Communicating with Rats
Rats communicate with each other through body language and squeaks. Research with lab rats shows that many squeaks are too high to be heard by humans. In fact, a recent study determined that rats may actually laugh! Unfortunately, we can’t hear any of that, so we must watch our rats carefully in order to understand them. Because we can’t hear them, we generally interpret rats to be very quiet. We only hear them squeak when they are scared, hurt or annoyed. When a rat squeaks, you can determine how distressed he or she is by the level of the sound. In the following guide, you will read about different squeaks. You’ll also learn about some of the other body language rats use. To learn to understand your rats’ body language, spend some time observing them. A rat uses its body position, posture, head and ear position, fur, and tail to commmunicate.
- Intense fear or pain will result in a long scream. A rat that is only annoyed will give a short squeak or a longer whiny squeak. This is especially common when one rat is picking on another or trying to steal food.
- A rat that is uncertain or afraid will twitch his ears back and forth and shrink backward.
- A curious rat will often tip his or her ears forward and either move its head in that direction or reach up and sniff the air.
- Rats often push things away when they don’t want them, such as a piece of food or even when they don’t want to be petted. Other times, they may just turn away or leave.
- Some rats wag their tails slowly when you pet them, as to show contentment.
- Many times rats may swing their tails wildly when they are picked up and feel insecure. This is why, when holding rats, you must always support their feet.
- If a rat rattles or flicks his tail back and forth, he is probably experiencing some sort of social distress or sees something that worries him.
- Relaxed rats, especially rats that are being petted, will grind their teeth together to express contentment or happiness. This is called bruxing. Sometimes while a rat is bruxing, his or her eyes bulge in and out.
- Rats mark their territory by leaving drops of urine where they have walked. This is more common in males, and can be reduced by having him neutered.
- A rat that is feeling aggressive will puff out his fur and hunch his back. Do not handle a rat in this position, as he may bite. If he or she is threatening another rat, remove the victim immediately. Aggressive rats should only be picked up in a towel. Keep in mind, though, if a rat has no reason to feel aggressive and seems lethargic, puffed up fur can mean the rat is sick. Sometimes they also puff their fur when they’re cold.
- Rats that want to be petted approach humans with their heads low.
- Rats that are feeling playful will scamper around, sometimes in a circle, but often in a jerky, crazed manner.
As you can see, rats use many different forms of body language and vocal noises to communicate with rats and other humans. Observing the way your rat tries to talk to you is very important: it helps you bond better with your rat and understand what it is he or she really wants. Take some time to observe your pet.
on October 21st, 2006 at 2:06 am
It’s pretty funny but I have two females and once a week on the weekends they go into heat. They get well…sort of…randy. It’s rather funny to watch. One rat will hop around the other flirting with her and pushing her bum & crotch in her face. Then they’ll hump once or twice chasing and hopping after each other around the cage. Then they stop to clean. Then it starts again and again. It’s rather funny to watch actually we call them our little dykes
on November 17th, 2006 at 5:35 pm
When my ratties are out of their cage they are running around my room. I am amazed at how much they communicate and I have experienced nearly all of the reactions you described in your communication area. Rats Rock!!!
on December 8th, 2006 at 3:08 pm
I just got two boys from the pet store. The first night they were too scared to do anything. Last night they woke me up 4 times rat rumbling! I thought they had gotten into the girls’ cage they were making such a racket.
on December 18th, 2006 at 4:28 am
Just curious about the vocalization. We have three rats. Two females and a male. The female I’m curious about is a child of the other two and is and albino curly. She is CONSTANTLY vocal. She talks nonstop whether being petted or playing. Is she really a stress case or just unique? Love your page btw. Great info!
on December 27th, 2006 at 6:50 pm
Lalena, i know what you mean! my big fat girl Reggie does that all the time! she’s been doing it almost ever since i got her and has never been sick. she’s rather lazy, but i think that’s because she’s fat. she does it more when she’s running around on someone or thinks she’s getting food. maybe she’s just opinionated. we call it her reggie-happy noise.
