Owning Pet Rats - Quarantine and Introductions

 Knowing when and why to quarantine pet rats is another topic I would like to discuss.

Any time you are bringing new rats into your home, you'll want to quarantine for at least 14 days before adding them to your existing mischief (group of rats). This ensures that if the incoming rats are ill or have parasites, you have a chance to observe and treat the newcomers before they pass it to other rats in your home, as well as allowing time to conduct proper introductions before integrating new members into the mischief. Similarly, when you observe signs of illness or injury in individuals in your care, it's wise to place them in quarantine until they can be seen and treated by a veterinarian if needed, or otherwise have their issue resolved. Always deep clean your quarantine cage after completing a quarantine period and throw away all bedding and items that cannot be washed and/or sterilized. This helps reduce transmission of any illnesses, bacteria, and parasites.

After a quarantine for new rats, it's important to know how to conduct safe and successful introductions, to ensure smooth integration of the new rats. One of the most successful methods for introducing rats is to place them into a carrier for small animals and allow them to spend time getting familiar with one another. The small, somewhat confined space helps reduce the instance of territorial behavior and fighting, allowing the rats to safely interact and begin to bond. As the rats become more comfortable with each other, you can gradually increase the size of the area in which they interact and allow them to exercise together. If all goes well and your rats do not appear to be fighting excessively or bullying each other, you can then try adding the newcomers and some of the bedding from their cage to the main cage, and observing how they are accepted by the mischief. 

YouTube has some really helpful videos on the carrier method and other ways to introduce your rats to each other.