moody rat?

Question
Hi, i have a 18month old female rat who lost her sister a week ago, we had her put to sleep following a stroke, she became lonely and was up and down the cage looking for her buddy so we bought a 8 week old baby to put in with her to keep her company. This at the moment hasn't worked out, we've divided the cage so they are away from each other, the older rat is biting her, even through the gaps in cage she is biting at her feet!! But she is what appears to be moody, the older 1, when i get her out she bites me and she has never done this since we had her as a baby.Is it because we banned her from the top of cage? will she eventually except the baby rat? She is tiny at the moment i thought perhaps she thinks she's a hamster and wants to eat it? Please advise, cant afford expense of another cage tho this 1 is big enough to be divided, it got 4 levels.

Answer
Try putting newspaper down followed by plastic needlepoint tiles. This will keep the rat from getting her feet.

The proper way to introduce rats is to let them get used to each other outside the cage first, and let them gradually get to know each other rather than putting them together right off.  Also, a 3 week quarantine should always be done  before letting two strange rats be together.

Read my site, sandyscrittercity.com for all the info you need on pet rats.

I do think that eventually they will be ok together, but the older rat needs to adjust to the new rat.