on January 4th, 2007 at 3:06 am
I was wondering if the only time rats run around in a “jerky, crazed manner” is when they’re feeling playful? I’ve had my new boy less than a week and he does that when I’m interacting with him sometimes, so wanted to make sure it wasn’t fear or annoyance. I should note that he has been very willing to take food from me and climb on my arms (so long as I don’t move away from the cage), it’s just a little unnerving when he gets exited and starts moving so fast. It may also be worth saying that he seems to do it when I’m not getting him his treat fast enough. I keep thinkiing he’s getting aggitated and may be about to bite. Please help! Thanks, Lynn
on January 5th, 2007 at 4:47 pm
I recently purchased two young females Boba and Coco, they are sisters. Boba is very social and vocal , makes lots of chirping sounds, but only when I handle her. Coco is a bit shy, but once her sister ventures out she will usually follow. I originally purchased these ratties for my preschool class, but my kids and I have fallen in love with these two. My preschoolers also love to observe and occasionally handle them, they put on quite a show for the kids.
on January 12th, 2007 at 4:20 am
I have two rats, they are both girl and are litter mates. They will also engage in playful humpfests occasionally. They tussle a lot!! They are always playful with each other, but sometimes I get worried and go over and talk to them to break it up. This works. Sometimes after playing with one and then the other or them together they fight in the cage afterwards, never hurting each toher, but they fight. Also, the one that humps more often is larger and the other one is signifigantly smaller but gets enough to eat and drink. The smaller one is VERY skittery and doesn’t really like being handled but does love to be in my sweatshirt and sit still on my lap only like that. Why?? How do I get her to relax? She freezes up and looks scared when I pet her back and the back of her head.
on January 28th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
Lalena, it would be best if you would get another male for your single boy- rats are social and should be in pairs, males especially get easily depressed and may also become agressive when kept singly. If you do not wish to bring another rat into your home, please consider getting your boy neutered. There are so many abused and neglected rats without homes, it’s a shame to see opps litters because males and females are allowed to play together.
Blythe, it shoulds to me as if your girls have dominance arguments. You should not break them up when they tussle- the rule is: No bloodshed, No seperation. I know it is nervewrecking to watch and hear them, but if you continue to break them up, they’ll repeat the action. If you let them fight it out, it won’t happen again.
Also, I would suggest spending alone time with your smaller girl, in a different room than her sister. Hand feed her fruits and veggies, but please avoid uncooked green beans, beets, and corn. Flax seed cookies are a much appreciated treat and is very healthy for them. By her getting used to taking food from you, it strenthens trust. In the matter of her not liking being petted, all I can rocommend is patience. Give her lots of love and individual attention. There are also some rats that just prefer to not be petted or handled much. Whichever case you have, I wish you luck.
on February 8th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
i love my rats there both very sucky and hardly ever fight but both of them seem to twitch every once and a while kind of like hicupping why is that ????? and babe alway squeeks when u go to tske away some thing she wants to eat but she is not alowed to eat and will keep on squeeking tell u give it back to her is that normal? lol any i still
on February 19th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
I noticed the posting of Lalena and Amy. I have two females (sisters). Natasha has been
loudly vocalizing for about a month..loudly and
constantly..She seems fine…and playfull. Her
sister Vika is mostly silent but will sometimes ”join in”. I have searched everywhere and asked vets, and you
two are the only ones to give me any feedback or comfort about audible rat vocalizations. It’s normal in some rats right? Feedback anyone?
on February 23rd, 2007 at 11:33 pm
hey there
I just got 2 females. One is soooo sweet the other one is friendly but likes nipping. i do not like this. How do I get her to stop. She bite a little too hard one time . And no I didn’t have food on my hands I cleaned them . I don’t think she is doing this because she is trying to be mean she does this to the other rat aswell. I think she picked up this habit somewhere and doesn’t know it hurts. So how do I fix it. please anyone with the same problem give me a sudjestion
on February 25th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
I just got a female about 3 days ago. she is a real cutie but is quite shy. shes so active, but i dont think she is familiar with me yet. her previous owners were not good owners. i’m not sure how to make her more friendly, i know she has it in her. what are some good ways to bond with my girl?
