mar 24, 2007)

If you want a little help with the holding part, while you hold them, try giving them some yogurt. my little guys love that. actually what i do is i use unsweetened, plain, low-fat yogurt then sweeten it with splenda. that way they aren't taking in too much fat. now they're always licking my hand to see if i have some more of it. i've had this new one for about a month and a week and it took him quite awhile to get truly comfortable with me holding him. if you like snugglin with your rats, just wait until they settle down in your lap!


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