Old member reintroduction. =)

[lostrealist_05]

Hey guys! I don't know if you remember me but I used to be in this community back in 2009-2010. In 2011, I lost my beloved Pwny, a black-hooded fancy rat and swore off rats because it just hurt losing my friend. Sold/gave away all my rat things and carried on

Comments

[blackthorn45]

Post op care: Just keep things extra, extra clean. He should have pain meds to keep him comfortable, rats rarely bother neuter sites as long as they aren't in pain. Metacam is most common pain med. They heal up fast.

1. Perfectly reasonable goal. Mixed colonies are fun! The rats often seem happier. The males won't fight over the females. They may or may not still mount the girls when they go into heat, but neutering solves 99.9% of all rat to rat aggression issues. I would advise you to consider spaying the girls as well for the huge health benefits IF you have a vet comfortable and experienced enough to do it.

2. If you're waiting to neuter Arrow for now, then you could try to reintroduce Bucc to him, but it can take 4-6 weeks or longer for hormones to die down completely (up to 8 weeks at times). USUALLY you'll see a big difference in less than 2-3 weeks though. My advice would be to neuter Arrow asap and get him in with the girls at least, if Bucc may need more time if he's currently rat aggro.

3. Three weeks minimum before they are safe to be around intact females.