on March 11th, 2007 at 8:11 am
matt and ruby
we have 9 rats and they the bested pets erver and we 6 boys and 3 girls and we have so much fun with all of them. we are in glasgow uk
on March 15th, 2007 at 8:46 am
Hi I’m new to rat parenting, we had ours for seven months but they just dont seem to be getting used to us at all. They dont like being touched. we usually pick them up and then, let them run on the couch cos they like that. they climb up and down but they hate being petted and touched. Any idiot proof tips? you can email me on jesskuppan@ananzi.co.za
rats names: Biscuits and Houdini both male
Thanks in advance.
on March 21st, 2007 at 12:59 pm
The day before yesterday I got two male rats, litter mates - The larger, Miguel, is playful, and sniffles about in your arms. The smaller, Tulio, sits in his bed and will only come out for food - I got him out today and sat with him on my lap, and he was ok but kept hiding in my clothes. Is this normal?
on March 27th, 2007 at 11:40 pm
i have 2 rats and whenever i clean the cage and put them back one of them goes to the top floor and rubs his behind everywhere and he brushes his paw against the cage bars. im really sure that thats marking territory right?
on July 18th, 2007 at 4:02 am
im about to get my first rat wat should i look for at the pet shop
on July 18th, 2007 at 4:21 am
more on rat-vocalisation
there’s apparently a difference between ‘rat chatting’ which is what reggie was doing, and ‘weird lung infection-related noises’, which sound similar. just something to watch out for. if your rat is sneezy, has rattly breathing (listen closely to its chest) or is generally sick-looking as well as making strange noises, it’s probably lung infection. on the other hand, if your rat is perky and insane (maybe that’s just reg) and makes the noise for a reason (playing with you, wants food, wants attention) then it is porbably rat communication.
just what i’ve been told.
loooove the raaaats!!!
on September 29th, 2007 at 5:31 am
I’m new to the world of rats and loving it! I have 2 female dumbo’s and we’ve already had our first trip to the vets for suspected myco flare up in Scamper. Both girls on on Baytril for a week. Fidget has been relatively ok (bar a bit of sneezing) until yesterday - she’s making a really odd noise - it sometimes reminds me of a baby sucking a dummy (comforter), and other times it sounds like a the sound of sneakers in the gym. She gets bouts of them, in hiccup style. Anyone any idea what this could be?
on October 15th, 2007 at 9:13 am
Amy, that’s interesting you say that about “rat sneezing.” I have three females and one of them, when we got her a few weeks ago, did that sneezing a lot. But now that I think of it she hasn’t done it in a while. Maybe she got better?
But I have two questions: In regards, to the question Lynn had about running around in a “jerky, crazed manner” during playtime, I’d like to know the same thing? Are they being playful or are they just scared? If I had to guess I’d say they were being playful because the only two that do this are the ones that are actually social. The other one is pretty skittish and she never acts like that.
My other question has to do with the skittish rat. She seems to be at the bottom of the pecking order and doesn’t really seem to wanna play with the other two. Should I be concerned about that or is this an OK thing? The poor thing gets bossed around and gets her snacks stolen. I usually give her attention while she’s still in the cage and the other two are playing outside on the floor because that’s the only way she gets a break.
Like, sometimes, when all three are in the cage I’ll being handing her a treat and one of the others will literally climb right over her to get it. And they finish it so fast that by the time I get another one to replace it someone else steals it.
The poor thing usually ends up sleeping a lot more often in the nest than the other two and sometimes she doesn’t come out at all. Is this OK? She just doesn’t seem socially healthy.
on October 26th, 2007 at 8:32 pm
Square Foot Gardening…
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting…
on December 16th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
I just bought a male rat . He is a mature rat. But when I pet him he makes a funny noise its like a noise you make when you call a dog.
on December 26th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
Hi, I recently got two female rats at the beginning of November. For christmas I got a much bigger cage because the first one was far too small. I still go to school and I do lots of activities so I don’t get much time to handle them and they’re not really getting used to me. Sabi is smaller but she is the dominant rat and Elli is often pushed out the way when I put out the food. I know this is normal behaviour but Sabi bites. She last did it a few weeks ago but more recently she bit my brother when he put his hand in their old cage to pick her up. That’s when she bit me. She shrank into the corner and bit and drew blood. Now I’m a bit scared of her and always keep out of the way of their teeth.
