how to introduce a new rat?

[LucyBevan]

i bought a young albino female rat a week ago (who at the store was alone) and put her in a large cage (4ftx3ft)..but have since decided keeping her alone isnt fair on her and am contemplating buying a second female from the same place and introduce them in the hopes that they become friends...however i dont realli have the facilities to have another cage as mine is already so big...ive read and researched alot about introducing rats but it was mostly info on young rats being bought into a adult rats reisdence which isnt the case any advie or info would be goood :/ in hindsight i wish i had of bought a second at the same time

 

[liane]

Well you should definitely get her a friend, and the sooner the better. Right now you have only had her a week so she won't be very territorial, if you wait it will be harder to introduce them.

If you have read about the introduction process already, it is the same for rats of any age, just when they're older it needs to be taken a bit more slowly. You shouldn't have any problem with them getting along, but you should buy another cage just in case they start to fight, even if it's a small cage.

When you get the new rat just introduce them as you normally would on neutral territory then in a play area for a while. Try putting them in the cage together and see what happens when you think they are getting along all right. Hopefully since you just got the first rat, she won't fight too much with the other rat, but if they do start to look like they are getting aggressive, take one of the rats out and put them in a different cage and just keep trying.

Some smaller cages are only about $20-$25 so make sure you have one. You don't want either of them getting hurt. If you can get a large enough cage, do the introduction process over time like it should be, but if not, it is better to get her a friend and not introduce them well than it is to have your rat be alone.