Ratablog

Introducing Witter

If you've looked at the main Ratinabox page, you know Witter is an alone rat. That doesn't keep him from not being interested in the other rats, nor does it really keep us from trying to introduce him to the main gang. So far, tho, we've had no luck, and it breaks my heart.

Witter is a very loving rat--to people. To other rats, though...I suspect it's been so long since he's been with other rats, he's forgotten how to act.

The introduction process isn't a difficult one to understand. Recognizing that rats, like dogs, tell one another apart by smell, one tries to get around that by making all the rats smell alike. Vanilla extract on the rump takes care of that.

Also since (like dogs) rats are territorial, one should take care to do the initial introductions on neutral territory. Bathtubs are ideal for that, as are beds (covered with plastic, then with clean blankets or towels).

When we first tried to intro him to the Rink Rats, he chased after them, grooming them as he caught them, then laying down before the just-groomed rat, in an attempt to be groomed in turn. We did this for several sessions, with each session lasting twenty to thirty minutes. Only once was he groomed--by Metro, and we managed to get a photo of it:

There was also a lot of squeeking, most of it from Witter, but no real aggressive moves (Anne's excellent Norway Rat Behavior Repertoire goes into great detail about aggression in rats and how to recognize what one should worry about vs. what one shouldn't worry about). We felt things were actually going quite well (no blood) and we bought a cage large enough for five rats--a Martins Rat Skyscraper.

So during an intro session, without vanilla, the large cage was prepared, and all five rats went into it when the intro session was over. And I waited...and waited...and waited, while the five rats just froze, Witter next to the door, and the Rink Rats spread above him.

A few scuffles broke out (broken up with a paper towel roll) but there was no mingling, and I was worried. Perhaps I was being too anthropomorphic, but Witter looked like the new kid in school, and he wasn't getting along with anybody.

Scared, I think, is the word. He looked scared.

After several hours, I opened the cage door, bent my elbow into the cage, and Witter jumped on it. I closed the cage door, and the Rink Rats started acting as they normally do. Witter went into his small cage, visibly relieved (to me). I gave him a yogie.

We still try to intro Witter to the boys, but the behaviour has turned aggressive: there's lots of piloerection of the hairs (hair standing on end--we usually say he's puffy), sidling up to the other rats, some boxing and kicking, and, I'm sorry to say, one full-out fight (broken up by dumping all the rats out of the play tent they were in).

After Curly passed away, we tried to intro Witter to the girls, and it was a no-go. He nipped at Leather and was puffy the whole time, and since he's so much larger then they are, we cut the intro session short.

Today, during playtime, we tried letting him on the bed with both the boys and the girls (they play together just like kids) a couple of times. Again, Witter was puffy pretty much the whole time, and he sidled up to the boys (those who weren't hiding from him, that is). Leather and Pinky at least sniffed at him, and he sniffed back. He chased after the boys, and I ended the first short session after a sidling and hissing/puffing move.

The next session was even shorter, ended when Witter chased, then tried to mount, Pinky.

In the final session, little Leather was the aggresor, sidling and kicking at Witter. I ended that, nervous that one of them might end up injured.

Witter did try to make friend in his own way, but, as I stated earlier, I don't think he knows exactly how to act around other rats. And it really does break my heart to see him be an alone rat.

Posted by Publius at December 3, 2003 01:11 AM