# Mating through cage bars?



## QueenB1958 (Apr 27, 2014)

I have heard some people say that it is possible for rats to mate through cage bars and other people say no. Which is true? I'm hoping the later bc when Bobby escaped today, I found him on top of Margo's cage, and I REALLY don't want babies.


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

I really don't think it's likely at all that rats can mate through cage bars. I've had girls and my boys (at the time that they were not neutered) in the same room together. I let them out of their cages to free range at different times, and the boys usually went straight for the girls cage and visa versa with the girls. They would climb all over the other gender's cage. I've never had an accidental pregnancy from them climbing all over each others cages and trying to sniff one another. I have, however, had an accidental pregnancy when Toast and V got so hormone driven that they desperately figured out how to open up Evy's cage during free range time without my looking.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Completely false. 

Rats mate in a position similar to dogs and it requires close contact. The likelihood that they can not only coordinate this but execute it is close enough I'll say impossible. There's also the behavioral aspect which the male can't initiate, and then you have to think about territorial females because my boys would sit on the girls cage and the girls would attempt to bite or pull them, whixh the boys didn't appreciate and ended in a few lost toenails. 

I would have litters and litters if Milo and Elias had been able to impregnate my 8 girls through the bars for the five months they were sexually active and not neutered. 


People who say that usually don't want to tell the truth of what happened. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## QueenB1958 (Apr 27, 2014)

Ok, thanks. It sounded a bit far fetched, but I was still worried. Not that babies aren't cute (we all know they are) I just don't want them


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## Bronte18 (Jun 2, 2014)

I have recently found out I have a hermaphrodite rat and in my head I don't want babies but lingering in the back of my mind is a hope that s/he'll end up pregnant through some sort of miracle. I just want to raise some babies, since most of my rats were rescues when I got them and older (except the 2 9 week old ones) argh, I wanna be a grandma!!


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## scurvey27 (Dec 31, 2013)

Haha omg am I the only one who had a hilarious mental image of rats mating through cage bars?


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## Zabora (Jun 8, 2014)

I think the female would have to press her bottom perfectly n the center of the two bars and the male the same way on the other side and even then I don't think it would happen...


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