TROUBLE INTEGRATING NEW RATS WITH OLD RAT

Question
QUESTION: Up until a couple of months ago we had two rats, one sadly passed away, unfortunately he was the alpha rat our beta rat went into mourning. After a few weeks we got 4 buck kittens. They have been living in cages next to each other for the last 6 weeks and have been slowly introduced to each other for the last couple of weeks. The four kittens are establishing their own hierarchy, our older rat is nearly 3 years old has never been dominant and is now struggling to assert control over the new family. He has several bite and scratch marks and has this evening received a laceration to his front shoulder on the right hand side (for which he will be receiving veterinary care).
What I would like to know is, are there any ways to make Rex our 3 year old more dominant and help him stand up for himself against the kittens, or are we best to keep them separated from now on?

ANSWER: If it were me, I wouldn't even push it. It's not worth Rex's stress and agony over it. There's really no way to get the rittens to accept him as dominant, and it'll just be your old guy paying in the end.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi thanks for getting back to me so fast.

So would you continue to keep them in separate cages? Or still look to integrate them, but just let the kittens become the dominant ones?

once again many thanks?

Answer
No, I wouldn't try. If your older rat was younger - just over a year or so - I would try it. But since he's close to three years old, it's just asking for him to get his butt kicked. It would lead to really severe injuries if they decided they didn't like him. I'd just let him live out in piece.. or if you really wanted to, get a very, very young baby (just weaned, 5 weeks) and let him live with THAT baby. Otherwise, I think he's just too old to be living with four dominant little boys.