*Peaceful Introduction - Personal Experiances Appreciated!*

[Cypher]

In a couple of weeks I'll be adding a new baby rat to the cage of my lone rat, Minch (single because her cage mate recently passed away). Minch is just over a year old, and not the type of rat who is comfortable with human handling at all.  She has bit me twice, and still shies away from my hand.  I suspect there is little way to curb this behavior, as it seems to be etched into her personality.    But  what I was really wondering....

... if she's grumpy with human attention, and obviously strictly territorial, how will she cope with a new baby?  Please, tell me how to make an introduction as best/peaceful as possible: where should they meet?  Should I prepare Minch (current rat) in any way?  How should I arrange the cage, so that once they are both in there Minch doesn't hog her box and keep the little one from entering?

Any personal experiences would be great!  

[Kendra]

When I was doing intros with my boys, there got to be a point with Arden where nothing worked.  NOTHING.  They would fight any time I put him in the cage.  Outside the cage, fine, inside, no way.  He didn't help matters either, jumping rats three times him size.  I tried cleaning, washing, and rubbing them all with vanilla.  It seemed futile.  Until..... I read a tip on a website.  It literally changed everything.  I can't remember the site right now, or I would link to it.    

I put all the boys in the bathtub, then I splattered them all with pudding.  They were so busy cleaning themselves, and holding eachother down to clean them, that they didn't fight.  I never had another major fight after that.  It was bliss.  

Kendra

[TheChicagoCrew]

Hmm.. THANK YOU for that tip, Kendra!!  

 I am trying to intro all my rats (boys to boys, girls to girls) so that they can all live in one cage (separate for boys, separate for girls). This will definitely help a great deal.

-Melina

[Cypher]

I put all the boys in the bathtub, then I splattered them all with pudding.  They were so busy cleaning themselves, and holding eachother down to clean them, that they didn't fight.  I never had another major fight after that.  It was bliss.  

Thanks for the tip!  I think I've heard that before through the RFC somewhere, but I had forgotten.  I'll try it, for sure! I hope Minch (my current rat) doesn't bite instead of lick the  pudding - or at least that is what she does when there is pudding on my finger.   Owch.  Maybe it's personal.