Rats of different sizes living together?
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Well... it depends on how much larger the big rat is. Sometimes, an adult rat will kill a foreign baby rat. I've seen it happen - it only takes a second for a neck/spine to get broken.
If the small rat you're planning on introducing is very young, I'd be cautious when doing introductions. I've had very good luck in introducing 3 wk olds with adults in the past, but they were related. Also, they had been in constant contact since birth.
Also, when I've introduced a 5-7wk rat to an adult, the young one will try to get the adult to play with them constantly. Depending on the adult's personality, this can be okay or a terrible thing. Two of my adult males (one's getting neutered right now!) take any attempt to play by a young rat as an attack, and then leave large holes in the youngun.
So... be careful. Take your intros slow, and everything should be okay.
(Oh, and there've been reported problems with introducing dwarves in with regular rats - instinct kicks in, and the standard rats will often attack the dwarves.)
If the small rat you're planning on introducing is very young, I'd be cautious when doing introductions. I've had very good luck in introducing 3 wk olds with adults in the past, but they were related. Also, they had been in constant contact since birth.
Also, when I've introduced a 5-7wk rat to an adult, the young one will try to get the adult to play with them constantly. Depending on the adult's personality, this can be okay or a terrible thing. Two of my adult males (one's getting neutered right now!) take any attempt to play by a young rat as an attack, and then leave large holes in the youngun.
So... be careful. Take your intros slow, and everything should be okay.
(Oh, and there've been reported problems with introducing dwarves in with regular rats - instinct kicks in, and the standard rats will often attack the dwarves.)
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this is good to know, two of my three babies were attacked by one of the adults and i wondered why...but they must have misread the play for fighting. i worry that my babies annoy the older ones with all the play so i try and give the adults some time out every so often.2manyrats said:
The adults will also fight the younger ones for dominance - a new rat challenges the current hierarchy, even if it's a baby rat that won't actually be top dawg (at least until it grows up). The dominant rat has to make it clear that they're the dominant one - and lots of rats get wounds that way.
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that too is true! it is my second in command though that has the problem with them. the dominant of the adult two is fairly not bothered by them, however the babies always try to mount her, which must be a dominance display.
they are all getting on great at the moment. massive cage to stretch out in but all squeezed into the smallest hammock!
they are all getting on great at the moment. massive cage to stretch out in but all squeezed into the smallest hammock!
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