Can chin and rat become friends?

[kml.krk]

I am getting a baby rattie in few days and was wondering if chinchilla and rat can become friends? both are females.


PS. Hello to everyone, I registered with CNQ few days before the site wend down, so HELLO AGAIN
This is a wonderful community!!

 

[Siylvat]

For some reason I don't think mixing species is a very good idea. Personally I wouldn't let my chins play with any animals other than chins. Just too many things can go wrong.

 

[3CsMommy]

I wouldn't do it. I'm pretty sure animals like rats qualify as predator species to chinchillas (rats *do* eat meat), and there are probably diseases they can pass back and forth. I'd probably keep them in separate rooms and not let them interact at all if I had both in my household.

I also understand that rats are social creatures (like chinchillas tend to be). Are you getting your new rat as a friend for another one?

 

[Essentia]

I wouldn't do it. Considering they are both of the rodent form they can probably pass sickness and disease to each other. Plus, you always have the possibility of a fight. It's just safer to not do it.

 

[tunes]

A rat can and will kill a chinchilla. It's my personal belief that any caged animal should stay with its own kind. Degu with degu, rat with rat, chinchilla with chinchilla. They do not mix well and should not be expected to get along.

Aside from the fact that the chin would be prey to the rat, as mentioned above, chinchillas eat their poop. I don't think you would want them eating rat poop too.

 

[addictedtochins]

My rat pulled my parakeet into his cage, right through the bars and ate the bird.

 

[kml.krk]

thanks for quick replies. I will not let them play together!

 

[Remyma0408]

My rat pulled my parakeet into his cage, right through the bars and ate the bird.

 

[ALS_WIS]

I just wantto let you know that it is proven and confirmed through very credibale chinchilla newsletters that rats carry ( domestic and wild) diseases that they have in their body that never make them sick but they will give to a chinchilla. I have a pet rat, and bred lines of them before I got into chins, and now since I have ONE, I keep him in a different room on the other side of the house, and to be safe, sanatize my hands with germ killer everytime I handle him. He gets baths regularly, but I wont put my chins at risk either way. A vet will also tell you this. Some rats can be placed next to a chin in a cage if it is far enough they cannot put their noses or mouths through the bars and touch each other, but rats also leak a substance called prophoryn, I am sure I spelled it wrong but thats how it sounds, it most of the time if it builds up looks like blood. it is red substance and more visable on light eyed and colored rats, leaks more during stress however they all have it. This is also NOT GOOD for chinchillas or any non rat, and they sneeze a lot and it goes everywhere, although we cant see with the naked eye. Rats often succomb to respatory diseases, usually because they are rats and do not have a long life span, but I would be concerned with a chinchilla near as who knows which ones are contagious and how they will exhibit symtoms in the chinchilla if the chinchilla does get the disease or sickness?

 

[HedgeMom]

I just wantto let you know that it is proven and confirmed through very credibale chinchilla newsletters that rats carry ( domestic and wild) diseases that they have in their body that never make them sick but they will give to a chinchilla. I have a pet rat, and bred lines of them before I got into chins, and now since I have ONE, I keep him in a different room on the other side of the house, and to be safe, sanatize my hands with germ killer everytime I handle him. He gets baths regularly, but I wont put my chins at risk either way. A vet will also tell you this. Some rats can be placed next to a chin in a cage if it is far enough they cannot put their noses or mouths through the bars and touch each other, but rats also leak a substance called prophoryn, I am sure I spelled it wrong but thats how it sounds, it most of the time if it builds up looks like blood. it is red substance and more visable on light eyed and colored rats, leaks more during stress however they all have it. This is also NOT GOOD for chinchillas or any non rat, and they sneeze a lot and it goes everywhere, although we cant see with the naked eye. Rats often succomb to respatory diseases, usually because they are rats and do not have a long life span, but I would be concerned with a chinchilla near as who knows which ones are contagious and how they will exhibit symtoms in the chinchilla if the chinchilla does get the disease or sickness?

I'm glad you no longer breed rats because this is so full of wrong information that it's scary. Perhaps WILD rats might be harmful, but not domesticated, pet rats.

porphyrin IS TOTALLY HARMLESS. http://www.ratbehavior.org/porphyrin.htm

There are few diseases that can pass from rat to chinchilla. There are few disease that can pass from rat to human or chinchilla to human or human to rat or human to chinchilla. Not ONE of those diseases means you can't keep rats and chins in the same room. I've been doing it for over 10 years and have never had one single instance of anything passing between species.

It's misinformation like this that has places like Alberta making pet rats illegal.

 

[iayla]

I've had rats AND chinchillas for over a dozen years now, usually housed in the same room, but always in seperate cages. I do not let my rats interact with my chins, because like others said, its always best to not intermingle species of caged pets.

But to the comments of porphyrin - that is just their tears same as ours. But rats have red stained tears, just like chins have red/orange urine. It doesnt mean its something harmful, its just different. There are very few diseases that can pass between rats & chinchillas (or most other animals, including humans). I unfortanately have dealt with this ONCE - last spring, and it actually came from a group of rescue chinchillas, not my rats.

