Ratty Introductions

Question
Hello!

I saw your site - very lovely. Your rattys are just adorable! And thanks to you, I'll be feeding them the recipe on your site, instead of store bought. :)

I've been wondering what to expect from my two rattys. I have a hairless boy and a white boy with a black hood. The hairless is named Da Vinci, the little one is Rembrandt. Da Vinci is a few months old, and Remmy is about 6-7 weeks.

I went through the introduction process, and now they're in the same cage, with almost no noise, which is what I worry about. They practically ignore each other when they're in the cage; in the beginning Da Vinci flipped Remmy and power-groomed him.

In the cage, Remmy seems...braver? He's never aggressive (neither are), but he'll stand up on his hind legs? I think maybe to "box" at Da Vinci, but I've never seen that. Is he just trying to "prove" himself? Is all this normal?

Both rats have been around other rats, though the little one was skittish with me; he's became a lot better. :) I just would like to see them cuddle together and play, instead of just coexist. This is the second day they've been in the same cage.

Is everything here normal? What should I expect? Will they become buddies soon enough? :)

Thank you so much!
- Codi

Answer
Hi

Glad you like my website. That makes me happy that people are learning from it, which is why I devote so much time to keeping it up to date.

As for your boys, when you say Da Vinci is a few months old, do you mean he is 3 months, 4, 5 months?  This may make a big difference in the way they react toward each other.

You said Rembrandt (you must have an appreciation for fine art!!) will stand on his hind legs, and yes, this is a position rats assume when they feel they may need to defend themselves. Is Remmy much smalled than De Vinci?

If they are not fighting and boxing, I would say this is a good sign. They should bond nicely soon enough.  Can you say that they never had any type of aggressive tendencies toward each other? If so, that is really wonderful and says alot about the boys and their temperament!!