rats!

Question
hi, i have a georgous pet rat that ive had for about a year now and id like to get her a friend. shes about a year and 3 months out and shes been alone for more and half of her life. how should i introduce a new possibly full grown female to her?

Answer
First of all, I have to tell you that you must be prepared to have two rat cages, because it might not work out. You should have two cages anyway because you cannot place the new rat into the other rat's cage immediately. There should be a quarantine time and both rats should be checked by an exotics to make sure that there is no disease that one might carry to the other. It is also necessary to make sure that rat is not too old for a friend at this stage. Rats do not live that long. I would start with you holding one rat and someone else hold the other, to have them smell each other to get used to each others' scents. Don't hold them close enough so that they can bite each other. After about a week or two of that, with no attempt at hurting each other, I would provide a place where there is no scent of either rat, such as an area that is rat proofed. By rat proofed, I mean that the rats can't escape and there are no wires that they can  gnaw. Carefully place them in this area both at the time if possible. If it's okay. Let them play together, if not, then have something that you can put between them if they start fighting. Wear work gloves for this just in case. Don't use a baby, but a rat of similar size and age. If it doesn't work, keeping going back to square one. If it does work, then place the first rat in the second rat's cage. Remember, this should be done only after a quarantine period.