New Rat Introductions

So I apologize for not being around YET again. I have been incredibly sick and busy with a job, so I haven't been able to update and I feel horrible!

So today I wanna talk about something that someone has asked about: Introducing a new rat to others. Now first of all, you should quarantine the new one(s) as to make sure they have NO sicknesses. This means totally different airspace, I know this cannot always be accomplished but if you can, you really should. If you cannot then at least keep them in a different room, in a separate cage. I'd keep this arrangement for around 3 weeks, ample time to make sure everything is safe! Another consideration you want to have is how old is your current rat? If they're older you may want to pair them with another older rat as sometimes the older ones are too slow for a new baby and it drives them up a wall. However, they can get along, it really depends on your current baby.
Introducing them can take a while, some rats take time to get along with each other. The best thing to do is put them all in a neutral space, no smells from either group. I usually use the bathtub, because it's easy clean up, and the smells don't linger from the rats for long so it's always neutral. Put them all together and watch them like hawks and see how they get along. I suggest that you don't put them in together if they seem to be getting along at first. Really they need time to establish dominance so putting them in together immediately is normally not recommended.
So the best way to decide how big of a cage you will need is simple! Use this calculator. Rat Cage Calculator You put in the dimensions of the cage and it will tell you how many rats you can acceptably put in that cage. I normally do a minus one to what they say just because its a little better. I outfit my cages with hammocks and tubes and ramps and chew toys ALWAYS. They need these things so they don't get bored!

Question of the Day: Who was your first little ratty and what did they make you do to fall in love with rats?

My Answer: My first rats name was Chii and she was a blue dumbo eared girl. She was the love of my life and was just an all around sweetheart who loved to be right next to me no matter what. She was also sassy enough to put my dog in her place and let people know she would only tolerate so much from anyone but me. She knew her name, loved to play little ratty games and I can never replace her but I know she's in a better place now! She wasn't a baby when I got her either, she was at least 8 months old, a BIG girl and completely the opposite of all the girls that you hear about, she was active but not too active, she was a layabout for sure!