# Rat bonding



## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

I did reply this in your other thread.

Use the spare cage. 
Make sure it smells of neither your existing or the new rats.
Put them in it, any order is fine and about mid day is best as they should nap after a while.
Feed them something such as baby food (the mushy kind) that they cant grab and run off with, something they have to stay next to eachother and eat but make sure its in a large enough bowl that they can all get into it at once. Eating is a social thing with rats. They may groom themselves/eachother after that.
Don't put any accessories in just the bare cage/carrier and leave them a while so that they go to sleep, they should sleep together.

Keep handy a squirty bottle JUST in case as your rat has lived on her own for so long she may find 3 babies irritating and tell them off. Just if any squabbles go on for more than a few secs spray them and tell them off.

With it being babies you SHOULD have no problems and once they been for a sleep and have been no major fights then put them all in the cage you intend to keep them in but remove enclosed spaces for a few days (ie igloo houses, sputniks with the lids on etc).



Last year I took my first rats (since the last time I owned any a few years ago). They lived in a critter 2. 
I then rescued 3 sisters in a critter 3 but they arrived in a box which I put in a pet carrier and left them in there while I took off one level of the 3 (it was actually a 2 stuck to a 1) and thoroughly cleaned it so there was no smell.
Put my 2 rats in there then put the 3 new ones in and watched for a while before putting some food in.
Then while they were in there I got the cage cleaned out and ready. I think they were in the bonding cage for less than 2 hours as they were all getting on really well and none of them were babies. They were following eachother round, grooming eachother and then they went to sleep in a big heap.


Then I added a baby at xmas and again, absolutely fine noo squabbles taking her in.

I currently have one of the 3 sisters that I added and my xmas rat and bonded them very quickly and completely sucessfully to four 6 week old babies.
They do still have the odd squabble but tbh its when the babies are p'ing the older girl off she likes her own space sometimes but she is 3ish now.



ps while your cleaning the cage anyway, I would scrub the bars down. I used pet safe cage spray and a dish scrubber thingy (when I got the critter 3 it was disgusting I don't think it had been cleaned for months)


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

Some people like to remove all accessories, I just leave everything else in. As they are babies they are much less likely to squabble over things like that but the enclosed spaces I think they are more likely to squabble because they feel trapped if you know what I mean?


And just keep an eye out on ebay... I managed to get an explorer for £35! Luckily my friends happened to be going near the area the guy was in and I am so pleased with it


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

This is how I do mine.

Place rats in dry bath can be either rats first I think I do newbies then add existing rats.
Leave like this for half hour. Observing and leaving them to sniff each other. Pin each other down and get groomed some squeaking maybe heard.
Things that are bad are when rats fur goes really spiky like a bog brush, side sidling and kicking back legs out. Then they go in for a bite. This is aggression.

If all goes well place all rats in a small hamster sized cage with just food bowl and water bottle. Leave them like this for at least 2 days.

Then if all goes well add all rats the the furet cage. This needs to be thoroughly cleaned and stripped down so it's bare.
Add rats and again just bottle and food.
If all goes well add a hammock, if they snuggle up and all is well add something else and so on. Do this each day. Until you and your rats are happy.
If for some reason things go bad you need to start right back at the beginning with bath intros and do it slowly by this I mean meeting once or twice a day in the bath for a few days. Then go to the hamster cage and leave in there say a week. And so on.

Females are a lot easier to intro than males.
P.s make sure they are all females, males have huge testicles.

Good luck.


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## chrisd (Aug 25, 2011)

When are you going to get them? Don't forget the pics!


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## Guest (Mar 23, 2012)

Just so you know, if you need to neutralise any cage all you need to do is scrub it (bars and all) with a mixture of white wine vinegar, a little bleach and some hot water.
The vinegar smell is strong enough to cover up any previous smells to the rats 

babies are a doddle to bond so I don't predict any issues at all for you


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Come on come on come on come on come on we need piccies lol dying of wait here


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

I am not willing to discuss rat bonding, or anything else with you till I get pictures, and Im fully prepared to throw a proper tantrum too


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Looks to me like all is going really well.
The babies are lovely, they'll fade like Tia as there all huskys/roans.

