Introductions are Over: Sometimes Rats Just Need to Duke It Out

Hammie, Ruby, Jeremy, and Burt enjoy breakfast together.

Hammie, Ruby, Jeremy, and Burt are finally living together in the DCN. The ramp is down and they have access to all levels. We are greatly saddened that Bobo couldn't be here as part of the group. We know he would have loved the company and the space. This successful introduction is bittersweet without Bobo taking part in it. However, it wouldn't be fair to just stop working with the other rats because we are grieving Bobo's loss, so we keep trudging forward.

It was a long journey. Hammie, Jeremy, and Bobo were adopted at the beginning of August. Three months and two neuters later, everyone is finally comfortable enough with each other to be able to share the same cage. There was a lot of supervised play time and, over the last week, a lot of supervised cage intros. Last night, they spent their first night together, and this morning, they all ran to the same shelf to get their breakfast - no longer phased by the company of the other rats.

Sometimes the introduction process is tricky. Rats love the company of other rats, but sometimes, they can't help but think of a new rat as competition, as a threat, or as an intruder to their territory. Hormonal males are especially difficult. Some rats can never be introduced, but sometimes we are tempted to give up too soon.

We learned that neuters can be amazing, but it can take a few weeks for the hormones to die down. Burt and Hammie started intros again one week after their neuters, but that wasn't long enough and both got hurt. Burt's wounds became infected. The healing process took a bit of time, and the experience made Burt extra nervous around the other rats. However, neither Burt nor Hammie has bitten any other rat since their altercation shortly after the neuter. Neither rat has sought out conflict, although Burt will defend himself if provoked. Hammie has actually gone from the most rat-aggressive to the most rat-friendly. Jeremy (the remaining intact rat) has become the biggest trouble maker, loving to provoke a fight. However, he is really just looking to stir things up and he has never caused injury to anyone, so at this time, a neuter isn't necessary. I don't think introductions would have ever been possible without the neuters.

We are trained to look for signs of aggression in our rats during intros, and if we see those signs, to separate the rats, slow down, and back up a step. Signs we look for are arching of the back, shoving their rumps into each other, and getting into loud and angry fights that leave their fur standing up on end. Taking it slow and cautious is the proper way to proceed at first. You don't want to throw them unprepared into a scary situation that will scar them emotionally. You don't want their first impression of the other rats to be an extremely negative one. That is an impression that is hard to erase. But some rats won't ever progress if we are too cautious. Sometimes we have to take risks if we want to see what our rats are capable of and if we want to eventually move forward.

My advice is always to start by taking it slow and easy. No need to rush into anything. However, not every intro is going to go off with our rats being best friends at first sight. If they did go off that way, we wouldn't need intros in the first place. Instead, rats need to establish the rat hierarchy before they can live peacefully together. They need to know who is the top rat (if there even is one), and what kind of behavior to expect from the new rats. This process necessarily involves some risk.

The general rule to follow is no blood, no foul. This is my gospel. It is okay to back off intros a bit when things get a little too heated at first, but if those heated exchanges continue repeatedly, you will never move forward until you let them work through them. This means risking someone getting hurt. Just be sure to be vigilant and not leave them unsupervised. Be ready to intercede if needed. And as soon as someone does get hurt, you absolutely must back off intros or the violence could escalate. With males, this is a sign that a neuter is necessary. It is very hard to proceed with intros if blood is being drawn. It could be the injuries occurred because you rushed intros or skipped some steps. But when that is not the case, more drastic measures may be called for. If neuters are ineffective, it may be that these specific rats just can't live together. You may have a rat who just won't get along with other rats. Or, you might have better luck introducing the rat to a different rat, or a rat of the opposite sex (assuming one is neutered/spayed).

If no blood is being shed, but introductions are still a bit rocky and progress has stalled, then go ahead and put up with more aggressive behavior than you may want to. If they are not actually hurting each other, just posturing, threatening, screeching a little, and/or doing battle without causing injury, then chances are good that with perserverence, they can work their issues out themselves. If they wanted to hurt each other, they could. But they are not. That says a lot. Sometimes, just putting up with the undesirable behavior is not enough. Sometimes you need to move forward despite it. This is true only when it is clear that nothing is going to change if you continue with the status quo.

We moved ahead with cage intros even though Jeremy and Burt were still getting into some fights. Normally, I would want everyone getting along during supervised play time before trying cage intros. However, our intros had been going on for a long time with the same results and we were hitting a wall. The problem is that Burt and Jeremy would get into a fight, then Burt would run away to me or somewhere where Jeremy didn't follow or couldn't get to him. Burt would basically avoid Jeremy. They weren't working out their conflicts, Burt was avoiding them.

Cage intros seemed to be the way to go, because in the cage, there isn't anyone Burt could run to and there isn't anyplace where he could completely get away from Jeremy. He could seek safety in a cube or hut or tube, but Jeremy could always approach him and force him to deal with the situation. They needed to deal with each other head on. Again, I emphasize here that neither rat had ever bitten the other. After several days of supervised cage intros (taking place for a few hours a day), Burt seemed to tolerate Jeremy better and Jeremy stopped harassing Burt so much. We tried a day of cage integration with periodic supervision and periods of being left alone. It went extremely well, so I felt comfortable leaving them together at night. By morning, they were all acting like they had lived together forever.

