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2K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  Kendalle 
#1 ·
Hi i have been thinking about getting a mouse for my rat (its very timid and i havent gotten enough information yet about giving it a mouse) and i was wondering about what size holes are possible for a mouse i have a tank topper that has 1/2 x 2 inch holes and i was wondering if they could excape that :S i also wondered if it would need a wheel and if i could get one small enough that the rat wouldnt fit in it - they would be out a lot and get alot of exersize that way
 
#2 ·
My small mice could escape my 1/2 inch by 1 inch mesh ;[. I ended up buying a really cheap cage from petsmart which had even smaller spaced, horizontal bars. If this scaredy-rat is just temporarily in with the mouse...maybe get an aquarium? I wouldn't recommend anything more than 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch if you got a cage. For bigger mice...mayyybe 1/2 inch by 1 inch could work.
 
#3 ·
i was hoping they could be forever friends if she doesnt out grow her timidness i dont want her to have to live alone ... i guess i do have some 1/2x1/2 inch wire mesh left over from my new rat cage or i could could take out the ramp from the tank topper so the rat could jump up but the mouse couldnt.. hm...
 
#5 ·
i dont want my rat to hurt it but i dont want her to have to live alone either, maybe they will get along well enough they can live together, she seams ok when they are around her she tries to sniff them and they eat food then walk away maybe im just paranoid of her getting picked on
 
#6 · (Edited)
I personally wouldn't attempt it...my rats used to go near my mouse cage with no problem,eventually peeked their nose in,my mice couldn't get out so I...being an idiot,thought well the rats can't get in...ha,how wrong I was! One day,couple months down the road,rats on the other side of the room,ran to cling to the mouse cage,mice squealing & the rats were circling.Yeah,no,I since moved my mice far from the rats. I'd get another rat.Not saying it can't be done,but,don't be surprised if you find your mousey dead...even baby rats who grew up with baby mice can turn on the mice in an instant.
As said,not impossible,but,you got to walk on a very fine line since rats kill mice. ;) Not to eat,just it's their instinct.Not trying to be rude,but my rats used to go by the mouse cage no problem.Then something clicked in their brains& that was it.I keep my cage away & out of vision of the rats.Although I know they know they are still in the room (scent).

**Maybe get a younger rat to add with the timid one? Work with the timid rat though.So it'll feel comfortable :)
 
#8 ·
a rat is not going to want to live along, even male rats shouldnt live along, she needs stimulation
 
#10 ·
Well, I guess I'll comment on the original question that was posted in this thread.


I think that 1/2 by an inch will be too big for a mouse. I had a tank topper that was made by superpets I think that was 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch. My mice could get out because the tip (where the wire bends to make the top) had no horizontal bars, they were all vertical and could bend easy. My mice were strong enough to squeeze through the bars.

If you're serious about having the rat live with the mouse, you should try martins.com. They can make all their cages with 1/2 inch wire. I think that would be okay for a mouse. I know people rave about the martins cages (I don't use them) so they should do you good. They're the only cages I know of that have small enough wire. I even think they make tank toppers.
 
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