Today's post is about quarantining and introducing new rats to your mischief. If you haven't already taken a look at our updated adoption policy, we now require that rats be adopted in pairs. This means we are no longer allowing those who already to have rats to only adopt one from our litters. This policy ensures that the quarantine and introductory period is less stressful your babies as they will already have a buddy! If you're unfamiliar with quarantining or what tips on how to introduce your new babies, read on!c Quarantining is the process where new rats are kept separate from existing rats so that health can be monitored. While we would never knowingly adopt out a sick rat, quarantining should still be apart of every new adoption regardless of where it's from. Certain respiratory infections and parasites (lice, mites, and fleas) are the most common things to watch out for during this period.
When you bring home your new babies, you should already have a separate cage for them set up. They will need to live here for the next 2-3 weeks while you monitor them. Temporary cages can be smaller than your normal cage, but make sure they still have plenty of room and that you're cleaning frequently. Some great examples of temporary cages include the PetCo Rat Manor and the Kaytee My First Home for Exotics. Another option is a homemade bin cage. This is an easy budget diy cage that only requires a sterilite storage tub, a roll of wire mesh from a hardware store, zip ties, and something to cut with. A great tutorial on how to make one can be found here @Once Upon a Mischief. You can definitely still handle and play with your new babies during this time, just make sure to wash your hands after touching them. If the separation period is up and everyone is looking good, it's time to introduce them to your existing rats. There are several methods to do this that can be found around the internet which I would like to touch on.
Here are some behaviors to look for and things that should be a red flag. GREEN FLAG BEHAVIORS:
For introducing young babies to adults, it's best to make sure the rats are at least six weeks old. Most of the time, rats make good older siblings but it's best to stay very close during introductions in case you need to intervene as there have been cases of adults attacking or harassing babies. On rare occasions a single rat may show aggression toward all other rats no matter the introductory method. In this case, you might have to consider keeping your new rats separate. Please keep in mind though that this is only in extreme cases and if your existing rat continuously shows aggressive behaviors like biting enough to draw blood. It's really not as complicated as it might sound, the most important points to this process are that a.) you maintain the safety of all pets and b.)the transition is the least stressful as possible. [Sources: Rat guide]
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