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:
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: