when should i introduce my new pet rat to my older pet rat?

[xmisstressx]

so i just bought a new baby rat she is about 5 weeks old,
but i have another rat who is a year old and im slowly going to introduce and fallow all the steps to introducing but im worried once iv done all this what is my baby rat is still to small? just because my older rat is a year and seems much bigger

but my older rat has been with another rat be for, she grew up with her sister but her sister passed away 2 weeks ago and i was worried because i did not want her to be alone so i went out got a new cage and a new baby rat,

but yeah im just worried what if my baby rat is still to small after i fallow all the right steps? what should i do??

im just really worried iv read story's where rats will kill other rats and the baby rat is so small she couldn't even defend her self! and i want them to live together in the bigger cage i have in peace, because one my baby rat starts to get bigger she will need to be in a bigger cage!

 

[Danica Marie]

Just make sure you follow the steps when it comes to quarantine first. Once it comes time to actually introduce, reducing or masking the rats natural scent will make the introduction easier. Some people use a dab of an aromatic substance, such as vanilla extract, on the rats to mask their scent to each other. If your older rat seems to be more territorial you can bathe them first using baby shampoo or scented suave such as peach or raspberry. Bathe the new rat first.

Place the rats on neutral ground where nobody will be put in a position to defend her territory. Do not choose an area where the resident rat plays or free roams. Some good places for introductions are the bathtub, the kitchen table, the bed, or a counter top. If your older rat is shy you may want to do the introductions on your lap. During any introduction make sure they are being supervised at all times and remember that your introduction phase may be many short ones or one long one. The length of time for this step can range from anywhere from an hour, to an entire day, to every day for a week. If the initial meeting does not go well then you can separate them and try again later. Sometimes putting the rats in cages next to each other will help them get familiar without risking injury.