How to introduce a baby rat to an old rat?

[Amy Miller]

The baby was born on July 4th and the older one is almost a year old... How do you introduce them properly? I don't have another cage and I really don't want to buy another one. Should I introduce them in the bath tub? My older rat hates the bath tub though and jumps out... Help?

 

[Bailey Reed]

hm............not sure

 

[Emily]

What I did was this. I brought my old rat into the bathroom and I also brought my new baby in. I set them on the floor and just watched them for a while. You don't have to put them in the bathroom, just make sure you put them in a place that isn't your old rats territory. Make sure you cage is completely cleaned very thoroughly (I actually switched around some things) and put both of them in. Watch them for a few minutes, then just stay in the room. You could watch TV, use the computer, listen to music, stuff like that. I would suggest staying in there for maybe and hour or so. If you hear what i call "peeping" or squeaking, go over and check on them. Sometimes the ones I have now peep when the other one is cleaning them. When I brought in a anew one to my older one, the older one would sort of kick the baby away when the baby was pestering her. Don't worry about it. Just keep and eye on them and make sure that neither of them are getting hurt. This is what I did and all of my rats I've introduced to the others have become best friends! Also with the older ones like yours, they babies sometimes think the older one is its mom. It is adorable!! Good luck with your rats!

 

[Petlover]

i put my 1 year old rat in the empty bath, i then added 2 8 week old babies, got on grate, week later added a 6 week old did the bath thing again, i now have 10 rats lol, if you don't have a closed secure room then the bath is the only place, ones you have done that scrub the cage clean, then put in the baby and adult together, maybe add a couple of new toys and change it around for her so takes her mind off the other, if they fight in the bath get them with cold water, luckily i had no fights with any


thanks emily

 

[vulcannn]

That will not end well! rats canot be introduced like that. They have to have grown up together. get a separate cage and if you can go back to where you got the baby rat and get another from the same litter.

 

[Sandra L.]

My birthday is July 4th! Lol..
Put them both on neutral ground.
Rats are very social and enjoy the company of other rats, so your rats will most likely get along!

Good luck~

 

[Lisa Morse]

It doesn't have to be the bathtub, just a neutral area. Then progress to an area the resident rat is used to playing, then finally, the cage. However, if it doesn't go well, you are going to need a spare cage - introductions can sometimes take weeks. http://www.dapper.com.au/articles.htm#cage Try making one like this - it is good temporary housing and will allow you to quarantine the new rat, which is super important.