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Pet Forum / Mammals / Rats / December 2003Rattie friends
I decided to have an "out" time today with my younger cage: ratties age ranging from 5 months to 8 months. Then I decided to add my old boys Benny and Russo. Benny and Russo live alone in a single level cage because of Russo's lack of balance and permanent head tilt. Well, Benny was so happy to be with extra buddies. He did try to mount a few but they set him straight. Russo wasn't so happy. He was very worried with the extra guys coming around him, so he kept himself in a box. Once, Russo ventured out of his box and started grooming Oliver, a resident of the young cage, well Benny, turned around and came toward Russo, pushing him back in his box. Benny is definitely quite bossy. And if Russo happened to squeal because a young one was close to the box, Benny came right over to investigate. But when it was time to go "home", this was the first time ever that Benny wanted to stay out with his new friends. Even back in the cage, Benny would try to chew the cage to be let out, this has never happened before. Here's my question: Should I put Benny and Russo in the young cage or should I just have more "out" time with all of them together? I'm so afraid to have Russo where there will be levels... very worried about his lack of balance. Not sure what to do, I do see that Benny wants the extra pals.  SignatureJoanne Mom to 14 rats http://community.webshots.com/user/joanneb70 j-s.b@nospamsympatico.ca remove "no spam" I think I would put them together making lower hiding spots for Russo. Since he did come out that one time, and if Benny will let him again, it might be nice for him too. It's a tough one. It might be one of those things to try when you're home to monitor and they can go visiting the neighbor boys for a while. It seems the more I've fretted over these kinds of things with my girls in the past then finally made my decision the little rascals adapted just fine. Good luck and keep us posted. J > I decided to have an "out" time today with my younger cage: ratties age > ranging from 5 months to 8 months. Then I decided to add my old boys Benny [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > lack of balance. Not sure what to do, I do see that Benny wants the extra > pals. > I think I would put them together making lower hiding spots for Russo. > Since he did come out that one time, and if Benny will let him again, it [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > of things with my girls in the past then finally made my decision the little > rascals adapted just fine. Good luck and keep us posted. J I will definitely have to monitor for the first little while... still not sure if I'll just let them play together or live together... I just worry too much. ;) SignatureJoanne Mom to 14 rats http://community.webshots.com/user/joanneb70 j-s.b@nospamsympatico.ca remove "no spam" > I decided to have an "out" time today with my younger cage: ratties age > ranging from 5 months to 8 months. Then I decided to add my old boys Benny [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > j-s.b@nospamsympatico.ca > remove "no spam" Ah - a difficult one... it would be great for them all to be together though so perhaps you could just have a trial run and keep a vigilant eye on Russo and see how he copes with the levels. You could always put an extra food dish, water bottle and sleeping box on the low level for Russo, so that if he didn't want to venture far he wouldn't have to. Good luck! Tracey I forgot to add.. that I cannot put Gizmo in the Big House as there is one boy in there who Hates him and actually put a nasty cut around his throat.:( > > I decided to have an "out" time today with my younger cage: ratties age > > ranging from 5 months to 8 months. Then I decided to add my old boys Benny [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > > Tracey > Ah - a difficult one... it would be great for them all to be together > though so perhaps you could just have a trial run and keep a vigilant eye on [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Tracey I like the idea of extra food dish and bottle... but to stop him from trying out the levels...eek! SignatureJoanne Mom to 14 rats http://community.webshots.com/user/joanneb70 j-s.b@nospamsympatico.ca remove "no spam" I have had the same dilemma with Gizmo.. He likes the young company but now can't handle it for any length of time. He is well and truly retired now..:( The Boys I had in with him would go for visits to the big house to "play with the BIG Kids" but it got harder and harder to put them back in with Gizmo. They were trying to chew through the bars... I tried putting them in with Gizmo through the day and in the Big House at night but they still weren't very happy going back. In the end I just had to put the kids in with the other guys and when its roaming time I leave Gizmos door open so he can