[RatQueen]

If you've read my post in Rat Behavior you know that my Marble is in a bit of trouble. I'm wondering if it would be posible to put her with a large hamster if I can't intro her with the other rats. Marble is almost 4 months and is still small and the hamster that I just got from a friend that moved is only a little smaller than her. He's one of those hamies that get to be big and fat. But what I want to know is if they might get along and if yes if it will be safe for BOTH animals. Again Marble is still very small and young and has a great temperment and the hamies about the same...

Let me know what you think!

 

[Poppyseed]

Definatly NOT. Would be better for her to be alone.

1. Same species housed together are dangerous. Same species shouldn't even meet for play time.

2. Hamsters are solitary creatures and are aggressive when housed with someone else.

3. rat cages and hamster cage necessities are too incredibly different

4. rat diet and hamster diets are too incredibly different

5. Again, I cannot repeat enough same species should NOT be housed together. It's dangerous. You will end up with a dead hamster or a dead rat and the other badly wounded.

 

[Forensic]

I'd say no. Add to what's said above that hamsters could easily be viewed as prey by the rat, size notwithstanding...

 

[RatQueen]

8O...8O................. I did not know that.

Thanks for clearing that up!

 

[foxx]

I am not saying yes but once at a pet shop i saw a very young rat with 2 mice for about 2 weeks they happly lived together.

 

[cjshrader]

Young rat + hamster = young, well fed rat

 

[cinderella]

I agreed the result would likely be well fed rat. Even my very young rat (7 weeks) chased my hamster and was not nice about it. (Its instinctive predatory)

What about getting a very very young rat of the same gender and seeing if they get along?

 

[glindella]

I personally saw my rat Atley grab my sisters hamster and try to drag him into the rat cage (rats were playing on the couch when my sister decided to let Vito *play* with the rats) we got the hamster away with no injuries. It was shocking to see my little loving boy act like that.

 

[RatQueen]

What about getting a very very young rat of the same gender and seeing if they get along?

I have 5 right now and I'd love to have 6 but it would be to much, money wise. They are going to eat me out of my house if I get 1 more... lol...

 

[yashu]

It's so weird to think that a rat smaller than a hamster will still attack the hamster as if it is food... yet rats have so many ways to communicate with each other that it is no wonder that they have no problem doing this.

If it is not one of your own, it must be hostile! But I do think that rats can grow up to accept mice, and would love to see that, but would never have the balls to try it.

 

[Kimmiekins]

Rats are predators to mice just as they are hamsters. In the wild, rats eat mice. I would never attempt it. It would be cruel to the mouse, psychologically as well as physically (and fatal, most likely).

 

[yashu]

Well yes, that was my point.

I have heard of freak occurings of mouse/rat companionship... mostly out of the motherly instinct of the smaller female rats.

I was not suggesting that it should be done. I just found it interesting... in the same way that a cat can be raised to get along with a rat, that a dog can get along with a cat, and so on.

 

[RatQueen]

I know rats are preaditory animals but I'd never heard or read anything about them not getting along with other rodents... and I thought I knew everything to know about rats..... o.o