How can i introduce my new rats without then being torn apart by my old ones?

i have introduced the new rats to the old ones using vanilla esscence on neutral ground but they fght if i don't put the vanilla onand i want to put them in the same cage any ideasHow can i introduce my new rats without then being torn apart by my old ones?
The best thing to do is put the cages a few inches apart so that they can see and smell each other. Continue letting them meet in a neutral territory for 10-15 minutes a day, increasing to about 30 minutes. The day before you clean the cages, swap the rats over. So rats from cage A will go in cage B and the rats from cage B will go in cage A. This helps the rats get used to the other ones smells in a cage environment, not just neutral territory. It's also best to do this the day before cleaning as the smells are the strongest. Leave the rats for 24 hours then put them back in their own cages for a few hours so they get used to the smell in their own cage. Do this for a few weeks, gradually cutting down the amount of vanilla essence you use and increasing the time spent in opposite cages. When its time to put them together, clean the cage thoroughly, dont use bleach as its too strong for their noses. Rearrange the cage as much as you can so that the original rats dont recognise it. Its best to put them in the new cage in the morning so that they can have maximum time before you need to decide whether to leave them overnight or not. There will be scuffling and some fighting as they need to sort out the pecking order. As long as no blood is drawn, its generally ok to leave them. If one(or more) of your rats is puffed up and sidling onto another rat and blocking them from moving, its best to remove the rat that's being bullied and its mates and start again. If you leave it, the bullied one will get dehydrated as it wont be allowed access to water or food. If that does happen, start from the beginning but alternate the cages weekly(keep some of the litter from each cage and put in with the opposite rats), this will help the bully rat(s) accept the one(s) it was bullying. Some rats take longer to accept new ones than others. I've had some rats that I could just put new rats in and everything would be fine. I've also had rats that have taken 8 weeks plus to accept newcomers.





Good luck with your new additions, I hope everything goes smoothly.How can i introduce my new rats without then being torn apart by my old ones?
use a little vicks vapor rub applied to the nose on both the old ones 'and ' the new ones this will keep them smelling eachother till they accept eachother
Buy a new cage and WATCH THEM ALL THE TIME. If they don't fight, then you're okay.
you cannot. Rats are fiercely territorial and will kill any other rats who stray onto their patch. Goes for tame rats and wild ones. You need 2 cages.
Errrmmmm. I would fuss over the old ones and then gradually when you feed them, one by one put two rats together and then they might think it is good when they are around the new rats because they get food.
Just a plain old, How do you,And shake hands


(Or paws or what ever it is rodents have)


should suffice
Ask a vet as if something bad happens,you'll feel guilty !!
start them off without the vanilla incents in 2 separate cages facing each other this way they can see each other and get used to each others presence. then after a couple of days like that let them spend some time together like maybe 5 minutes a day adn increase it each day til they are in there together for the whole day. easing them into each other will probaably make it go smoother
I had this problem introducting a baby rat. Find the alpha rat, and let that one spend more time with the new rat that the rest. Once the leader has excepted it, it'll be welcome in the cage. Not always easy to do. I use to put my alpha female in the new cage with the new rat for a while so its on the new ones terms.





The vanilla is great i used that. But if u want to put them in the same cage you need to scrub it from top to bottom, bars and all. Wipe some vanilla over it and put in the fresh sawdust and bedding. Also put a tiny bit on the rats coats, that way they all smell the same and they new ones smell the same as the teritory. Dont over do it with the vanilla though, there scense of smell is much better than ours.





Sometimes it is possible that rats just wont like each other, just like people.