Should I give an old rat a home?

nahatalie

I visited a rescue centre the other week and saw an old rattie boy. He is 18 months old. I do not know what he like personality wise, so I can't be sure he will fit in with my three existing rats.

The idea is to bring him home and gradually introduce him to my two girls and boy rat who all live together (boy is neutered, and so is the old rescue), but I am worried they might not like him. My boyfriend and I are discussing the issue:

Boyfriends' worries:
Another buck will add to the smell (currently the two girls and neuter boy I have at the moment do have thier stinky moments)
The intro process last time was long and a bit touch and go at one point!
Worried about the heartache for me (I'll have to go through it with my current lot, and I'd rather give him a good home in his last 6-12 months than not rehome him for fear of being upset when he departs...)

My worries:
Rolands reaction - I have no idea how well he'd cope with another rat - his intro to the girls was a lengthy one, but, they are all bestest buds now...
No idea how well the rescue rat interacts with other rats
No idea of his personality (but I can go back to the centre and find out)
No idea how the girls would react

I am just basically worried whether the rescue rat would fit in with my lot.

What do you think?

shadylady

aww personally i would try, because then if it dont work out at least you can say you tried your best but it wasnt to be, instead of wondering if you dont adopt him where the old rattie has gone and whether it would of worked out with you. Very Happy

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clareabella

The best thing to do is follow your instinct hun. You have to think about what you would do if they don't all get on eg: if they don't would you have time to have your current 3 out to play and then when you put them back in would you have time to have the rescue out. Also do you have the room for another cage.

I wanted to take another chinchilla in the other day but i had to think twice as i have no room in the house for any more cages and it would mean i would have to cut down on spending quality time with my other chinchillas and the rest of my clan, but saying that i do have 14 pets lol.

Whatever you decide im sure it will be the best decision for you and the rats Very Happy

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cmd

Personally I would ask the rescue centre if it's possible to spend some time with him before bringing him home - if he's not what you're looking for personality wise then definately leave him. If you have the time to introduce another rat into your family though I would go for it, but I would first get to know him a bit more before taking him.

gracegreciagracet

Here are my suggestions:
1) The cage must be big -- male mice are territorial and so
there has to be enough space for all the mice in the cage.
2) Introduce the new mice to a group of 4 or more. Since even close-knit male
groups fall out with one another, the mice
might befriend the newcomer.
3) You need to supply l 2 or 3 wheels, some nest
boxes, and toys so that they
don't feel that they are in scarce resources.
4) Don't give treats as food for a few days -- just plain
rice. This will minimize fighting over food.

Twig

It could upset your current set-up, I have no idea about the right way to bond rats, so would urge you to ask on www.fancy-rats.co.uk before you make any decision as it wouldn't be fair on the old boy to be torn to shreds or causing a divide within your current 3. Also, how big is your cage, it might be a bit too small for another large male rat?

From what I do know, baby rats are generally easier to bond into an establish group, so not sure how well an old male would fair. Also you'd have to ask at the rescue, they may prefer hes going to be part of a pair rather than a group. Wink

If you decide to get him, good luck, but do prepare yourself for heartache, as hes already quite an age as rats go. Sad

CatSlave

As you have obviousy fallen for this rat - do you have the space to give him his own cage if you can't integrate him with your other rats? I don't think it would be fair on him to home him and give him back once you have bonded it your rats don't accept him; so think about giving him a forever home regardless of the others; ie. keeping the apart if necessary.

As for your boyfriend ... does he have a super sensitive sense of smell or have I no sense of smell cos I can't smell the rats and I've just gone and sniffed the cage and nothing other than the usual ratty smell which is not offensive?

nahatalie

I thought I replied to this! Oh well, silly internet...

Update:

Boyfriend is happy for me to get him now. I am getting him on saturday, and taking him to the vets on monday to see whether he is plus or sans testicles! (there's a possibility they might be withdrawn instead of him being castrated which means he might still be fertile)

Thanks Twig for the link, I have actually been a member of that forum for some time now and I've consluted them a lot on the matter. They have a big rehoming scheme, so if for whatever reason it didnt work out with my lot, I can rehome him through there and the rescue centre have given me permission to do so as so far no one has looked twice at him and for some reason they dont have him on thier website. So, even if it doesnt work out he'll probably find his forever home much quicker through me.

I have had experience of rat introductions before, as this is what I went through with my 1st rescue ratty when I introduced him to the girls. After about a month or slightly more, they were all happy together and now they all sleep in a big pile. Lucky Roland having two girlfriends at his age!

Someone gave me some information about mice...thanks but these are rats so info not applicable. Thanks anyway!

I have all the tools to keep them all happy. My cage is very large, standing almost as tall as me! Apparantley big enough for 14 rats! I dont plan on getting that many...and the rescue centre are letting me have the cage they keep him in until he is intergrated with my lot (if he does!)

So, hopefully saturday will be a success!

shadylady

hope all goes well, with your new rattie on saturday (fingers crossed)
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clareabella

Awwww bless i hope all goes well, i have my fingers crossed for you Very Happy

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nahatalie

I thought I'd post an update on the rescue rat. (I haven't been on here for AGES!)

I went to collect the rat two days early as I had a quick finish at work and couldn't wait to go and pick up my new arrival.

On arrival and checking over the rat, I discovered he was actually a she. She looked quite old because of the way she walking, it was like she was in slow motion and a bit stiff. I put this down to old age at first, but after observing her for a few hours when I got her home I knew there was something wrong neurologically. I also found she had a mammary lump and scabby skin. We named her Lily.

I took her to vet the next day who gave me ivermectin to treat the mites which were causing the scabby skin, however, the vet did not suggest anything about her neurological problems (Lily could not pick up food with her front paws and walked in kind of shuffle) and said the mammry tumour was almost certainly malignant because this is the case for rats so she would probably get another lump if we removed this one. I later found this out to be untrue, as most lumps in rats are actually benign. I swiftly changed vets.

I went to another practice and saw a lovely vet who admitted she didn't see many rats and gave me antibiotics and anti-inflamitaries (baytril and metacam) incase she was suffering from a severe ear infection / swelling of some sort. However, I had researched these symptoms and everything she had pointed to a pituitary tumour, which is incurable and could potentially be treated short term with steroids but this would only improve her quality of life temporarily. The vet also refered me to another vet who had an interest in small animals. By now she was on a soft food diet, and because of her lack of control over her coordination she got it all over her. I had to bath her regularly which she hated, and could never get it all off her so her fur wasn't the best because she couldn't groom herself. If it was a pituitary tumour, it was really taking hold of her now.

Lily kept on this treatment for a week. During this week she got worse, and I took her to the third vet for a steroid injection. Unfortunately she did not respond to this. She was now at the point where she would just sleep all day long, I had to wake her up to feed. She was clearly in discomfort and I had done everything medically possible for her, and nothing had worked. The only option, and the kindest one, was to put her to sleep. She passed away very peacefully at the vet (he was kind enough to sneak me into the operating theatre so i could be with her).

Although I only had her for 3 weeks, and she was ill all of that time, I feel I gave her the best chance of living a normal life even though this wasn't possible and I'm glad she came home with me for her last few weeks. I lost her about 3 weeks ago now. RIP Lily x x x

shadylady

aww it great you gave her a loving home before she passed, im sure she is truly grateful, run free at the bridge lily.
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Twig

Oh hun, I am sorry she has passed, may she RIP! Crying or Very sad

clareabella

awww so sorry she passed away, i bet she had a lovely time with you though xxxxx
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