NYC Adoption Day for the Colebrook Rat Project (Harmony House Rat Rescue)

[Drusilla]

[Drusilla]

Feel free to contact me for more info.

[vombatus_ursinus]

I'm thinking of getting a spayed female or getting a female and spaying her. I'm guessing none of these rescue ratties have been fixed, but I thought I'd check anyway, or ask if you know of somewhere in the NYC area where I could have it done cheaply. (I have a male rat who's a little over 1 year old and is not neutered, and he's never met another rat, so I don't think he'd get along with another male. Any thoughts?) Good luck with the adoptions!

Laura

[Drusilla]

No they're not fixed. Dr. Pilny (where is daoption day is being held) is terrific but pricy. I can get info on a vet in Brooklyn (Park Slope I think) who chareges (I think) $150 and is okay.

I'm thinking of getting a spayed female or getting a female and spaying her. I'm guessing none of these rescue ratties have been fixed, but I thought I'd check anyway, or ask if you know of somewhere in the NYC area where I could have it done cheaply. (I have a male rat who's a little over 1 year old and is not neutered, and he's never met another rat, so I don't think he'd get along with another male. Any thoughts?) Good luck with the adoptions!

Laura

[Drusilla]

FYI everyone: Sharry will be asking for a $10 adoption fee (per rat I think). I found this out after I made the flier.

[vombatus_ursinus]

Yikes, I was afraid it'd be a big number like that. I'd really like to get Milo a friend now that I'm getting a bigger cage, but I'm so broke. Do you have any opinion on introducing not-fixed boys? My understanding is that's almost doomed to fail.

No they're not fixed. Dr. Pilny (where is daoption day is being held) is terrific but pricy. I can get info on a vet in Brooklyn (Park Slope I think) who chareges (I think) $150 and is okay.

[Blu Rat]

 vombatus_ursinus,
Please don't take this the wrong way but where ever you got that information is completely wrong! Most people here have un-neutered male rats that they have introduced and co-exist just fine. Neutering can be very costly, although beneficial, and is only absolutely necessary when housing the opposite sex together.
I myself have done introductions all four times rather easily, with no problems. I actually find males easier to intro than females, but that depends on the rat. They are all individual.
 There is a certain amount of "kangaroo standing" and power grooming and occasional squeaks. One male will be dominant and the others will find their place, but most of what they do is huff and puff.
 Intros are best done in a neutral territory like a bath tub and once you are ready to put them in a cage together, you want it to be clean with all new fabrics so it doesn't smell like any one male. I also DON'T use treats when I intro simply because then there is nothing yummy to want to brawl over. Using these technics, I have never had males fight badly or take longer than a day to learn to live together and be friends.
 Hope this helps!
Em

[vombatus_ursinus]

Hmmm. I've just read/been told that ballbearing boys have more testosterone which makes them more aggressive and harder to introduce. But since I'm going to have another cage soon, I think I'm gonna go to the event and give this a try. Unless I have to work that day, which would suck. Thanks a lot for your advice, blu rat.

[Macie_and_Emma]

Especially if you adopt younger boys, you should be able to do successful intros if you dont rush it and do it properly.  Usually the babies are more willing to just surrender to the older rats, and so the pecking order gets established easier.  Not always the case, but its easier, I'd say, than intro'ing adult male rats (which still isn't impossible by any means).  But like they've said, it all depends on the personality of the rats involved.


And if you were to get 1 baby boy rat, might as well get 2 so he has a qtine buddy and someone to grow old with!!!!

[vombatus_ursinus]

And if you were to get 1 baby boy rat, might as well get 2 so he has a qtine buddy and someone to grow old with!!!!

That's a good idea, thanks.