Basically, we had to force Burt and Jeremy to live together with each other before they would actually try to get along. This is similar to the philosophy of using a carrier and a car ride to further introductions (again, a technique I would only recommend if you know that the rats aren't going to draw blood). The stress of the car ride and being forced close together in a carrier makes the rats forget their animosity and actually potentially take comfort with each other. We employed this method with Ruby and the new rats because we knew no one would hurt her and she was so afraid of them at first that she just wanted to hide. It helped a lot. It might have been very successful with Burt and Jeremy as well, but I didn't feel comfortable forcing them together in such a small space, so I thought the cage was the best way to go.

I am not claiming that there won't be future issues, but it looks like it will be mostly downhill from here. I have no fears about anyone hurting anyone else, and what is more, they all actually seem to like each other now, not just tolerate each other.

One thing is certain, we wouldn't have made it to this point if I didn't allow a little supervised conflict.

Neuters Are on for Next Week

But Mom! I don't need a neuter! See! I can get along!

Hammie and Burt had their pre-neuter visits yesterday and passed their physicals with flying colors. They now have appointments scheduled for next week.

Since this is my first time doing neuters and this is not my regular vet (my vet refers to this clinic for neuters and certain other procedures), I had a bunch of questions. I have to admit to being quite nervous about the surgeries. I am always hesitant about taking risks on elective surgeries, because I would be devastated if something went wrong. However, despite Hammie's occasional good social graces (seen above), I know he will truly be happier without those raging hormones to distract him from rat life, and I am certain his cage mates will be safer and happier if it helps even just a little. Burt is a little trickier, as I am less certain a neuter will help with his issues. His issues may be more territorial than hormonal - I am really not sure. He is also older - over a year - so health concerns are more likely with him. But he is still young enough that he should be fine with the surgery. I think introductions will have the best chance of success if both Hammie and Burt are neutered, so I am moving forward with both.

I am very glad to say that this practice has reassured me that they know what they are doing and that everything will most likely go well for both. They assured me that I will be sent home with Metacam for pain relief. There will be internal stitches that do not need to be removed, and the outer layer will not use stitches, but surgical glue. They were aware that rats should not be fasted before surgery (unlike most other animals). They explained proper post op care (keeping them alone in a single level cage, changing the liners every day, allowing a low hanging hammock for comfort if needed). They also will be seeing them for a post-op visit to make sure everything is healing up properly, and there is no additional charge for that visit. All in all, I am confident both Burt and Hammie will be in good hands.

OT - JoAnn's Fleece Sale Alert!

In an unrelated note, JoAnn's has fleece on sale through September 27th. Blizzard fleece (solids and prints) are 50% off. Anti-pill fleece prints are 60% off, solids are 50% off. For me, this means stopping by occasionally during the next few weeks and raiding the remnant bins, which will be 50% off the sale price (most will come in at about $2.50 a yard).

The Need for Companionship

Burt napping in a hammock with the three girls. He looks content!

Rats are extremely social animals and they love company: both human company and rattie company. I have heard for some animals that if they have a friend of their own type, they are less likely to bond to people. I am not sure how true that is as I don't have experience with those animals. However, I do know people who have hand fed baby finches and in the process, the finch has bonded with them. This is very rare in finches, but it does happen. However, if you return the hand-fed finch to a flock of its own kind, it will often quickly forget that bond with its human and return to its more wild nature. Rats are not like this. If someone tells you otherwise, they are mistaken.

Rats are very intelligent animals and are fully capable of forming relationships with their own kind and with their humans without sacrificing anything from either bond. In fact, other rats can help teach a new rat that you are a safe person and fun to be around and can help timid rats bond more quickly with humans.

Rats are much more fun and interesting when they have other rats to play with. They will quickly get bored when by themselves, and therefore, become more boring as pets. But there is nothing more interesting than watching rats interact: cuddling together for naps, chasing each other for play, wrestling/boxing, stealing food from each other when there is a full bowl for the taking right there, grooming each other, and comforting each other when ill.

Here is a very nice video that someone put together illustrating why rats should always be kept in groups of 2 or more:

 





I am so happy that Burt's introduction to the girls went so well. He seems so happy now with both rat friends and his new human family to play with. While he seemed just fine during quarantine, the company of rats has made him seem truly content.

Sometimes introductions can be more difficult - especially when introducing adult intact males to each other. In those cases, introductions will take much more time as the two rats get used to each other. In some cases, neuters may be necessary to keep the hormones in check. But in the end, it is definitely worth it. To avoid these problems, when getting your first rats, you should try to find two babies from the same litter or two rats that have already been living together and are bonded. That way, you do not have to go through the introduction process. When adding to our mischief, I like to add rats in pairs. That way, if there are problems with introductions, the new pair still has each other for company when going through the transition. When we took in Burt, I felt certain that our current three girls would quickly adapt to him the way they did with Pirate, so I was not concerned about adding a single male to our group of three spayed females. That combination is usually one of the easier introductions.

