Do rats and mice get along?

Question

I have two mice and want a rat. Will the rat be mean to the mice?

Answer 1

If the rat should escape it's cage and gain access to the mice, it will be more then mean to the mice. I'm afraid the rat will see the mice as competition for it's resources (housing, food, your affection) and kill them.

Rats are both prey and predatory animals. Rats have been known to hunt, kill, and eat animals that are smaller then themselves. Prey animals for rats include small pet birds, mice, hamsters, and insects.

http://www.ratbehavior.org/norway_rat_ethogram.htm#PredatoryBehavior
http://www.ratbehavior.org/RatsMice.htm#Muricide

The odor of a rat is very stressful to mice. When I had mice I not only kept them in separate cages, but I also kept them in separate rooms.

spazrats
"my life has gone to the rats"

Answer 2

Your rat might adopt the mice or the rat could kill them. It depends on how young the mice are (you don't want mice that are too young) and how receptive your rat is. As a general rule, rats and mice are colony animals, so the rat should welcome the newcomers. A good idea would to test their socialization in much the same way you would guinea pigs - have two wire mesh cages and put the mice in one, the rat in the other and set them near each other for a while to observe how they interact. If they get aggressive, the answer is no - you won't be able to keep them together. If they're receptive of each other, you can try putting them together and hope they won't savage each other.

Pet mice and rats are colony oriented by nature and can be housed singly or in groups. However, adult male mice often fight when caged together, especially in the presence of females. For this reason, we recommend that males be kept individually. Females may be caged together if a colony is desired. Rats, on the other hand, usually can be caged in mixed groups of males and females without aggression, but they should be spayed and neutered. Breeding is highly discouraged! Group cages should be provided with multiple food and water sources; otherwise territorial disputes could break out.

It might be cost prohibitive to keep mice and a rat though: adult mice require a minimum floor area of 15 square inches each and a cage height of at least 5 inches. Rats need at least 40 square inches of floor space each and a minimum height of 7 inches.

Answer 3

This is a quote from the first site listed below.
"The two different types of rodents should never be housed together." We have both breeds and would never try to house them together. The average pet rat the can grow anywhere from 9"-12" with a 9" tail and 3/4LB-1 1/2LB for a male or 1/2 LB-1LB for females in weight for an adult. An adult mouse is barely a fraction of the female rat. A mouse measures in at about 3 1/2 inches, not including tail (3"), and weighs just 1/2 to one ounce. While white (albino) mice are the most common type found in pet stores, fancy mice can be twice the average size, and come in a wide variety of coat colors and types, from curly and shiny to silver and cinnamon. To house an adult rat you really need a cage large enough for a ferret, one for a hamster/gerbil/large mouse is too small after they're 3 months old. They need 288sq.in. minimum and at least 7" tall. I just ordered my rats their new cage and it's big enough to house large rabbits, it's 900sq.in. and 16" tall. Plus I'm adding new climbing toys to play on. I'm thinking of next year of getting one of the Super Pet almost 5' tall ferret cages with all kinds of tubes and slides for them.

Answer 4

the best thing top do is if you want a rat is to keep them separate. the reason why is because the mice will knaw on the rat and it won't be a pretty sight. mice are more aggressive then rats and you always want to keep the in different cages. rats are not known to be mean but if they are put in a position to defend themselves then they will. just keep them in their own cages.

Answer 5

the mice will chew on the rat they need seperate cages

Answer 6

They simply won't and don't get along.
While they are both rodents, there is a world of difference between them.

A single rat should never be kept, they are social creatures and though they'll love you to bits if you rub their bellies and bring food, they need their own kind as well.

Answer 7

You should try out once to find it for yourself, since it will be very difficult to advise or answer your question,