Peaches

So it looks like the little girl is staying. I intro'd her to Bertie on the sofa just now (somewhere neither of them has been before), bunged in a few new toys and they got on! They actually got on! Bertie barely puffed up at all and didn't fuff at all.

I was terrified because she kept flinging herself at him and trying to burrow under him but he didn't seem to care too much It is SUCH A RELEIF! (he even stayed calm when Suzy jumped onto the sofa ) I only left them out for 10 minutes tops because she seemed a wee bit stressed (she was doing an odd whistling thing as she breathed). I'm going to get them out tomorrow as well and keep free ranging them together until they're interacting more than alternately ignoring each other and crashing into each other before I try them in a cage together.

I'm VERY happy about this. Will post piccies of her soon (also of Bertie in his new cage). Any ideas for renaming her?

Yay!thats brilliant for everyone,and now you getto have the hyper little girl experience hmm maybe something that somehow connects with berties name so they can be a proper couple

Yeah first I was thinking Madeline, because she's the character that's always chasing Bertie around, convinced he's in love with her. But then I quite liked the trophy wife theme we were talking about Madeline could still work I guess

i dont know the character but that would be cute but then so would the golddigger name you can always think of a few and get to know her over the next few days and see what suits her.i always find it really hard to find nice names!

Ooh - I am so glad! Can't wait to find out her new name as well

xx

We're going with Maddi for her new name as it ties in with Bertie (via Madeline Basset) and also sounds a bit like a stripper/ gold digger (apologies to any and all Maddis - I think any name ending in 'i' rather than y or ie has that quality )

I have pics!



Here she is in free range time with Bertie. They spent half of it curled up asleep together







This time there was no puffing up or anything and she even ran to him when a sudden noise scared her so I think they are making really great progress I'm so happy, but have a few questions for people who have done a neutered male to female intro before.

Is it normal for him to try and mount her? is this just dominance behaviour? If it is sexual that's ok right? It doesn't mean his neuter was done wrong or anything? It was just a half hearted attempt that didn't go anywhere.

Do they need to establish a hierarchy in the same way that two boys would? ie should I expect some squabbling and ignore it?

They are grooming each other which is lovely but he seemed to be annoying her today and I was worried she might bite him. He was grooming her face and she was twisted round with her face nearly upside down and her paw up (as if to stop him) is this an indicator that there may be some fighting to come? I moved closer to the sofa at that point and they both startled so nothing came of it but I'm worried that it might have had nothing distracted them.

Thanks and sorry for all that in advance

Aww! They look so happy - and she is gorgeous <3
There may be a little squabbling, you'll probably find that she tells him who's boss and no mistake Don't worry at all about the mounting thing - that's normal, and it doesn't mean the neuter was done wrong, it could be sexual, but I would guess it's dominance.

I'm so glad this seems to be working out really well!

xx

Thanks I'm definitely paranoid knowing his history with intros - this one seems too good to be true I never thought I'd see him like this with another rat, he seems happier in himself as well since we introd them - in his cage he's more active

Ah im so happy for everyone well,Noodles has done that to some of the girls but ive always seen it as a dominence thing.And there has been the occasional squabble,wouldnt worry too much about that,Noodles has a habit of following Smokie around the cage when he wants her to groom him,sticking his face and neck under her face till she gets a bit cross and grooms him kinda angrily,while he sits there all self satisfied and the rare occasions hes dared to cross the line at all,she puts him in his place very quickly indeed!it might actually be helping that hes not in his old cage,territory wise..i also found,when intro'n some,a little bit of kale or something each never hurts,kinda distracts them and they start eating and forget they dont know each other