Pet Forum / Mammals / Rats / December 2003

Quarantining is usually to avoid bringing home viruses and bugs to your
current pets.
Quarantining should last between 2 to 4 weeks: when it's evident that there
are no scabs on the newcomers (bugs) and no sneezes, wheezing...
Once that is done, they you can place the cages side by side so the rats
will get used to the new rat smells. Then intros on neutral ground and watch
for any "big" fights... when all is ok, scrub down the main cage and
rearrange cage accessories and put the new rats in, while the others are out
for a playtime, then add the current tenants back into their new clean home
with the guests. Watch closely for "big bloody" fights, some squabble,
squeaking, fear shrieks may occur and this is normal.
Good luck!!

Hello,

If I am right in assuming (from your email address) you are in the UK,
then you do not need to worry about quarantine in the same way as they
do in the USA.  Obviously your new babies could still bring home "germs"
but over here we are fortunate that we do not have such killer strains
of SDA etc.

I personally have never quarantined new rats, BUT I have also never
taken home rats from a pet shop, only from rescue centres or breeders
where their health has been closely watched.

In my personal opinion, if your new babies are coming from a responsible
breeder there would be no need to quarantine.  If your babies are coming
from a pet shop, I would have to ask why, as an establishment which
sells animals for profit is really not set up to give an animal the best
start in life, and there are plenty of rat breeders in the UK.

If you do not need to quarantine the babis can be introduced to their
new cagemates at six weeks old.  Adults readily accept babies of this
age, and the intros can often be done in one day.

Hope this helps,
Alison