RatPalace.com - Pet Rat Care and Discussion

Fri Oct 07, 2005 5:27 am

Is it possible to keep a rat and a mouse in the same cage together or would they fight?

I dont really think it is possible but someone told me they knew someone who did it. I also hear that mice can be kept with female rats only or something like that... I dont know, that's why I am asking.

Fri Oct 07, 2005 5:43 am

um...I'm not 100% sure on this. But there have been a lot of horror stories of rats killing smaller mammals like mice, birds, hamsters, gliders, etc. So I wouldn't reccomend it.

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Chester (PEW hairless), Kye (Black mismarked hooded), Scout (agouti), Reminder (Beige)

Tapioca(Beige hooded) RIP my big squishy boy...Play hard at the Rainbow Bridge.

Fri Oct 07, 2005 5:43 am

Rats are predatory animals. In the wild, rats will eat mice if they can catch them. So no, you would end up with one very dead mouse.

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--Brittany

"He who breaks a thing to find out what it is, has left the path of wisdom."

Fri Oct 07, 2005 5:45 am

Uhhh, not only would they fight, mousie would mostly likely be dead in a few days. Rats are predators, and they will kill the mice. If a mother is nursing, she might take a mouse in as her own. No one who cares about their animals would put a rat and a mouse together purposefully.

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Fri Oct 07, 2005 6:40 am

Ooo okay haha.

Someone also told me that they had a haf rat half mouse (their friend did) i dont think that is posslible.

Fri Oct 07, 2005 6:43 am

Someone is pulling your leg, I think.

Please don't consider housing rats and mice together, it would be most likely gory. Sad

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Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Fri Oct 07, 2005 7:03 am

Some biologists actually did create a mouse rat hybrid in a lab once, but it cannot happen in the conventional manner, no.

And yes, rats will kill mice. There are some rare exceptions, but why risk a life on the slim hope for an exception?

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Arvay and the Squirmin' Vermin

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.'

--Erma Bombeck

Fri Oct 07, 2005 11:26 am

If you're interested, this page has an article about rat/mouse hybrids. As Arvay said, initially it can be overcome in the lab, but no, no hybrid.

Always be wary about "friend of a friend" (or FOAF) stories... it's a classic sign of an urban myth. Mr. Green

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Fri Oct 07, 2005 2:17 pm

I had a friend who had pet mice, wanted a rat so another friend gave him one, He wasn't informed on correct housing and assumed it would live with his mice. Sure enough, I got a phone call saying tha rat had killed a mouse!

I have had a rat and mouse in the same cage, but only for a short time, and the rat was actually scared of the mouse(this mouse used to attck anything that went near it). Another friend had a mouse who was attacked by the others and needed 'special' care, so she put him with a mother rat who had babies- the mouse lived with the rat family until it was time for the bubs to be weaned. I think he may still be living with the rat.

But don't do it just for the sake of it. Rats are predatory and may kill the mouse. Would you let your rat range with your cat? It's the same thing.

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You gotta be good at something in life!

Sat Oct 08, 2005 4:51 am

Acctually I think I may have a photo showing both a mouse and a rat...let me look it up. But NO they CAN NOT be housed together!!!! Shaz

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Sat Oct 08, 2005 5:35 am

Do not house a rat and a mouse together. The results will NOT be good. And I believe that they had EXTREME difficulty getting a rat and mouse hybridin a lab. I would definatly have a talk with this 'friend'.

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Rosie

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I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Wed Oct 12, 2005 8:34 am

I had a problem with one of my mice chewing through her plastic critter trail habitat (yes she chewed right through the plastic) ..well she wandered into my rats cage and was killed....

It was very sad..she was my oldest mouse. Sad

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