How long is it okay to have a rat alone for...........and also will rats kill mice or breed with them?

Question

my rat has been alone for about 2 months,and she is fine but a little bit clingy.we want to get her a friend but its hard deciding if a rat or a mouse is better for her

Answer 1

Rats can't breed with mice, and they probably would not fight unless they are very different in size. They may not be great companions, though. I would get another rat, but make sure they are the same gender.

Answer 2

A female rat would be best for her. Do not, under any circumstances, put a mouse with her. Rats are opportunistic predators and are known to attack animals smaller than them. She would likely, at some point, kill the mouse. She would not breed with it as rats cannot breed with mice.

Answer 3

get a rat, and make sure they meet in a neutral place. if you want to breed your rat, get another, because a rat will probably kill a mouse. if you don't want babies, get another female rat, and clean the cage as they meet in a neutral place. (a neutral place would be a bath tub)

Answer 4

She would be best paired with another female rat. Otherwise, you're going to have problems and be overrun with rats in no time at all.

Rats do not breed with mice.

I don't know what the socialization factor is between rats and mice. I wouldn't put them together.

Answer 5

You should get her a female rat as a companion, if you get a male you will be overrun with little rat babies and a rat will kill a mouse if you put them in the same cage.

Answer 6

Ok, first, get another female rat. Second, yes, rats will KILL a mouse, and no, rats and mice cannot, and willnot breed.

Answer 7

if you put her with a mouse, I really think shes going to kill the mouse.  It's best to get another female rat because a rat doesnt talk to a mouse the same way she talks to another rat.  I would get the 2nd rat ASAP.  Especially if you dont spend TONS and tons of time with her.

Answer 8

ok,I had rats alone for their whole lives but I literally had them out all day,(every day) they later got friends, but rats will kill and eat mice so not mice.Ideally you need another female rat.

Answer 9

A rat won't die from being left along often, but it will be unhappy and will most likely not live as long as it should.

Never put a rat and mouse together unless you want a dead mouse!

Being that the rat is a really social and intelligent animal, you owe it to your rat to either make time for him each day for at least an hour or so, or get her a roomate. Just remember, when introducing a new member to the family, take it slowly. Females may scuffle a bit for seniority, but when a smaller, younger rat enters the mix, each rat picks up on what their place is pretty quick.  I have always had female rats, and usually three at a time.  When one passed on, I would get a new roomate.  When I put all the rats together, I make sure to first clean the cage well and rearrange their toys and stuff so that there are less territory problems.  Sometimes, I put all the rats in the bathtub, a neutral space where the older rats can see that I opprove of the new rat, and so it is ok for them to do so as well. I read about the bathtub trick from a rat breeder friend of mine who was responsible for my falling in love with rats.

Answer 10

get another female