Would a mouse be a good companion for my rat?
I have heard of mice making good companions for rats, but I would be careful. Rats have a tendency to be territorial, and I would worry that the size difference would make it difficult for a mouse to defend itself. Your rat might seriously injure or kill the mouse. Just something to think about. It’s one of those things: I’ve heard of rats and cats getting along, but I would be wary to try it.
on May 8th, 2006 at 10:42 am
no,even though they look alike they do not get along
on May 9th, 2006 at 8:57 pm
No, even though they look simaliar they do not get along therefor, should be kept seperate.
on September 10th, 2006 at 5:29 am
no, i currently have a rat.. who just recently killed our 6 week mouse… i suggest not to keep them together…
on October 7th, 2006 at 2:18 am
My rats (roxie & molly) get along great with my 5 year old female german shepard. Go figure. They play chase the dog so much I wouldn’t put them with something smaller like a mouse.
on January 27th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
I’ve recently seen rats in a home running around with cats. They love playing together. The owner told me that if the cat gets out of hand, the rat bites them. This quickly puts the cat back in line!
on December 24th, 2007 at 7:09 pm
My dog and three female rats get along excellently… the girls and my male mouse, not so much. The rats try to play with him, nibble, groom, et cetera like they do to each other, but are unaware of their strength. Billy the mouse in turn, feels intimidated and bites. When I first tried to introduce them, he actually bit Dolly’s foot, drawing blood! I’m sure there are exceptions to this, but I would be extremely wary.
on May 12th, 2008 at 4:05 am
I have personally had excellent luck with mice and rats together if they are introduced young. I’ve had several successful mice buddies who lived with the rats over the years. But there is one that I will never forget.
My last mouse Flurfy and a baby rat Nina were raised together from the time Nina was weaned. As Nina grew and had her first litter, Flurfy became the nursery maid. Although he was a male he tended to the babies as any loving parent would. Through the next two years of litters all the freshly weaned babies got the love and affection of nurse maid Flurfy.
When Flurfy started showing signs of arthritis I was worried the big playful babies would hurt the old man and I separated them. He fell ill within a week of we lost him. I still believe he died of a broken heart. I guess no one ever told Flurfy he wasn’t a momma rat.
I wouldn’t suggest anyone try it for the heck of it but wanted to share my success story.