[Mana]

After just two intro sessions, I decided to try putting Rokk in with the girls. It had gone really well it seemed, especially with him and Jellybean (Coconut seems to like bullying him), but of course it felt like I was really jumping the gun, so I kept a *very* close watch on them all day yesterday (which was easy since the power was out and the phones were down, so I had nothing else to do -.-). After the expected dominance scuffles (Rokk wasted no time at all in letting the girls know who is king of that castle! hehe) and what looked like the girls just trying to annoy him (they would follow him around while he was completely minding his own business, getting in his way and sticking their noses into his side - at one Jellybean picked up his tail and nibbled the end of it :lol, they seemed to all settle down for their afternoon naps.

I was a little apprehensive about leaving them in there together overnight while I slept though - I thought about sticking Rokk back in his old cage for the night, and just keeping them together during the day while I could supervise if necessary. But really there hadn't been any trouble at all, and the cage is big enough for any of them to escape any of the others if they need to/want to, so I left them in there.

Today I woke up to the cutest sight ever! Jellybean and Rokk were sleeping curled up together on the top shelf! I tried to get a picture, but my camera decided to stop working of course. And she actually groomed his face... and is at this very moment grooming his back! I feel bad for Coconut though - she doesn't like Rokk as much, and was sleeping by herself on the next shelf down. If you have an odd number of rats living together, do you notice them pairing off and leaving one out? Do they just need more time to all get themselves established?

I'm just SO glad it went this well. Rokk already seems happier! And I am so so relieved to not have 3 rat cages to clean anymore :lol:

 

[Sky14]

He IS fixed right?

 

[Mana]

Of course! He was neutered a little over 3 weeks ago

 

[Poppyseed]

Wee! Congrats on that! I hope to soon get one or two boys neutered so they can join the degoolied club.

 

[Sparker]

I love that term - degooglied... I'd never heard it before. :lol:

 

[Vixie]

Heee--Jake fell in love with Acid when I put them together. Romi is kind of the tag-along...I feel kind of bad but she still seems happy to run and chase and terrorize them. ;P

 

[Sky14]

.....she still seems happy to run and chase and terrorize them. ;P

LOL :lol: Thats the way to do it!!! :lol:

 

[SamsterAndRocky]

Rocky and Rufus just got put together today, they absolutly LOVE each other, they are already snuggling when they sleep.

 

[Mana]

Coconut and Rokk do not like each other much. Whenever they run into each other, they both go into what looks like a battle stance, where they each stand up on their hind feet and open their mouths. I keep worrying that one will attack the other, but usually one of them will back down and walk away. I have no idea if it has anything to do with dominance, because sometimes Coconut will back down and sometimes Rokk will. Coconut is also very squeaky these days. If one of the other rats gets close to her, she squeaks. If I pick her up, she squeaks. She also runs from me now if I try to pick her up. I'm kind of worried about her.

Since Sakura's quarantine was already broken, do you think it would be okay if I start introducing them? An even number of rats might be better, so Coconut can maybe bond to Sakura and have someone to play with and sleep with since Jellybean now prefers Rokk...

 

[Forensic]

That's what's often called 'boxing'. Presumably the rat that goes down first is submitting (or showing weakness by being unable to stand longer than the other). It is dominance, but if no fighting's occurring you may be okay. You can try intros if you like, if Rokk's not thoroughly settled yet with Coconut it may throw them in greater disarray (which may or may not be a good thing).

 

[Sky14]

Coconut is also very squeaky these days. If one of the other rats gets close to her, she squeaks. If I pick her up, she squeaks. She also runs from me now if I try to pick her up. I'm kind of worried about her.

She could be in heat. My Eskyda gets squeaky when she's in heat. She also gets a bit "jumpy" if I surprise her she reacts as if her tail just got bitten...

Anyway you know female ratsys go into heat for 4 days a week? (or something like that) Right? That might be why she isn't getting along with THE BOY.... 8O LOL :lol:

 

[Mana]

Sky - For some reason, that never even occurred to me! I hadn't noticed her ever squeaking when it was just her and Jellybean, but if she is in heat with a boy around, that could be affecting her. Would a female in heat try to dominate a male? That first day, there weren't any problems except her acting like an annoying little sister, but she also wasn't squeaky at all. Maybe now Rokk's not happy because she's challenging him, but he doesn't know what to do with a female in heat?

Since I have them separated again right now, I think tomorrow I will try introing Sakura. Being around other rats will probably help her come out of her shell, and since Jellybean is the only one who seems comfortable with everyone else, I think it'll be okay.

Thanks!

 

[Sky14]

No prob!!! And about the dominance what that is about is she's telling him she will NOT be his mate and that's that!!!! LOL :lol: You understand?

 

[Mana]

After a couple days of just having them all out together during free time, Rokk has settled down and last night happily went with the girls into their cage.

Sakura and the girls loved each other from the start, and all curled up together in the drawer for an afternoon nap. In the cage they all slept together underneath this curved wooden thing. It's so cute!

Yesterday it was Rokk and Sakura who slept together in the drawer. I caught him grooming her face and thought "omg awwwww!" - and last night somehow the four of them all squished together under the wooden thing, even though I originally took it out of Rokk's cage because I thought he was too big to fit under it ^_^

Now that Rokk lives with the girls and Sakura can be included as "one of the girls" and Jellybean doesn't bite or even squeak anymore when I pick her up - we're all one big happy rat pack!