I was concidering getting a little mousey to put in with my 2 fem ratties, having visions that they'd mother and treat it as a baby rat. In reality though, would my girls kill the mouse? And does it depend at all on sex?
2007-08-25 11:00:38 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Rodents
No I'm afraid your girls would definately harm your mouse! You could get mice and keep them seperate from your rats though!
2007-08-26 05:18:42 · answer #1 · answered by rafflesmoose 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
More often than not the rats will commit muricide, or in other words, the rats will kill the mice ... and it won't be pretty.
This is a known behavior issue with rats and mice. Rats consider mice to be prey and will hunt them down in their territory and kill them.
There is a good article covering this at www.RatBehavior.org (see my sources for the link).
I felt it important enough to post it at http://www.RatChatter.com ... my pet rat forums.
If you are still getting pet mice, keep in mind that male mice need to be kept separate from each other as well as the females (male mice are extremely territorial and may kill each other), where as female mice can be kept together in groups like same sex rats.
2007-08-25 12:31:52 · answer #2 · answered by mr.rattitude 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, rats like mice...to eat. They wouldn't mother it, they would kill it. Regardless of the sex (of either the mice or the rats). If you want mice, you will have to set up a separate cage for the mice (like rats, mice are very social and should be kept in groups of two or more).
2007-08-25 11:14:08 · answer #3 · answered by ainawgsd 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Even though mice may look a little like a baby rat- your females will kill it.
Rats hunt, kill and eat mice. (yuck)\
The rat bites the mouse. The first bite is often the one that kills the mouse.
Wild rats and mouse rarely share the same building.
If you want to get another friend for your rats, it needs to be another female rat. :O)
Hope this helps.
Ok my mom (teej) wrote this. lol. not me.
2007-08-25 13:30:33 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ratties are great pets. Mice...ahem. Well, I will admit that they are cute. But...rats must know the truth about mice. That's why they aren't nice to the little critters. Mice bite. They stink. They are the worst mothers to their offspring. If your rats don't eat any mousie you buy for them, I have four ball pythons with wide, open mouths, just waiting.......
2007-08-25 17:00:18 · answer #5 · answered by PythonPrincess 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
They'd kill it...i promise you..they'll kill it... I actually bought a baby rat for my female rat (who was a year and a half) and she killed the poor baby. they are very territorial and she'll kill a mouse forsure
2007-08-25 11:13:38 · answer #6 · answered by TheDeeds 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, your girls would probably kill it. Everyone should know not to mix different rodents together. For example: A rabbit lives with a guinea pig, the rabbit gets startled, kicks the guinea pig, and killed it. I got this story from a guinea pig website page.
2007-08-25 12:07:48 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
i wouldnt try it. I have 2 female rats and i would NEVER let them do that. the mouse will die.
2007-08-25 11:05:47 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
your rats would kill the mouse, in the wild a mouse to a rat is prey, they would instinctively kill it. please dont get a mouse and try it.
Chelsea
2007-08-26 13:58:31 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah they'll like it. Hey, mice are yummy!
2007-08-25 13:24:35 · answer #10 · answered by guineapiggirl 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