Rat Training Videos

15 Incredible Rat Tricks by Abby Roeser

Rats are very intelligent and can even be taught to do tricks if you are consistent and patient. For a time, we worked with Loki on learning tricks and he was making progress, until he finally decided he just wasn't interested anymore. He would kind of give us that look that says, "What do you think I am, a dog?" and walk away - turning his nose at the Cheerio pieces I had to offer. Loki is his own rat and we learned a long time ago that there is no point in trying to make him into anything else.

Now that the girls are approaching five months old, we are thinking it may be time to try working with them. They are still very energetic and maybe too scattered to focus, but they are also very curious and very eager to please if it means a treat. They are more mobile and athletic than our two big squishy boys - and thus much more capable of learning to climb or walk a tightrope or jump a chasm. Unfortunately, they are also easily distracted, so they will probably take a bit of work.

Training your rats is a good way to keep them stimulated and entertained while bonding with them in a positive and challenging way. Not only does it keep your rats challenged, but it makes interacting them more stimulating for us as well. I have a long way to go in learning how to be an effective rat trainer, but fortunately, there are some great training videos out there on YouTube.

The videos that I have learned the most from have come from crazy4ratties2 on YouTube. If you are interested in some training videos to get you started, I recommend her New and Improved Rattie Training Videos Play List. This includes an introduction to training techniques and detailed instructions for teaching your rat to spin, walk a tightrope, and raise a "bucket" on a string. You can also check out her original training videos play list - which are less polished videos that include the information in the new and improved play list, but also some videos that she hasn't redone yet, including clicker training, and jumping platforms.

To give you an idea of what is possible, be sure to check out the video embedded above by Abby Roeser - or any of the videos on her YouTube channel. These videos won't show you how to train your rat, but they will wow you with the possibilities.

And just today, in the process of looking up the links to all of these videos, I found this new one, extremely well done, just uploaded a few days ago by NanaBorderCollie, called Awesome, Amazing Rat Tricks:

They all make it look so easy - but it must be a lot of work. Someday, maybe Bella, Ruby, and Jo will be able to make their own video - but for now, I will be content with working on simple things, like Up and Spin.

There is a lot more out there on YouTube - so if you are interested, make sure to do a YouTube search on Rat Tricks or Rat Training. There are some amazing rats out there in Cyberspace!

Introductions Have Gone Well . . . .

After cleaning the cage, I returned later to find Pirate using Bela as a pillow. I guess this is literally a "pillow pet."

And then later, I found him snuggled up with Jo:

 

 

So I guess I can say that introductions have gone well and Pirate and the new girls have all formed a well-bonded group. In fact, Pirate has kind of come into a second youth, more energetic and enthusiastic than he had been since he and Loki had to be separated. It appears he is trying to fit in with this active group of excitable young ladies.

But introductions can be stressful, and we had our share of scuffles and ruffled fur and frightened eeps along the way. Fortunately, none of the rats are biters and there was never any blood spilled. I was a little worried because Pirate is so much bigger than the girls and I wasn't sure how receptive he would be to other rats after his problems with Loki, but things turned out well. I was also a little worried the other way around because the girls are so assertive and Pirate is so naturally timid - but he stood his ground - defending his territory and his manhood without getting aggressive or violent.

And since introductions are fresh in my mind, here is a reminder of the steps involved when introducing new rats to the resident rats. You shouldn't just throw everyone together or you could see territorial struggles that quickly escalate and get out of hand. Take your time with each step; they can take several days before getting them right. If things go wrong, go back a step and slow down a little.

1. Quarantine new rats before introducing them to your existing rats to keep your rats safe from viruses. Since some viruses take 3 weeks for symptoms to show up, quarantine should be 3 weeks minimum. Viruses are also airborne and do not require direct contact, so for quarantine to be effective, it should be done in a completely separate airspace.
2. Begin introductions by putting the new rats' cage close to the resident rats' cage. Make sure they are far enough apart that no one can get bit through the bars, but close enough that the rats can satisfy their curiosity about each other.
3. Switch out some hammocks from one cage into the other cage and vice versa so the rats can get used to each others' scents.
4. Temporarily switch cages - put the new rats in the resident cage while the resident rats are in the new rats' cage (do not put them in either cage together).
5. When you think they are ready, begin introductions in a neutral territory - someplace where neither group usually plays. Keep a towel and a water spray bottle handy to break-up any fights. Some people recommend putting a drop of vanilla extract at the base of the tails to mask scents (I have never tried this). Some wrestling, pinning, power grooming, and squeaking will be normal. No blood, no foul. Don't interfere unless someone is at risk of being hurt.
6. When they are getting along well in neutral territory, clean the permanent cage thoroughly and rearrange all the items in the cage to make it as new and neutral as possible. Introduce both groups of rats in the clean cage. Watch carefully for fights.