# Keeping pet rats with snakes



## Tigerlily (May 23, 2014)

So my feeder supplier also breeds pet rats, and they are CUTE.

I was seriously considering them but he mentioned if I keep them in the same room as my roughie, the roughie will be hunting them 24/7. I don't want to drive him batty or get food aggressive but my room is the only place I'd be able to keep them.

Has anyone else had experience keeping both rats and snakes in the same room, and what was it like?


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## saximus (May 23, 2014)

I asked a similar question a couple of years ago and got the general response that yes it will affect the snake. On a side note, I'm not sure you really want to keep rats in your room unless you're prepared to clean it every day or two. They don't smell as bad as mice but they still smell


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## CrystalMoon (May 23, 2014)

I started up 3 colonies of rats about 8 weeks ago, because I had 2 new Python additions in quarantine I had limited space so had to keep the colonies in the same room till I organized shelving in the garage etc. It was not the best situation, as the 2 Pythons were perpetually hunting _and _I did have to clean the colonies each day or the smell permeated the whole house. Not totally unpleasant but not fair on the Pythons. On a side note, they do make lovely pets  (Rats, as well as Pythons)


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## -Peter (May 23, 2014)

I keep rats in the same area as the snakes without any problems. There is only a screen door between them.


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## critterguy (May 23, 2014)

I used to breed rats in the same room as the rest of my critters, they are noisy at night (usually til the early hours of the morning) and eat alot more than mice (have kept mice too) but don't need the enclosures cleaned as often as mice do. 
The mother rat had a habit of chewing on the bars if she wanted more food or wasn't content with what she had, a mist spray with a water bottle usually fixed that, had tried vinegar but with less luck, sometimes getting up her/ignoring her for ages was enough for her to stop but sometimes that more drastic measure was needed.

Couldn't keep on breeding them and then gassing them out at various life stages as my woma grew after about 2 years of doing so, too annoying to put up with and don't have the heart/lack of to keep on killing them after seeing them grow up. 
We didn't hand raise them/handle them much (they need the odd bath or to clean the enclosure), but the bubs usually stayed plenty curious and non biters despite that, so usually got a little bit attached without trying to. 

That's why my woma is up for sale, have found a cheaper source of frozen ones though since I ran out of the last ones we killed, so might still keep her in the end.

Only too annoying for me as our unit is QLDr style, so very high double arched ceiling with no upper walls between the rooms, so any loud noise in the critter room or kitchen, loungeroom, laundry and dining are easily heard and can't be blocked out by closing a door, the bathroom and toilet are the only rooms that we can seal off noise wise by closing their doors.

If you have a normal designed house you'll be able to block out their noise at night time and get the sleep you need if you take heaps to wind down and am a light sleeper like me.


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## insitu (May 23, 2014)

I breed mice in the same shed as my reptiles are housed, never had a problem

- - - Updated - - -

i breed quail on the outer wall of the shed too


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## montay (May 23, 2014)

I would say it would drive the pythons to distraction! They will hunt continually, without any satisfaction. I only have to walk in my snake room with pinkies to the feed the babies, and the rest of the collection goes nuts!


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## Tigerlily (May 23, 2014)

Thanks guys,

I've actually kept rats before and I actually don't think the girls smell as long as you clean often (lot more high maintenance than snakes haha). It's just that I only have the option of keeping them in the same room as my snakes, and like CrystalMoon said I don't think it would be fair on the python if it's going to affect it so strongly. I guess I'll wait til my living arrangements can accommodate it.

On a related note, if my python is only used to eating rats, do you think a budgie would have the same effect??? (yes I may have slight animal hoarding tendencies...)


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## critterguy (May 23, 2014)

Birds should be fine, my birds are caged on a shelf just above my snake tank and she doesn't pay them any notice when we remove her from the tank.

The rats where in view of the snake but she didn't usually pay them much notice and if she did I could easily put up something on the side of the rat cage to block them from view like I had to here and there when my male rat was separated from the female and kids (poor bud would get depressed and extra horny when on his own, he was so much happier when the female was with him).


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