So I thought tonight would be a good time to try introductions between my original pair, Anson and Judah, and the Hawaiian rescues, Laki and Lele. Both Judah and Anson seemed very interested in their neighbors the past couple of nights with Judah clinging to the cage side and shaking it, even trying to bite the wire. I interpreted that as eagerness to get to his new friends.

Not!

I got both pairs in separate bonding pouches and let them loose on opposite sides of the bathtub. Well ... "let them loose" is a not quite the right phrase as it was a struggle to get them to leave their pouches.

Anson seems to get along well with Laki and Lele but Judah is a whole other story. The one good thing tonight was how he seemed to see me as a position of safety (for the first time). Judah has Laki and Lele frightened -- he got into a furball with Lele four or five times tonight (only a couple seconds then they separated) but it's not looking like those two will ever get along.

I'm trying to figure out what to do now. Can I have them exchange cages for a day or two to get used to each other's smell? At this point I think it's more a dominance thing than the smells. Judah had Anson completely buffaloed and wants Laki and Lele to submit too. Lele isn't having any of it although it doesn't seem like he's trying to dominate Anson.

I tried a brand new neutral pouch and Laki and Lele would NOT go in it with Judah in there and even took about 20 minutes to decide to try it out with Anson inside (I let Judah get inside a bonding pouch and then closed it so they could try to make friends with Anson).

This has been my worst fear. :(

 

Paani
Member since: Feb 24, 2010
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