# What animals can rats get along with?



## CeilingofStars (Apr 21, 2008)

I've heard of rats getting along with cats and dogs. What about:

1. rabbits?
2. guinea pigs?

I've heard ferrets will eat them, and they will eat mice. Is this usually/always the case?

Tell me your stories about mixing species! I'm thinking about what animals to consider in the future, but my rats take first priority.

Btw I want a river otter...but sadly I think that dream will never come true.


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Well, in general, mixing species is a dangerous equation. You never really want to pick something that's their prey (piggies probably fall under this, plus many of them are so high-strung I think it would stress them). Rabbits are too big to be prey and aren't predators upon rats so they'd probably be all right, but with anything I would have unsupervised contact.


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## CeilingofStars (Apr 21, 2008)

It seems like piggies are slightly bigger than rats, but not enough to eat them...are you sure either of them is prey?


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## JulesMichy (Apr 8, 2007)

Why on earth would you want to mix species? You can have piggies and rats, rabbits and rats, etc. but there's no need for them to ever meet.


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

CeilingofStars said:


> It seems like piggies are slightly bigger than rats, but not enough to eat them...are you sure either of them is prey?


The rats are predators. The piggies might be too big, I don't know. Piggies are herbivores, though, so they probably have prey mentality (I've never owned own, can you tell? :lol: )


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## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

rats would attack these species if left unattended or if these animals were to go into an area they have claimed as there own.

strictly supervised, I allow my dog to bein the room when the rats are out & a few of them enjoy playing with her (again supervised but my naked girl will head straight at her in attack mode so my fear is the rats would harm my dog (all of 10 to 12 pound Toy Australian Shepherd)


& before anyone says anything about my 10 pound dog & how she should never be around the rats.... my 130 pound Rottie that I had for 13 yrs (she recently crossed the bride in Jan at 15 yrs) would allow several rats to ride on her back when we took walks


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

I find big dogs tend to be better with small creatures... maybe because most small dogs I know are terriers, though.


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## JulesMichy (Apr 8, 2007)

Forensic said:


> CeilingofStars said:
> 
> 
> > It seems like piggies are slightly bigger than rats, but not enough to eat them...are you sure either of them is prey?
> ...


If a six foot long python isn't too big, and rats have attacked plenty of snakes when placed in their enclosures and left unsupervised, and killed a few of them, then a piggie poses no problem.


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Well, they may give pause, anyway.

If I was fighting for my life I'd attack no matter how big the thing was too!


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## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

I know that wild rats will kill guinea pigs, young ducks and chickens.
Why do so many people want to take risks? If they aren't prey they are predator.


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## reachthestars (Feb 27, 2007)

I had a male rat that would attack dogs and cats, and could draw blood. I just don't see the point in mixing species - at least not rats with any other animal. There's no point if they're kept in same sex pairs anyway, and why risk the health of either animal? Neither species will get anything out of the 'playdate', so when when you weigh the pros and cons it just doesn't make sense.


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## sarahres (May 29, 2008)

I had a guinea pig and a rat that loved to hang out with each other. They would sleep all cuddled up and play with one another. Don't know if thats the case with all rats though :?


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## AlienMando (Jan 19, 2008)

sarahres said:


> I had a guinea pig and a rat that loved to hang out with each other. They would sleep all cuddled up and play with one another. Don't know if thats the case with all rats though :?


Not always the case at all, consider yourself lucky to have had such an impossible odd couple free of... well blood. I wouldn't try for another match like that though. Do you have any pics from that time? 

My ferret actually gets along with my rats, he's an only ferret and was a show ferret for sometime. I credit all his training for his mellowness when around them. If I ever get another ferret, that one wouldn't ever be around the rats. I've heard too many horror stories.

(In regard to my ferret and rats previously coming into contact, I'm well aware of the dangers and got all your personal messages and saw the previous replies & so forth, just staying on topic of my personal experience on animal relationships and in no way condoning anyone to do the same.)


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## granuccibar (Jun 28, 2008)

lol my rats play with my cats 
& my cats are well behaved 
So i dont have to worry

lol but one of my cats beats the **** out of my grandmas dog.


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## Lynxie (Jun 25, 2008)

My dogs love smaller animals, and have always gotten along with my small and fuzzies. 

My cats are terrified of my rats. XD


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## Mana (Apr 22, 2007)

Why do you need to mix species? If you get a guinea pig, play with it while the rats are in their cage. When you play with the rats, put the piggy back in its cage. Same with a rabbit or a ferret or a hamster or anything. There's no reason to make animals share the same space.


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

I'll say beforehand I'm never doing this. They've looked at one another through the bars all curious but that's all . What would happen if my ratties and gerbils encountered eachother?


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## Mana (Apr 22, 2007)

It's quite possible the rats would kill the gerbils.


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## SamAnthrax (Jan 5, 2008)

Once I had my boy tommy on my shoulder and I went to say hi to my guinea pigs which were on a table. Tommy decided to jump on the wire grid (open topped cage) and jump down to the bedding. Sid and Reeses (My guinea pigs) just stared at him but I grabbed Tommy before he had a chance to get any closer. 

Knowing my guinea pigs personalitys I think Reeses would run and hide, and Sid would sniff, and if Tommy made a move Sid would back up really fast. With other guinea pigs Sid tries to act like a tuff guy. Tommy I think would be more interested in seeing what kind of food they had.


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

Spike definately likes the gerbils food! He found the bag of it the other day, put his head in it and ran off with a few pieces to eat in the corner of room :lol:. I had to let him have it, he looked all sad when I tried to take it off him lol. He'd probably steal their food first before trying to kill the gerbils. Mr Greedy.


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## Volkl (Feb 14, 2008)

one of my cats is terrified of my rats but the other cat likes them. hes a big lover and tries to nuzzle my biggest boy rat, but the rat wants no part of it lol.


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