ok, i took stalin out of his cage while milo the rat was on my lap, stalin being wierd wanted to see what it was, ans to my amazement, and almost horror, the rat started to lick and clean the hamster, and i pulled stalin off my lap the first time, and slowly brought him back, and he did it again, no biting and stalin didnt show any concern, it was the wierdest thing i have ever seen, my only answer is he must have thought the hamster was his cage mate and started to clean him like he normally does, only the thing that kills that idea is the scent isnt habib's, its stalin's. this also brought up one of those "id-never-do-it-but wonder-if" questions, can a hamster, dwarf and a tamed rat live in the same cage fightless?, like i said, id never do it, but i wonder, like can a playstation operate in a bathtub. also, can you overfeed a hamster/rat chewsticks? and why do they like them so much, do they taste like cookies, are they safe for people to eat one? lmao. why was he licking my ham?
2006-09-23 22:37:55 · 6 answers · asked by Bob7k 3 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
I would say because the rat nor the hamster see a threat. Plus they both are rodents.
Animals have been known to care for each other when they are not the same species. For example, cats and dogs have been known to care for each other quite frequently. Animals have a keen sense of threat or dislike and if they do not perceive there is a threat from another human or animal, things that seem strange to us may occur. Pigs also have been known to nurse and care for other animals like puppies. Many other animals are also known to "adopt" abandon young in the wild when the birth mother was killed or abandoned their young.
Chew sticks: These hard and crunchy treats are yummy and keep your pet's teeth trimmed. Always keep one in the habitat.
http://www.petsmart.com/global/articles/article_detail.jsp?siteID=djdQGGaICP8-eLcMYgOg7OW0LOAOjoS5Og&cm_ven=LS&cm_cat=text&cm_pla=06&cm_ite=HomepageText&CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id=10134198673332921&bmUID=1159092045010
2006-09-23 22:49:05 · answer #1 · answered by sharkscue 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Domestic rats are very social animals and they enjoy people.
My daughter has a male rat and he used to have a female mouse that lived in his cage. He'd clean her and protect her all the time. I would assume that a hamster isn't much different than a mouse to the rat.
You can try putting them in the same cage, but I'd watch them closely before actually leaving Hammy in there on a full time basis.
Yes you can over feed them, but chew sticks are for chewing and they usually don't actually eat them.
You can play the PlayStation in the tub as long it's YOU in the water and not the PlayStation.
2006-09-24 05:50:22 · answer #2 · answered by Lucianna 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It is normal for rats to care for other animals...when we had our puppy she would get on her back and she would clean the dog. I would keep them seperate but definately would let them play together. It is fun to watch them play together.
As for the overfeeding question...it is very possible to overfeed rats treats. Our vet said only one or two treats a week. Just make sure that the chewsticks are not pine or cedar woods. Believe it or not, our rats love chopsticks. They also love carrots, grapes and other fruits and veggies in strict moderations.
Hope this helps!!!!
2006-09-24 15:44:50 · answer #3 · answered by gonegurl54 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Animal behavior fascinates me. I don't know why your rat acts like that but it happens alot I guess. You hear of dogs letting kittens nurse etc. I think some animals - including humans - are more nurturing than others. They don't see "species ", only something in need. Remember the kid who fell in the gorilla cage? The gorilla didn't see the little boy as " different ", she saw a hurt little boy and her instincts to help and protect just kicked in. Too bad more people aren't like that..
2006-09-24 06:04:14 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
It must have thought it was a baby rat, mother instinct. But I would keep them separate nevertheless
2006-09-24 05:49:02 · answer #5 · answered by Mightymo 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
1st off... you named your hamster stalin?
and secondly: the rat would be licking the hamster, because it's a rat, and rats love blood and flesh...
That answer your question?
2006-09-24 06:43:58 · answer #6 · answered by James N 1 · 1⤊ 4⤋