My rats and guinea pig were able to live Together?

[Naturalraes]

Wow, guys, I'm really disappointed in you. Someone posts a heartwarming story about rescuing a guinea pig, and making its last few years happy, and all you can do is spiel out a bunch of bossy know-it-all unsolicited advice. Unkind.

gr3ranger, I liked your story. Thanks for posting.

That's because we've helped out others with stories of their rats killing and eating their degus/rabbits/mice/hamsters or the other way around, rats being killed by them. We know the dangers. It's called warning, alerting, helping. We need to be very upfront with this post, in case some other person decides to give it a try and it ends in tragedy and not a happy lovely story like this one.
You have a lot of nerve calling us bossy-know it all. Until you've comforted and consoled those with huge broken hearts because of this mistake, then you can call us such awful names.

Hi Joanne. Touché.

I did not call people names, though, only the advice.

From my perspective, it looked similar to a grandma telling about the great day she had with her grandkid eating out at McDonalds, and instead of saying 'That's nice' everyone proceeded to lecture on the viles of corporations and fast food.

 

[jorats]

Hi Joanne. Touché.

I did not call people names, though, only the advice.

From my perspective, it looked similar to a grandma telling about the great day she had with her grandkid eating out at McDonalds, and instead of saying 'That's nice' everyone proceeded to lecture on the viles of corporations and fast food.

You know as much as I do that advice come from people.
This would be like grandma telling everyone how much fun it was having the grand babies playing with the lions at the zoo during feeding time.
There's a big difference between feeding a kid junk food and actually putting the pet's life in danger.

This was a lovely story, but it doesn't usually end well when people mix species.

 

[victoria]

Wow, guys, I'm really disappointed in you. Someone posts a heartwarming story about rescuing a guinea pig, and making its last few years happy, and all you can do is spiel out a bunch of bossy know-it-all unsolicited advice. Unkind.

gr3ranger, I liked your story. Thanks for posting.

That's because we've helped out others with stories of their rats killing and eating their degus/rabbits/mice/hamsters or the other way around, rats being killed by them. We know the dangers. It's called warning, alerting, helping. We need to be very upfront with this post, in case some other person decides to give it a try and it ends in tragedy and not a happy lovely story like this one.
You have a lot of nerve calling us bossy-know it all. Until you've comforted and consoled those with huge broken hearts because of this mistake, then you can call us such awful names.

Hi Joanne. Touché.

I did not call people names, though, only the advice.

From my perspective, it looked similar to a grandma telling about the great day she had with her grandkid eating out at McDonalds, and instead of saying 'That's nice' everyone proceeded to lecture on the viles of corporations and fast food.

I disagree. The forum comes up often when people do a Google search and if they did one on having a rat and guinea pig live together (which people do, there was a person on the Rat Adoption Group Canada not too long ago looking for a rat to live with her guinea pig) and they see that post, they will think it's ok. It really isn't and I think I explained clearly why it isn't. Sorry you were offended but offends me more to see people keep their pets in inadequate/dangerous conditions. (Make no mistake, this is the case here.)

The OP may have had good intentions but there is already so much incorrect companion animal care information out there (especially when it comes to exotics) and I don't want to belong to a community that encourages more. A rat and a guinea pig living together is dangerous to both species, especially the guinea pig. Period. What if it was a ferret and a rat that lived together happily, would you think we were mean for pointing out the reasons why that's really not a good idea?

 

[Naturalraes]

You know as much as I do that advice come from people.

Giving bad advice does make you a BAD PERSON. so when I describe a person's advice, I am not describing their character.

 

[jorats]

You know as much as I do that advice come from people.

Giving bad advice does make you a BAD PERSON. so when I describe a person's advice, I am not describing their character.

I can get technical here but I won't, cause the thread is not about that at all.
What it boils down to, we are constantly educating, correcting and supporting. In some cases when it's a matter of life and death, we need to be more forceful.

 

[gn3ranger]

Oh it's alright my guinea pig lived a good long life and I'm glad I'm getting some advice. The forums are very active Like now I know what other food's to give my surviving rat instead of the seed mix etc.

 

[patchesboo]

That is just amazing and fantastic! I think something like that is so rare and uncommon, and it's great that Simon came out of his depression and had a good life with his new ratty friends. It's so unusual to hear stories like this, and I think it's wonderful, regardless of the fact that they had different requirements. If it works, it works.

 

[Noel]

No not a good idea at all, but glad it worked out ok.

Poor Simon to be so lonely and depressed.
Glad some friends cheered him up

You guys wanna hear this? I have a 21 lb calico cat. She just sits watching Rinky, my rat all day in his playpen. Anyway, I know my cat is afraid of her own shadow. So I put them together in 1 room & wala....instant friends. Of course I'm ALWAYS with them in the room. Pleas no one yell at me.

 

[SQ]

You guys wanna hear this? I have a 21 lb calico cat. She just sits watching Rinky, my rat all day in his playpen. Anyway, I know my cat is afraid of her own shadow. So I put them together in 1 room & wala....instant friends. Of course I'm ALWAYS with them in the room. Pleas no one yell at me.

Obviously from what you wrote, you are aware that what you did, and are doing is extremely dangerous and you are putting Rinky's life in danger. Why would you do that?

