# Rats and Gerbils



## selfdestructingturnip (Nov 17, 2007)

I have two female rats and one female and one male gerbil. I have always wondered what would happen if I just stuck one of each together. Would a rat kill a gerbil?


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Possibly.

Rats are well known to kill mice and often eat them as well. Gerbils are bigger but they're still prey. Just being with a rat could stress the gerbil out, I'd think.

It's generally considered a very bad idea to mix species. Some pets can be trusted, some can't.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Sounds like an visit to a vet to have someone treated for wounds. I wouldn't try it at all. 

Are your 2 female rats living together?


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## selfdestructingturnip (Nov 17, 2007)

I had not intention of actually doing it. I have owned rodents for too long to do something that foolish. Was just curious.

-Yes they are living together. One's a blue named Luna and the other is a shy hairless named Trixie (I went with Trixie to try to instill some confidence in her and Trixie is a very biker-chickesque name).


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## ratrover (Nov 17, 2007)

you can hold them together like let them touch noses and stuff, i would put them in the same cage but not for very long and i would watch


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

ratrover said:


> you can hold them together like let them touch noses and stuff, i would put them in the same cage but not for very long and i would watch


She already said they wouldn't dream of doing it, so there's no point telling her how to. Plus that is how I got badly bitten by a hamster and a rat. My stupid neighbour put them together to play...they launched themselves at each other and I put my hand between them.  I was just a kid. The rat let go realizing it was me she was biting and the hamster hung on until I dipped his butt into a fish aquarium. :roll:


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## OnlyOno (Apr 4, 2007)

hamsters are mean little buggers. i have a dozen of them and only had two that were really nice.

but yeah, i'd say no.


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## ratrover (Nov 17, 2007)

i heard robo hamsters are nice and i have never had a gerbil illegal in cali


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## reachthestars (Feb 27, 2007)

Rats are predators, and some can be HIGHLY species aggressive. I had a big old neutered male who was fine with people and other rats, but if he was freeranging and my mother's Yorkie walked by... watch out! I've seen him LEAP from under the bed to grab the dog by the back haunches. He also grabbed my cat's tail as the cat was passing by the cage. My current neutered male is another cat attackeer. I wouldn't dream of letting them near a tiny little gerbil, even to sniff noses. 

Too many ifs when you're dealing with much loved pets.


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## ratrover (Nov 17, 2007)

thats funny because one time i put a piece of cereal down for my rat and my dog was right next to it and both the animals are food hoarders and my dog started barking but my rat got the food and ran behind me


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

lilspaz68 said:


> Plus that is how I got badly bitten by a hamster and a rat. My stupid neighbour put them together to play...they launched themselves at each other and I put my hand between them.  I was just a kid. The rat let go realizing it was me she was biting and the hamster hung on until I dipped his butt into a fish aquarium.


Ditto. Nice incident happened when my first rat lauched itself out of it's cage (who knew the lazy bugger could move so fast?) and grabbed one of my hamsters by the scruff. Screaming hamster + huffing rat = me putting my finger in the rats mouth to get him to let go of the hamster. He latched on to ME instead, but the hamster got away unscathed.

Unluckily though, he bit into my knuckle and managed to hook his teeth INSIDE the joint - so I'm now plagued with a sore finger when the weather gets cold. Lots of blood though - mum panicked lol


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