I don’t know if it’s normal for them to bit and I don’t know when I should take them out of the cage to have free time. I haven’t done it yet because they aren’t used to me at all.
If you could reply it would be really helpful. Thanks a lot!
on December 27th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
Young Girls Art Young Models Angus Young…
I can not agree with you in 100% regarding some thoughts, but you got good point of view…
on February 14th, 2008 at 1:51 am
Hi,
Rat Communication’s leaflet
on March 23rd, 2008 at 3:44 pm
i got my rats at christmass and there still fairly young does anyone know any cool tricks i can teach them that doesnt really require any patience beacause thre always runnin arund and the only time there really still is wen there asleep
on March 24th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Hi, I just recently stumbled upon this site, and i think it’s great. Here’s my problem: my one male rat is being bitten constantly around the neck. All together they are 4 rats: 2 male and 2 female. this male is not neutered and we think he is trying to mate. fyi. the girls are spayed
please help!
on March 24th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
RE:lea
im not an expert on rats but they might br fighting over the females havr e you tried movin them into different cages or it could just be attention
on April 11th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Hey, My rat (accedently) had babies a week ago but they died on monday. My problem is that even after the babies died sheis still biting anything that comes near her (even me). Please help.
on April 19th, 2008 at 6:11 am
to bullwinkle,
your rats hormone levels are still high and she maybe lactating still your best bet is to be paicent with her offer her treats, and give her some time she should carm down within a few weeks. if not take her to the vet as she might be ill.
on April 19th, 2008 at 6:15 am
to lea,
two male rats in one cage is never a good idea regarless of females. remove one of them and your problem should be solved. I recomend removing the dominent male as he will start on the females as well.
on April 27th, 2008 at 11:20 am
hi,i need to know if theres anyway i can tell when I’m getting my rat if its going to be mean shy or anything else. when i got my dog he was nice but now he bites HARD and i really don’t want a rat biting me HARD just because its personality. so please tell me before i get a mean rat!
on April 29th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
to diana,
the best way to judge a rats personality is when you go to pick up your rat from the pet shop/breader.
Chose a rat that comes to you this shows an equsitive nature. Play with it and handle it before you buy it.
once you have it home spend some time handling it for at least an hour a day.
on May 9th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
I got a rat yesterday, and she’s just been sleeping the whole time. Sure, I knew it would take a day or two for her to get used to her new cage and me, but she moves very slowly and squeaks when i touch her. She doesn’t blink like she’s scared of me, she just squeaks a bit. Is she ok?
on May 10th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
my rat’s now bleeding from the nose and one of her eyes is stuck shut with redish goo. I tried to wipe off the goo with a damp Q-tip and she bit at me…
on May 10th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
I don’t know what to do- I got her from petsmart two days ago and she seemed healthy and happy when i first got her- like, i held her and let her run up and down my arm…but now, she just sleeps and looks pathetic…
on May 12th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
to anna,
phone pet smart they have a 14 day polocy to treat your rat by a certified rat. they will buy your rat back off you treat it and sell it back to you when its better. don’t worry they wont sell it to any one else.
It sounds like a infection so it would proberly take a week untill it has returned to health.
Hope I have been some assistance.
laine
on May 14th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Thanks laine! I took my rat back and they said she had an ear infection. They’re going to treat her and tell me when she’s better.
on May 14th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
to anna,
your very welcome hope she back home soon. keep me posted on her progress here if you have any further problems
on June 19th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Hi i have a male rat and hes black with a white tummy and very cute but he hates getting out of his cage and hes bitten me three times and made me bleed. whenever i get him out and manage to hold him without being bitten, he backs up with his tail straight up until he fals off the side of my hand. i tried cupping him to my shirt but he freaks out and jumps to the floor. he lets me reach in his cage and pet him but he screams and tries to bite me when i go to pick up him and when i lift up the cage so he can come to my hand he comes over and sniffs at it but he wont get on so i cant pick him up. how can i make him get used to being held?
on June 20th, 2008 at 5:38 am
personaly i would get him out of his cage and place him on your lap while sitting on a chair or bed. keep him on your lap if he gets off just pick him up and put him back on he might get a bit adjetated but this will work.
stroke him occasionally but don’t hold him still.
do this for 20 to 25 mins a day for a week or two. he will let him get used to you and will no longer see you as a thret.
hope it goes feel free to ask if there are any further problems.
ps if he bites try not to jump or scream and continue to get him out otherwise he will think that biting will make you go away!
good luck
laine
on July 3rd, 2008 at 2:24 am
My Mollie is a few months old. She is cute and she seems to begetting used to sitting in my lap and climbing all over me, ion my shoulder, on my lap, down are, under shirt etc. She is very interested in everything going on and likes to sniff everything. She i sitting in my right now making noises that I have noticed her making for a little while.