Putting them together initially was risking Rinky's life and continuing to do so is risking his life. Perhaps you are right, perhaps your cat would never intentionally harm Rinky. That would not make it safe. Cats are wonderful animals and even a cat like your cat has instincts - like the instinct to automatically bat at anything that moves. Being in the same room means nothing in terms of protection. If something were to happen it would happen so fast that you would not have time to react, even if you were sitting next to them.

Please do not put them together again. Rinky desperately needs rattie friends to live with and perhaps your cat needs an appropriate friend and a more stimulating environment because it sounds like he may be lonely.

This is not me 'yelling' at you. This is me very concerned about your pets safety because I know of too many rats that died horribly because they were put with animals of a different species. Rats are either predators or prey so they can not be mixed with other species, and great care is taken when they are introduced to other rats.

Btw, by sharing what you are doing, others may decide to follow your example and other rats may be killed.

 

[Noel]

Obviously from what you wrote, you are aware that what you did, and are doing is extremely dangerous and you are putting Rinky's life in danger. Why would you do that?

Putting them together initially was risking Rinky's life and continuing to do so is risking his life. Perhaps you are right, perhaps your cat would never intentionally harm Rinky. That would not make it safe. Cats are wonderful animals and even a cat like your cat has instincts - like the instinct to automatically bat at anything that moves. Being in the same room means nothing in terms of protection. If something were to happen it would happen so fast that you would not have time to react, even if you were sitting next to them.

Please do not put them together again. Rinky desperately needs rattie friends to live with and perhaps your cat needs an appropriate friend and a more stimulating environment because it sounds like he may be lonely.

This is not me 'yelling' at you. This is me very concerned about your pets safety because I know of too many rats that died horribly because they were put with animals of a different species. Rats are either predators or prey so they can not be mixed with other species, and great care is taken when they are introduced to other rats.

Btw, by sharing what you are doing, others may decide to follow your example and other rats may be killed.

Look I know my cat because I live in the mountains and my squirrel & chipmunk I feed come right up to my cat & Raven does nothing. Obviously, if I thought Rinky was in ANY danger, I would not do it. And I did it because I know 2 other friends whose cat gets along with their rat. Thank you for your concern though.

 

[FemineaDea]

Regardless of whether cats and rats, or other pets get along . Or how closely they are monitored when together, there is absolutely no way that one can guarantee the safety, of the rat, or other. Natural instinct runs deep, and although some predator pets like cats or dogs, are peaceful loving little beings to other species...or just show no interest, instinct can kick in seemingly out of nowhere. And it can be too late. Another very important consideration to take in. Even though a cat and a rat get along like siblings, cats carry bacteria in their saliva, and in their claws as well ( toxoplasmisis). Very harmful to other species, as well as humans with weakened immune systems. Even in play, that rat's life is at risk!
I work as a wildlife rehabilitator, and I work closely with the local veterenarians. This year alone, I have treated and euthanized countless birds, rats and rabbits due to cat attacks. Sadly, a majority of these cases came from owners who swore that their pet feline has never and would never harm a fly. This is what I was told frequently " I don't understand...I only turned away for a split second! " or " my cat has never done anything like this in its life!"
I am not writing here to lay guilt or blame, I would like that to be very clear.
Thanks for hearing me out

 

[SQ]

FemineaDea thank you for sharing from your experience

 

[FemineaDea]

FemineaDea thank you for sharing from your experience

❤

 

[RatsDrawBlood]

instinct can kick in seemingly out of nowhere.

Noel have you never experienced or heard of the thing cats can do, where you're petting them so they're loving it more & more into it when finally it feels so great that they can't keep themselves from attacking you? Chomp. Not good if a stray.
Or the youtube video of baby rabbits, crawling all over a lady's fat cat who licks them, till it makes him want to bite down, & she's just pulling them out from between his teeth, as if everything's fine! And a rabbit shared his food dish with the feral kittens & wild rats ourdoors .... And when I looked for a non-petstore rat, my only choices were two places at which all the rats were crawling all over the house cats all the time .... Can be nervewracking to watch, tying your stomach in knots like you're getting an ulcer.
When I had a cat here, I didn't even let him near the cage. There would have to be glass or plastic between them, so a claw couldn't reach through. And rats have hurt cats too.

 

[Noel]

Regardless of whether cats and rats, or other pets get along . Or how closely they are monitored when together, there is absolutely no way that one can guarantee the safety, of the rat, or other. Natural instinct runs deep, and although some predator pets like cats or dogs, are peaceful loving little beings to other species...or just show no interest, instinct can kick in seemingly out of nowhere. And it can be too late. Another very important consideration to take in. Even though a cat and a rat get along like siblings, cats carry bacteria in their saliva, and in their claws as well ( toxoplasmisis). Very harmful to other species, as well as humans with weakened immune systems. Even in play, that rat's life is at risk!
I work as a wildlife rehabilitator, and I work closely with the local veterenarians. This year alone, I have treated and euthanized countless birds, rats and rabbits due to cat attacks. Sadly, a majority of these cases came from owners who swore that their pet feline has never and would never harm a fly. This is what I was told frequently " I don't understand...I only turned away for a split second! " or " my cat has never done anything like this in its life!"
I am not writing here to lay guilt or blame, I would like that to be very clear.
Thanks for hearing me out

Thanks for the info. I didn't think about the saliva or claws. I understand what everyone is saying. I will keep them apart

 

[dspch911]

Who sells a guinea pig at a garage sale - OMG! Thankfully you got it and gave it a good home!!!