i have one female rat and i'm going to get another female rat tomorrow - how do i introduce them to each other? will they fight and how long will it take for them to be friends? is there a site that can help me? i will be picking best answer to who helps me the most and gives me a website that helps!
THANKS
Thanks for buying her a friend. :)
http://www.freewebs.com/dumbotree/ratinf… pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com http://www.dapper.com.au/articles.htm#in…The link at the top has a step-by-step guide on how to introduce them (just scroll down a bit). The second one has links to introduction guides but also gives some tips garnered through long experience.
Some rats will go together really easily. My first pair of boys allowed the second pair into their cage quite gracefully. After some rampant butt-sniffing and a bit of power-grooming, the older boys were content to allow the smaller ones to dash around the cage unhindered. It took me only a few hours. :) Other rats may need days or even weeks to get to know the newcomer, particularly if he or she has been alone for a while.
Remember, whilst following the process in the first link, that some fighting is totally normal. Rats fight for dominance but also for fun. If you see wrestling, power grooming, kick-boxing or hear squeaking, that's just their way of getting to know each other. They will chase like mad, sniff each other a lot and generally turn into furry balls of activity.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com However, if you hear hissing or screaming, which is very different from even the most vigorous squeaking and quite horrible to hear, see blood, biting (not the same as power-grooming), or see either rat puffing up and sidling up to the other, then that's a bad sign. Seperate them and give them a break. Try again in an hour or two.
Some people find that allowing all the rats to eat together under your supervision really helps. Something smelly, like tuna, is good, because it makes them all smell the same. :)
Remember not to move on to the next step in the introduction process until both you and the rats are totally happy with the step you are on. You don't want to force them.
Clean out the cage and re-arrange the furniture before putting both of the rats in at the final step. This will help prevent the first rat from thinking the territory is all hers. :)
I hope these tips help and that you can have a smooth, successful and speedy introduction. :)