She will run around on me for a bit and then stops to have a rest, and makes a noise like breathing in and out very quickly, clicking and sort of like clicking and grinding her teeth. Why does she do this?? I thought it might be bruxing, but her eyes do not boggle in and out.
Also, when she tries to take off to where she shouldn’t, and I block her with my hands, she seems to get annoyed and makes a clicking noise like she is complaining. Does anyone elses’ rats do this??
[ 3[- 6d1ddd 8. 4
]0000000000000000000000003 -love mollie
on July 3rd, 2008 at 3:01 am
I have another question,
I cannot remember how long I have had Mollie, but I am sure that I got her in April and it is now July and I am pretty sure she was 3-4 weeks old when I got her, which makes her approximately 4 months old. However, I have not noticed whether she has gone on heat. I heard that it can happen as young as 5 weeks but I have not noticed whether she has. What sort of things should I look out for??
I guess it’s not that important because I don’t want to breed her or anything, I was just interested to know.
on July 3rd, 2008 at 2:38 pm
to nate,
when your rat goes on heat its not always possible to tell she may seem a bit out of sort. but other wise there arnt realy any signs
on July 8th, 2008 at 1:31 am
ok thanks laine
on July 12th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Hi,
My roommate and I got to males, Frank and Beans, a long while ago when they were just babies. They fought like bejeezus, and someone at a pet store told us to separate them. They’re in the same cage but separated by levels. I felt bad to separate them, but they both had horrible scabs and chunks missing from their tails and backs. Now they both seem mopey. Should we try to put them back together now that they’re adults?
on July 14th, 2008 at 9:16 am
To Shaundi,
I would recomend that you continue to keep them seperate. now thay are older thay are capable of causing each other some serious injurys.
just try to spend as much time as possible with each of them and provide them with toys and thay should be fine.
Laine
on July 14th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
i have 2 female rats and 5 boy rats. we had the 2 girls out and brought out one of our boy rats we want them to breed but they wont get near him. so then we bring out a different rat hats a boy and they wont get near him either is it normal?
on July 15th, 2008 at 5:07 am
to sabrina,
it might be easier if you took out 1 fmale and 1 rat out togerther et once if still nothing. place your male and female in the same cage over night and babys should follow. it is important thay spend the night that has had neither rat in before otherwise thay may fight.
laine
on July 18th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
I got my rat at petco about three months ago, and i didnt have the time to play with him at all when i first got him, so he just sat in his cage being rejected.I think he holds that against me, because now that I have the time, I try to play with him and he attacks me. I’ll go into my room and he’ll jump and hang on the side of his cage and watch me, but if I just happen to stand near the cage, he’ll reach his little paws out and bite at the bars. I know that rats get bored and sometimes they’ll chew on the bars, but it’s not like that when he does it. It’s like he’s a demon out to get me. He tried to push open the top of his cage when I’m around, so I had to put clips on it to keep him in. When I feed him, I’m afraid to put my hand in there to drop his food in his bowl, so I just push it through the bars. It’s crazy! Just pushing food in his cage drives him insane. Just yesterday I was sticking his food in the cage, and he was right there, snapping and biting at my fingers. He wasn’t even going after the food- he wanted me! He tried to chew my fingers off, like he’ll grab onto my finger and jerk it into his cage, then he’ll gnaw on it like it’s a carrot or something. It hurts like crap, and it always makes me bleed, but I don’t scream and I dont jerk away, but he still thinks I’m a threat eventhough I’ve never done anything to hurt him. I’ve always taken good care of him, feeding, watering, cleaning his cage, but he’s just plain evil. He was a little testy when I first got him, but now he’s just rotten. I don’t know what the problem is. Either I’m a bad pet owner, or petco is to blame.
