Jeremy Has a Pre-Neuter Appointment Scheduled

The way I have it figured, Jeremy should be turning 6 months right about now. And just like clockwork, those hormones have kicked into high gear. Since Burt and Hammie were neutered, Jeremy has stepped up as alpha rat (despite the fact that he is the smallest rat of the pack and slightly lame in his rear right leg [sometimes, when nobody is listening, I like to refer to him as Kaiser Söze]). However, until now, there has been no blood drawn. Yesterday, that changed.

At the end of out time yesterday, Jeremy and Hammie got into a really bad scuffle that left both rats bleeding, Hammie with two bite marks - one on each shoulder. Jeremy was the clear instigator. After I got the boys separated and cleaned up, I noticed that Burt also had a scab on his thigh. It didn't take too much imagination to figure out what had happened there.

So I have committed to the neuter, and Jeremy has his pre-neuter appointment scheduled for Monday. To be honest, I had been considering it even before now. Jeremy has served as instigator in a few too many scuffles. These scuffles were not introduction scuffles where the rats were establishing a pecking order. These were becoming a pattern of behavior for Jeremy. Even though these scuffles did not result in blood (no blood, no foul), everyone (including Jeremy) would be happier if Jeremy's hormones could be brought under control. I was just hoping to wait until spring, when I didn't have to worry about traveling to the exotics vet that does neuters during bad winter weather. That ship has now sailed.

This will be my second time doing neuters. I was very nervous and apprehensive about doing Burt and Hammie's neuters back in September. But they came through surgery so well and the neuters have made both rats so much happier, that I am actually looking forward to having Jeremy done and am relieved that some of the extra friction in the rat room may soon be a thing of the past. Of course, I will always be nervous the day of the surgery, but I feel much more calm having gone through the process before.