[Sightlessxx]

I’ve never used a forum before so let me know if I’m in the wrong section and anything else.
So I have a young group of rats. That I don’t think are exactly fancy rats. More almost like wild? I got them as babies on Craigslist and have no knowledge on previous lineage. I say this as now that I got a new pair. My previous boys who are younger appear much larger and have more buck grease than these new boys who are a year old.
Another concern is my new pair doesn’t seem to know how to be rats? Not that the previous owners were Necessarily bad. They are sweet hearts that are litterBox trained and lease trained. But they didn’t have any hideaways, No things to climb on, and a single bare minimum hammock.

I suppose I could of course just keep them separate. If I was to try and incorporate my new boys to the main group I just feel like they might overwhelm the new boys.
Especially if my alpha is intimated by them being older than him. It would break my heart if my poor hairless was scratched and beaten up.

(I included a picture Of their cage I received compared to my current double critter nation. I gave them a few items for them to enjoy like a hammock, space pod, and forage toy)

 

[Verucasdad]

First off all domesticated rats are fancy rats. Your boys are domesticated. With the new guys, just add hides and toys. I am sure they will get the idea. Introductions are a slow process. I'd start by switching stuff between cages whether it be cloth items such as hammocks or toys. This is so they get the scent of the others. I see your cages are close together which helps as long as they were quarantined first. Then I'd find neutral territory such as the bath tub or a playpen to put them together. I normally sit in with them so they have a base to go to. They may "wrestle" or "fight" and this can be just domination play. If there are injuries I would separate. Do this a few times. Then there are several ways to proceed. There are videos on YouTube to help. Generally my intros take 2 to 4 weeks.

 

[Rex the Rat]

Nice cage setup!

 

[TwilxghtRat]

I agree that those are indefinitely fancy rats! I have a few videos linked below on how to introduce rats, hopefully those help! The introduction process is stressful, but don’t forget that you will be way more stressed out then the rats themselves! I also suggest that you do add a few enrichment toys to your smaller cage because your boys are probably quite bored if you haven’t moved or added anything for a while, but you might not have to do this if you introduce them soon! I hope this helped and feel free to ask any questions! ❤🐭

~Links~
Different Ways to Introduce Rats (I personally recommend the carrier method)!
Emiology’s Rat Introduction Video, She’s a Fantastic Rat YouTuber!
Shadow the Rat’s Introduction Video, Also a Great YouTuber!