Anyways - sorry to repeat what others have said, but I felt it was worth restating - do NOT mix small critter species (no rats playing with chins, or degus, or rabbits, or anything other lil pets), and PET rats do NOT carry hidden disease!

(sorry for yelling)
~Barb~

 

[Chinzilla]

My rat pulled my parakeet into his cage, right through the bars and ate the bird.

And that is why rats scare me even though I know so many people that have them as pets. EEEK! And sorry for the loss of your parakeet...

 

[Stakie]

My boyfriend has rats and I have chinchillas. They are capable of staying in the same room, though I wouldn't have their cages right next to each other. Rats kill mice if put together and probably will kill any other rodent if it feels the need to do so.

 

[kml.krk]

thanks for replies especially HedgeMom - it's very reassuring that I can keep them in one room.
I love rats, I had three in my life (not that many) but I think they are very intelligent and social. And I love that they actually like to be handled, they like to be kept in pocket or hoodie.

My only hope is that I will be able to get her a cage mate very soon (for now I can only have one and I feel a little bad about that)

thanks again for help!!

 

[menagerie]

I just wantto let you know that it is proven and confirmed through very credibale chinchilla newsletters that rats carry ( domestic and wild) diseases that they have in their body that never make them sick but they will give to a chinchilla.

WOW, not very credible in my book. All non-laboratory rats do carry a species specific mycoplasmosis (myco) which is not communicable to other species. During times of high stress, the myco can flair up. Also, contrary to what most people think, myco is not fatal. It's the secondary infections that take hold during a myco flare that are fatal. I had rats in the same room with chins for a couple of years without the chins catching ANYTHING. During this time the rats came down with SDA and strep pneumonia (both of which can be fatal to rats) and still it was not transferred to the chins. I double checked with a chin experienced vet to make sure the chins would not be at risk and that I didn't have to treat them during our outbreak and subsequent quarantine. We've also had guinea pigs, dogs, cats, mice, hamsters and rabbits in close proximity to rats without any problems.

The only reason I don't have rats and chins in the same room today is that my chin population increased and I needed to fit more cages into the chin room, so the rats were relocated to another part of the house.

but rats also leak a substance called prophoryn, I am sure I spelled it wrong but thats how it sounds, it most of the time if it builds up looks like blood. it is red substance and more visable on light eyed and colored rats, leaks more during stress however they all have it. This is also NOT GOOD for chinchillas or any non rat, and they sneeze a lot and it goes everywhere, although we cant see with the naked eye.

The mucous of rats is stained with a red substance called porphyrin, it is not dangerous to any other species. If it were, I'd be dead by now. As far as their sneezing going everywhere, have you ever seen how far a human sneeze travels?

Rats often succomb to respatory diseases, usually because they are rats and do not have a long life span, but I would be concerned with a chinchilla near as who knows which ones are contagious and how they will exhibit symtoms in the chinchilla if the chinchilla does get the disease or sickness?

I don't even know how to respond to this nonsense. Every species has a different life span. The lifespan of rats is short, but it's not because of some imaginary, deadly disease they carry. Rats have a longer lifespan than hamsters and mice. Rats don't share any diseases that are communicable to chinchillas.

 

[luneseulepiec]

Do not mix rats with chinchillas, that is a recipe for disaster. I would not recommend mixing species.

 

[kml.krk]

great! you made me even happier!

I will let you know how the rattie is doing once I get it.
Keep your fingers crossed that my wife will let me take two.

 

[menagerie]

Keep your fingers crossed that my wife will let me take two.

Two of the same sex are so much better than one. Rats are extremely social and no matter how much time you can spend with them they will be alone for the rest of the time. Just imagine if you can spend 4 hours a day (which is a lot) with your rat, the poor thing will be alone for 20 hours a day. How depressed would you be if you didn't have contact with another being for 20 hours every day? I work with a small animal rescue and we do not adopt out single rats, unless the rats are a special case and don't like other rats. We only adopt in pairs or more because they are so social.

Some people try suggest that the rat will bond with you better if you only have one. This couldn't be farther from the truth. There's nothing like having a couple of whiskered noses greeting you at the door ready for a cuddle.

 

[oxchincerelyxo]

Looks like you got your answer!!! I usually say that the only animals that mix (sometimes) are dogs and cats... I would just be careful to make sure that their droppings are not left after their play time so they don't eat each others poop...

 

[kml.krk]

Hey guys. I got my rattie on Wednesday.
She is absolutely gorgeous.
But the best thing is.... on Thursday I went back to the vet to pick up the SECOND one.
So I got TWO and they are so haaaapppppyyy, and I am too! They love to play, eat and sleep together. The best part was when I brought the second one home they started smelling each other and suddenly they done something that looked like they were hugging ank kissing. It was amazing!!

I am extremely happy that I took two. The difference in their behavior is huge!! (Charlie was alone only one day and after I brought Nora home she got sooo much more active!!!)

Thanks very much for all your help.

Here is the pic (they do NOT live in that glass tank - it was only for one day, because I had to finish the cage)