Please help, i’m out of ideas.
on July 19th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
jason’
it sounds like hes a bit annoyed at the moment so you need to regain his confidence.
Ready for this place his cage on a serface that he can’t harm himself on i suggest your bed covered with an old blanket or dust sheet (clean) place on it a few treats such as grapes bits of banana rat chews etc and a chewable tunnel for him to hide in.
then wearing gloves if nessairy open his cage and let him wander out in his own time (may take a long time) when hes out sit on the bed but dont touch him pretend hes not there just watch him.
to get him back in if he wont got use a box to scoop him in to do this every day for two weeks during this time try to touch stroke and feed him normally.
good luck any problems feel free to leave me a message.
Laine
on July 23rd, 2008 at 8:20 am
Hello,
I had 2 rats that were sisters. Hua, fell and on Monday I had to make the decision to put her down. She was suffering from a spine injury.
I no longer fear for Hua cause she’s in a better place but Rattie ,I think ,may be stressed.
Rattie is acting odd,it started after Hua was injured.Rattie is scratching and washing herself alot and she is losing fur.Also she is making what I think are talkative noises and last night I woke to her making a noise like a rubber band twanging,But she stopped twanging when I woke up and said her name. Other than this Rattie seems fine,she is not wheezing and she has no scabs where she is losing fur. Is it stress? and what can I do to help her out?
-Thanks to whoever can help me.
on July 27th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
to haylo,
is sounds like rattie is suffering from stress. you have a few options you can make a fuss of her play with her alot give her treats and try to spend alot of time with her.
you could take her to a vet who maybe be able to provide a anti stress drug.
or you could introduse another rat.
hope this has helped
laine
on July 28th, 2008 at 7:50 am
Thanks Laine!
on July 28th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Im new to being a rat parent, and just bought two small male rats. spot seems to be more normal and moves around alot and is curious about his new home, the other male rat just lays there under a plastic shelter (igloo). is that normal? and sometimes he will have his head buried underneath of him and it makes me nervous…
on July 30th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
alexandra,
sound like you have a insecure rat try to handle them as much as possible and he should become more interested in moving around if not it may be worth while consulting a vet as he may have a underlying problem.
laine
on August 7th, 2008 at 2:15 am
alexandra
I wouldn’t worry about the rat sleeping on his head
I think its just a comfortable way to sleep for them
mollie does it all the time
as for the hiding in the shelter,
he may just be scared of you
laines advice is pretty good, just try to handle him and talk to him and make sure you give them lots of treats!!
some good sites
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/pet_rats/23723
http://www.ratfanclub.org/trust.html
http://www.dapper.com.au/index.htm
on August 9th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Hi! All
I have six rats. 4 females and 2 males. My question is how do I introduces the babe male with the adult male.
on August 10th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
to tuesdae,
mixing another rat into a well established pack could be extreamly difficult and may not be succesful.
my advise would be to place all rat onto a nuteral area that none have sented such as on a old blanket on a bed clean all your old rats with rat shampoo and place them on the bed do the same with new rat thay will all have the same sent and will be more interested in grooming then fighting and should start grooming each other including the new rat.
ensure the cage is cleaned and sterilised before putting the rats back home as thay will not see that is the old rats terratory and the newones invading.
thay will fight between each other for a few days keep them together unless there are signs of wounds. if a fight does break out spray them with water and thay will stop to groom.
good luck
laine
on August 22nd, 2008 at 10:31 am
Hi, I got a male rat a month ago - Archie, he is now 10 weeks old, i desperately want to get him a play mate, first off as he is a dumbo will he get on better with another Dumbo, or does it not matter. Also i’m really worried about them not getting on! Any ideas and suggestions?!
Georgina
on September 29th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
to georgina,
to add another rat first bath your rat and the new rat at the same time use the same animal shampoo so thay smell the same also clean out cage thoroughly so no previous sent is left.
the two rats will then groom themselves and hopefully each other if a fight breaks out simply seperate and tr again later.
ive never had a problem with this method and now have 6 rats all introdused bit by bit.
dumbo rats are best kept with other dumbo rats as thay have more chace of getting on.
hope this has helped.
laine