does keeping a rat and a bird as a pet pose any threat?

by **bassrox75** » Tue May 10, 2011 5:57 pm

so we got a rat the other day that someone was trying to get rid of. he's really sweet but i am slightly concerned about the birds. not that they will be allowed to interact with each other or anything but if anyone has any useful info on this topic i would appreciate it. thanks!

by **kaylayuh** » Tue May 10, 2011 6:02 pm

I wouldn't let them out together or interact, and I would probably house them in different rooms, but I wouldn't forsee any problems.

by **captwest** » Tue May 10, 2011 6:03 pm

If your asking the question,do rats eat birds? the answer is YES.If your asking will my pet rat eat my pet bird? the answer is YES

by **bassrox75** » Tue May 10, 2011 6:18 pm

yeah i know rats will eat birds..i googled it but i guess to rephrase the question: if both my 2 birds and the rat are healthy there shouldn't be a problem as far as having them in the same house? im thinking more along the lines of potential disease transfer.
so anyways...to reassure everyone again: NO they will not be allowed to socialize together.

Website · by **zazanomore** » Tue May 10, 2011 6:46 pm

As long as the rat is a domestically bred animal, then no, there shouldn't be a problem.

by **Kathleen** » Tue May 10, 2011 7:03 pm

Adding a pet that will eat your bird just multiplies the amount of danger your birds are in, whether you intend for them to interact or not. Accidents can always happen no matter how many precautions we take, but this is an accident that can be prevented by not having other dangerous pets.

Website · by **zazanomore** » Tue May 10, 2011 7:08 pm

Kathleen wrote:Adding a pet that will eat your bird just multiplies the amount of danger your birds are in, whether you intend for them to interact or not. Accidents can always happen no matter how many precautions we take, but this is an accident that can be prevented by not having other dangerous pets.

I think as long as the animal is properly separated, then it is fine.

Besides, rats are CAGED animals. Unlike cats and dogs, they don't have free range of the house.

by **Nevermore** » Tue May 10, 2011 7:25 pm

...until said caged animal gets out.

I owned hamsters when i was younger. its real easy to loose one when you have them out to play. and they can climb into all sorts of little nooks and crannies.

Website · by **zazanomore** » Tue May 10, 2011 7:34 pm

Nevermore wrote:...until said caged animal gets out.

I owned hamsters when i was younger. its real easy to loose one when you have them out to play. and they can climb into all sorts of little nooks and crannies.

Have you seen the size of pet rats? They're a lot bigger than hamsters.

Now, I'm not sure how old the OP is, but if she is old enough to care for two senegal parrots, then I believe she is old enough to properly care for a rat. You just need to buy a good quality cage and secure it properly.

by **entrancedbymyGCC** » Tue May 10, 2011 9:29 pm

It is my observation that bird people who don't much care for other animals stress the dangers of having different species in the same house whereas people who have multiple pets report serious incidents a tiny fraction of the time. Yes it can happen, but so can a whole host of other accidents.

A rat and a bird should be pretty easy to keep separated, and it would be unlikely to get into the bird's cage even if it got out of its own and was in the same room. So I'd guess this is a fairly benign pairing. I'm told rats are really very intelligent pets -- more like tiny dogs than hamsters, FWIW. I nearly rescued a trio about a year ago.

You are also, sadly, not likely to be in this boat for a terribly long time. Rats only live about 3 years. I say be careful and enjoy all your pets!

does keeping a rat and a bird as a pet pose any threat?

does keeping a rat and a bird as a pet pose any threat?

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Re: does keeping a rat and a bird as a pet pose any threat?

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Re: does keeping a rat and a bird as a pet pose any threat?

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