[pseudorocknroll]

My rat remmy is scared of ALL rats (even babies) The poor thing is super stand offish and within 35 seconds of meeting the new rat (even if the new guy is super sweet) he TAKES OFF running for cover. He used to be picked on a lot, and was an abuse case (at the abusive home he was housed ALONE for his whole life until he got here) Now we can't get him to trust even the most well meaning of rats! He's a year and a half old now and we want to find him a friend, but he won't let any rat close!

Do you guys have any advice? I'd love for him to calm down enough to enjoy another rats company! I thought maybe trying with a baby? I dunno...

 

[pseudorocknroll]

one more thing: remmy in general is a VERY calm rat. He LOVES to just sit on your lap and be rubbed. He loves his ears being rubbed and his head being scratched. He's one of the sweetest rats I've ever met. He was never socialized his whole life and spent his years alone but now I want to find him a friend! He's so great around us that he's even slept with me...I want him to be like that with another RAT!

 

[lilspaz68]

How long have you had him?

 

[pseudorocknroll]

3 months

 

[pseudorocknroll]

Do you have any advice? :/

He loves us so much, especially my husband. He will spend hours in your lap. I just want him to have a friend thats a RAT, though. I know he was alone for so long.

 

[lilspaz68]

Do you have any advice? :/

He loves us so much, especially my husband. He will spend hours in your lap. I just want him to have a friend thats a RAT, though. I know he was alone for so long.

What type of intro's have you tried, sex/age/temperament, and also where have you done these intro's?

 

[Critter Colony]

you can try putting his cage next to another cage so he can see the other rat,, the other thing to do is to be sure you are introducing on neutral territory,, be sure that neither rat has claims to the cage or food.

 

[pseudorocknroll]

scenario 1: our new couch.

We think "oh this couch is brand new so there are no smells on it" and take remmy out. We play with him, love him up and then bring out our tiny 6 1/2 week old baby Scabbers. Scabbers act SO sweet and calm and playful even though Remmy is x3 times his size, but Remmy looks at him then looks at me then looks at him and TAKES OF RUNNING.

Scenario 2: The bathtub

We decide to try another "neutral spot", but this time with a female who has been fixed and is no threat. With her when she goes up to sniff him he gets into a "boxing" pose..holding his fists up and just freezes like that like a statue while she sniffs him. He stay frozen for at least a minute and a half while she's just sniffing about and then all of a sudden he runs to the side of the tub where I am and tries to jump out! again he's running away.

Why is he so scared? He's never had a "bad" experience as far as I know with another rat...he's just had "no" experience. His past owners kept him totally alone for his whole life

 

[pseudorocknroll]

sorry I meant OFF*

 

[Critter Colony]

Males are so funny about that,, I never keep 2 males together unless they have been together from birth,, I would clean a cage really really well, put clean bedding in there and nothing else, put them in together at the same time,, and observe, they may try to decide who is in charge,, also if you are right there the skiddish one may try to go to you instead of facing the male,, hes looking to you because he knows you are safe and dosent know about him, watch from doorway or just out of his sight but do watch carefully, and this is only if there is no way you can keep em seperate which is what I would reccommend,, the weaker one may one day decide he wants to be in charge and it may be really bad, like I said males are funny lol.

 

[lilspaz68]

Is the spayed girl gentle? If so he is just worried and runs because that's what prey animals do. I think just let those 2 keep meeting, offer liquidy yummy food in the tub or on the couch or your neutral spot. They have to stay at the dish to eat it...

I had a boy who was terrible when he met others...he was young, (arrived here deathly ill at 4 weeks of age...I cured him) and when it came time to find him friends, he was lost.
he would either swarm all over them and bully them, or he would panic and start biting at their face if they came near him...now this was all with the same gentle rats. I finally intro'd him to a group of girls who were supposed to go up for adoption and they ignored him. He slowly got over his fears then fell in love with them, and once he got over his initial fears he was my go-to boy for newbies, he was wonderful with new additions to his colony (he was neutered).

I would keep trying.