[rattikins]

So I was just thinking about the whole introductions process and here's my issue.

When you purchase two (or more) ratties from a breeder or store, there's a chance that they have only been co-habitating for less than a day in some instances, and that they were not even properly introduced. However in said case, no one raises an eyebrow about plopping them in the cage together.

So, why is it such a difference orientating a new friend into the picture, wouldn't it be just like at the pet store/breeder?

I can understand the health reason, but I'm just curious about why such a big deal about living quarters after quarantine, being that this isn't how they "start out"

Also, please understand that I'm not trying to by-pass the process, nor am I anywhere near needing to at this point and time, this is just a thought I had and wanted to discuss with others.

Cheers.

 

[Forensic]

I would argue that usually from a breeder you're buying siblings from the same litter. Another issue is that they've already been exposed to each other, so anything one has the other has already been exposed to it. And you cannot say for certain how long they've been together at a store, yet another reason to bypass the store.

 

[twitch]

in some cases i would say that the lengthy introductions aren't needed, (i've had intros that only lasted an hour before everyone was safe to be living in the same cage) but it greatly depends on the rats involved. in other cases you have to go back steps and take longer because of those rats involved. the introduction procedure is used more of a precaution until you know how fast those particular rats want to go and as stepping stones to get rats that initially don't like each other to learn to like each other.

in pet store cases, normally the rats have traveled together, some of them don't make it to the store alive because of illness or fights with other rats because of intro issues. at the store, if there is a fight the employees either make it there in time and remove the rats from each other or the rats may be killed or seriously injured. if the injury is highly visible or severe they are "put in the back" sometimes to heal, other times to be fed to resident reptiles because they are not "perfect" anymore, so "no one" will buy them. in cases where there is a difference of a feeder bin and a pet bin, rats in the feeder bin may have started out in the pet bin only to be moved over to the feeder when they have received an injury.

 

[rattikins]

Wow twitch, thank you so much for the extremely helpful post! I guess I never thought of it that way, and it's so sad because that's actually WHY I never had, because they hide it.

I have to admit that I just cried reading that. Thank you to all those wonderful souls out there who take in "not perfect" ratties and love them!!!

 

[twitch]

personally i like the permawinkers. i can't help thinking how cute they are. i mean all rats are cute but they pull an extra cuteness string. saying that though, i've never gotten one either, but that is only because i have yet to come across one. i think where i'm at the injured are just taken to the back.