Now there in the small cage leave them like this for at least 2-3 days poss even a week since Tia did bog brush up. She needs time to bond with them and I think if you rush them into the furet cage the cage Tia has had all to herself these past 5 months she could start scrapping. Yeh so leave them in the hamster cage for now. Get them all out on your bed at the same time as they'll need plenty of free range being in a small cage.

Now that Tia is in with them she has prob scent marked them with droplets of her urine. So they will smell of her.

Is the cage in your room at the minute so you can observe them? See how they are getting along etc? A really good sign is when there all cuddled up together in a rat pile.

Being as there 8 weeks old you should try feeding them chicken and scrambled egg for protein. Helps them grow and give them a good start. Tia will also like some. Give the babies more though until there 12 weeks old.
My lads get chicken once a week with bones as they like to knaw on them and it's good for calcium. They get egg once a week too and then lots of fresh raw veggies daily and cooked. They get dry and cooked pasta and porridge.infact rats will and can eat most things. I don't give spicy foods or pips and stones from fruit nor skin of fruits you wouldn't ear yourself.

I'm really pleased for both you and Tia. You have done such a good thing for Tia and over the next few days you will notice a huge difference in her but she will still have that bond with you! 

Keep handling the babies, plonk them down your top and they'll soon get used to you. Plus Tia will show them your not a threat as they will learn from her.

Amy


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Are all 3 dumbo eared?
They are lovely.


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

This is great news.
Yeh just keep adding a little something each day.
And if you feel after a couple more days they seem really happy u could even poss try them in the furet cage. But only you knows when the time is right.


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## Guest (Mar 26, 2012)

colliewobble said:


> Woohoo I have today moved all 4 into the furet cage! When I went to the shed this morning they were all squished into the Sputnik and I have seen no sign of uneasiness between them, so I moved them into the ferplast to give them more space. They love it, been dashing up and down the wire, they seem to really use up every bit of space so I am determined to get a bigger cage asap. Their still not sure of being picked up, but I did manage to get all 4 running around on my shoulders at once which is quite.. different to one to say the least!:yikes:
> 
> I take it that now their bonded they won't start fighting now or un-bond in any way?


hehe, told you it wouldn't be hard 
they should be fine together now, you might find that a few squabbles break out when the babies hit sexual maturity but the key is no blood, no foul


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## LostGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

yeah glad itsgone well 

no they shouldnt fall out, you may get the odd little fight but its nothing really sometimes they get grumpy and need some spaces just like us sothey will tell someone off if needed


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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

They live in the shed??


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

Sounds an awesome set up but I think I'll stick to having my rats beside the tv  :lol: 
All I can hear just now is munch munch munch munch they are eating monkey nuts


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

My mum made my rat JD live in the shed when I had to move home  Much better living away from home :lol:  I just had to get OH to agree to rats and didn't tell him how much bigger than the critter the explorer was going to be!  Luckily his brand hew phone arrived the same day so he didn't say a thing! Haha


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## Guest (Mar 26, 2012)

colliewobble said:


> Oh good thats a relief!
> 
> Yes B3rnie I am eating a very big piece of humble pie, it wasn't hard to bond them. I was slightly afraid it would be difficult like my buns, who were awful when I first tried to put them together and the eldest flew at the younger one. I am amazed at how easy it's been, I really wasn't sure if Tia would like having to share both her attention and her cage, but I have been proved extremely wrong.:blushing::blushing:


hehe after bonding rabbits most animals are easy to bond 
Well apart from Degu's, give me difficult rabbits to bond any day over some male degu's :lol:


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

I bet you feel better for getting Tia some friends now?

Have u noticed a change in her at all? Like her behaviour etc?

I'm so glad the intros went well sounds like you have a lovely bunch there.
And as others have said you may see your younger girls squabbling and pinning each other down followed by squeaking.
This is all normal rat behaviour but what isn't normal is open bloody wounds.

Now then we need pics of the ratty pile! :yesnod:


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

tia will def be feeling happier and she has her little friends now to keep her occupied.

glad its all worked out well for you and tia.

can't wait to see pics


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

Lovely pics!


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Awww there like triplets. Lol
Was Tia snuggled in there too?:001_wub:


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## Guest (Mar 31, 2012)

Very cute ratties


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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