Hi all! this is such a heartbreaking post for me because of the last two weeks. Three weeks ago, we had two separate mischiefs of rats, a group of four girls all around or under the age of one, and a group of three elderly girls all about 2 yrs and 9 months who were all sisters. The elderly girls are Sweet, Sour, and Maple. Maple had had a mammary tumor for \~3 months and also a pituitary tumor. She had lost 400gs and we had her planned to be euthanized last friday (which was so absolutely heartbreaking but it was her time). We had planned to integrate Sweet and Sour with the younger four rats after Maples euthanasia. However, two weeks ago I noticed Sour was bleeding from her vulva. We rushed her to the emergency vet and had to euthanize her that day for advanced reproductive cancer that we had no idea about. Suddenly, Sweet is all alone having lost both her sisters that she’s been with for all almost three years of her life. (pictured is her on my lap on the car ride home from Maples euthanasia on Friday) We gave her some time to grieve, but didn’t want her to be even more depressed being alone, so we started introductions Friday evening. The spent probably 8 hours in a small carrier, and two days in a hospital cage all together. There was one scuffle at the beginning, but other than that they were cuddling and cleaning each other. We moved them into a near empty larger cage last night with a couple of hammocks. We noticed Sweet was spending all her time alone on one hammock, and when we checked the camera this morning, saw she had been there all night, alone. She came down to say hi to us and one of our younger rats puffed up and started hissing. We removed the hissing rat right away but Sweets ran back up to her hammock, closed her eyes and curled into the smallest ball you’ve ever seen. She has a chronic URI, and is so small compared to the younger girls. I know she couldn’t defend herself against them and that makes me scared for her. I  feel so heartbroken for her. Should we go back a stage on the intros, or is it safer and better for her happiness if my partner and I are her companions for her final stage of life? She is such a cuddly lovey girl, I don’t want her to be scared and alone. 

TLDR: Old lady rat suddenly lost both her sisters. Day 4 of introductions with newer rats is still being isolated and acting scared and depressed. Would it be better  to separate her and become her companion myself, or continue with integration into the mischief of younger rats? 

Old rat being bullied after introductions