have visitors... I suppose its the best of a bad bargain, but better than nothing...:) Regards Kate > I decided to have an "out" time today with my younger cage: ratties age > ranging from 5 months to 8 months. Then I decided to add my old boys Benny [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > lack of balance. Not sure what to do, I do see that Benny wants the extra > pals. > I have had the same dilemma with Gizmo.. > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Regards Kate Ah, poor Gizmo!! Does he look lonely now? Um, you know what this means Kate don't you? You have to go and get Gizmo a friend...LOL SignatureJoanne Mom to 14 rats http://community.webshots.com/user/joanneb70 j-s.b@nospamsympatico.ca remove "no spam" Joanne !!!!! If I get ONE more Rat Michael is gonna kick my a.s all the way to your place...LMAO. I think the time has come where Gizmo just wants to sleep the day away...:) > > I have had the same dilemma with Gizmo.. > > [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > Ah, poor Gizmo!! Does he look lonely now? Um, you know what this means Kate > don't you? You have to go and get Gizmo a friend...LOL > Joanne !!!!! If I get ONE more Rat Michael is gonna kick my a.s all the way > to your place...LMAO. > I think the time has come where Gizmo just wants to sleep the day > away...:) Ok, Kate, when you get here, bring all your ratties too. ;) SignatureJoanne Mom to 14 rats http://community.webshots.com/user/joanneb70 j-s.b@nospamsympatico.ca remove "no spam" Do I understand that Benny really likes expanding his circle of friends and Russo is less enthusiastic about it? That might not really matter since living together might change things. It did for two of my girls, Flo and Daisy, when I put them together. For weeks, when they played together it seemed that Daisy was a little rough on Flo and Flo would just as soon do without. But when they were together 24/7, Daisy backed off and Flo is perfectly happy with her. About the head tilt. I have to reference Flo again, since she's been a head tilt survivor for 18 months. She never had it REALLY bad but she did fall over and off things a good deal. Her balance still seems off, but she seems to have adjusted to her condition and doesn't take the chances she once did. Maybe Russo will make similar adjustments. > I decided to have an "out" time today with my younger cage: ratties age --------------snip------------- about his > lack of balance. Not sure what to do, I do see that Benny wants the extra > pals. > Do I understand that Benny really likes expanding his circle of > friends and Russo is less enthusiastic about it? That might not really [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > off, but she seems to have adjusted to her condition and doesn't take > the chances she once did. Maybe Russo will make similar adjustments. Russo has had head tilt for about that: 18 months. And he bobs around with very little balance, poor fella. I think I may just give a try... but first I want to go slow with intros... don't want any mishaps. SignatureJoanne Mom to 14 rats http://community.webshots.com/user/joanneb70 j-s.b@nospamsympatico.ca remove "no spam" I found when one of my girls had head tilt and virtually no balence, she tended to keep herself where she was confident she was safe, I made sure there was nowhere she could fall any further than 3" to 4" just incase she became overly confident, I did this by just putting large wooden blocks under the shelf overhangs so if she did take a spill, she wouldn't fall too far. It actually improved her mobility a bit because she could kind of wiggle herself bum first to get down. She stayed in the main cage like this for quite a few months before she developed genital myco and lost the fight. > I decided to have an "out" time today with my younger cage: ratties age > ranging from 5 months to 8 months. Then I decided to add my old boys Benny [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > j-s.b@nospamsympatico.ca > remove "no spam" > I found when one of my girls had head tilt and virtually no balence, she > tended to keep herself where she was confident she was safe, [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > She stayed in the main cage like this for quite a few months before she > developed genital myco and lost the fight. I'm wondering, if placing hammocks in strategic places may help? Did your old rat go into hammocks with much problems? SignatureJoanne Mom to 14 rats http://community.webshots.com/user/joanneb70 j-s.b@nospamsympatico.ca remove "no spam" No, she seemed to feel that they were a bit beyond her, so i didn't tempt her with them > > I found when one of my girls had head tilt and virtually no balence, she > > tended to keep herself where she was confident she was safe, [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > j-s.b@nospamsympatico.ca > remove "no spam" |
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