My daughter has a pet rat whose companion died of old age recently. She was really torn up about his death. I feel sorry for the lonely rat he left behind & know I need to add a buddy for him. I'm hesitating because I'd like to switch her to a pet with a longer life span, such as a ferret or a chinchilla. Can either of these live peacefully with a rat?
2006-12-13 07:12:59 · 10 answers · asked by mamabettbett 1 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
A ferret will kill your rat, and a rat will kill a chinchilla. You cant keep any of these pets together. There is no other animal that can coexist in the same cage as a rat, besides a rat. You can spend more time with your rat and play with it, rats do enjoy human company very much. You can get other pets, just keep them separated from your rattie friend.
2006-12-13 09:31:22 · answer #1 · answered by Laurie 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
like others have said a ferret will likely eat the rat and i doubt a chinchilla would get along well with it either.
Presuming it's companion was a similar age to it (so it aint going to be around that much longer) and you no longer wish to keep rats i would keep the last one alone till it passes. It will appreciate extra out time and especially cuddle time now that it doesn't have a live-in cuddle buddy. I would also make sure it has a snuggly place to sleep. But it should do OK alone; especially if given extra people time.
If your child is older; then a ferret or chinchilla could make an ok pet (not living with a rat though ;)). Ferrets like to sleep during the middle of the day and don't like being manhandled; when they are awake they are an amazing bundle of energy. They have several common health problems and they do best with a good sized area to play in outside of the cage. Chinchilla's i don't know much about; i'v heard that they aren't very cuddly(?).
2006-12-13 07:43:34 · answer #2 · answered by pinkyprincessx 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The ferret will Love your rattie -- in it's stomach. Ferrets are carnivores and therefore, predators.
You can't put a mouse or other rodents in with your rat either. Ratties have been known to get very aggressive and kill or maim animals larger than themselves.
If you can, you might get him a companion rat the same age. That's really the only other creature truly compatible with a rattie.
Personally, I would just spend more time with him. In the meantime, it's alright if you get another pet. You will just have to keep them apart when rattie is out of his cage. Just be sure and read up on whatever type pet you decide to get. The library and internet are great sources.
Chinchillas are very delicate and not a good pet for a child. Also, Most prefer not to be held and they are nocturnal.
Ferrets are a total hoot. But they need to exercise and so need to run around daily. The only problem with that is they are hard to potty train. You may have to resign yourself to cleaning poo out of their favorite potty corners.
You don't say how old your daughter is. Have you considered Guinea Pigs? They are a great pet for a younger child. (That's why they are a favorite as a school class pet.) They live for 8 - 10 years, are active during the daytime, are known for their tendency Not to bite.
2006-12-16 08:15:49 · answer #3 · answered by zoointheburbs 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd only put a ferret in a rat's cage if I wanted to get rid of the rat, because that's unfortunately what will happen if you try to put them together. You could always get another cage & put the longer living ferret in it & then adopt a rat that's close in age to your other rat from your local shelter or rat rescue, then presumably, they will pass away at relatively the same time. I'm unclear though as to who was torn up over the other rats death, the rat or your daughter? Mice live longer, but they shouldn't be housed with a rat unless you want rat food. I bought a baby rat for my son a few months ago & we absolutely adore her, although people really raise their eyebrows when I talk about my son's "pet" rat. They think they all carry the plague. I also now have a little deer mouse as a stowaway in my whirlpool tub as of about 2 days ago. Not sure if it's a baby or not, but I don't plan on putting it with Maisy the rat. We live in the country & evidently the little guy found his way into the house & then fell in the tub & can't get out. If I can tame him we'll keep him. He's so cute with his Mickey Mouse ears... Good luck!
2006-12-13 09:07:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know about Chinchillas, having never owned one. I can tell you that if you buy her a ferret, it will most likely eat the rat. Ferrets in the wild subsist on small animals, especially rodents, and they are natural predators. Whatever you do, do NOT give her a ferret while she still has a rat! It's important to know also that ferrets take much more care than rats. They are about as intelligent as a two year old child, and they get into EVERYTHING. They're far to bright to keep constantly in a cage, they need to explore and they will learn to unlock their cage if you try to keep them in it too much. Please do a little research and be sure you're ready for one if you ever choose to get a ferret; they're a wonderful pet but you MUST know what you're in for, they're not like most other common housepets.
Chinchillas may be a better choice, but as I've never owned one, look to others for an answer there.
2006-12-13 07:28:33 · answer #5 · answered by goddessdawnie 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
3-4 yrs is NOT a normal life span for a rat. Mine had excellent care and many trips to the vet and only one lived to 3 yrs. The rest died around 21 mths.
Ferrets will kill rats and I'm sure Chinchillas would too.
I would just let the lone rat be, spend lots of attention to him and when he passes, then get ferrets. The rat left behind may not want to be introduced to another rat anyhow. They are very territorial!
2006-12-14 16:19:55 · answer #6 · answered by Laura M 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
ABSOLUTLY NOT!
Ferrets see rats as prey and will kill a rat easily.
I wouldn't go for a chinchilla either.
Generally, these animals should not be kept in the same cage. Sorry.
2006-12-13 07:14:50 · answer #7 · answered by lunar_flame 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
If you take good care of a rat, their life span is 3 - 4 years. That's a fair amount of time. Personally, I kept a single rat at a time and handled her fequently. When I got more than one, one would always establish dominance and pick on the other.
2006-12-13 07:17:57 · answer #8 · answered by nepherym 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
you'd lose the other rat quite quickly as a snack to the ferret I'm afraid.
2006-12-13 07:26:44 · answer #9 · answered by melissa p 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I wouldn't get a ferret. They are carnivors and you'd probably find that the rat would eventually become its snack.
2006-12-13 07:37:25 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