Rats and Ferrets in the same house

I know that rats and ferrets can not be in the same room at all, but I was wondering if any of you guys have owned rats and ferrets at the same time, and if so, was it easy to keep them separated or was it too much work?

I have two ferrets and seven rats. They can totally be in the same room, as long as they are both in their cages and you are confident that the cages are sturdy. I've only done this temporarily though, the rats have their own separate 'room' usually, but sometimes cages get moved around and they have to be in the living room together for a short period of time. As long as both the rat and ferret cages are sturdy, I wouldn't worry.

I don't let the ferrets or the rats out of their cage to play in the same vicinity of each other though...just not worth the risk.

To be honest, the ferrets have no idea the rats exist, and vice versa. We have a hard rule of only one animal out at a time - for example, if I'm holding the rats my boyfriend cant take the ferrets out and hold them. As long as you're mindful, there should be no issues. One thing I have noticed though is that some of the rats don't like the smell of the ferrets. If we don't wash our hands after handling them, the rats will sometimes bite at us which is totally understandable.

Its not hard work at all! Although the ferrets do need about 4 hours of playtime outside of the cage a day, and that can get extremely time consuming. Especially with rats, who get about an hour of time.

That's a very responsible rule. I love ferrets and never considered them because of the rats. But maybe one day I'll rescue one or two.

i have a ferret and two rats! my ferret is free range and my bedroom is the rats room. though my ferret has access to that room too, but only when someone is home. he doesn't much care for the rats and frankly i think he thinks its too much work to climb up to the rat cage. he'll sniff around them or look at them for a bit but then run off. even if i have the rat's out he doesn't much care. he just likes to sleep lol.
though when know one is home the rat room is closed and the ferret is closed in the bathroom where her litter food and bed is.
and i always keep them safely separated during the rats out time though, and the rats are always supervised during such time

I've come home from handling ferrets ar the shelter and had rats be terrified of me for more than a week. I know some rats are fine with them and some people can keep them completely separate but it's a big risk. I have heard stories from a couple of rescuers that kept both and had an accident even though they were careful and the description was horrific.

Another point to keep in mind is that as expensive as rats are (and they generally are if you're caring for them well), ferrets are much more so. Adrenal gland disease, dental issues, quality food to prevent other health issues... it's brutal. They're the one species that is strongly recommended get a checkup every 6 months after the age of 3 or 4. So much can happen in a year that you may not notice and without prompt treatment, a of their health problems can be much harder to treat.

Edited to correct typo.

some rescues will not allow you to have both ferrets and rats in the same house its that dangerous. Or, so I've been told

it is a big risk. but it's always a risk to keep more than one species in a house, even if the animals are trusted. it's always important to be cautious. more especially with the predator prey dynamic such as a ferret and rat

Ferrets also need yearly shots for rabis and canine distemperment which adds up. My friend has 3 ferrets , they are a handful haha so mischievous

Well, that settles my question about geting a ferret. I'll always have rats so, no ferts.

Interesting information.
Rats and ferrets in the same household - huge risk to their lives ... sounds like an accident waiting to happen
... not to mention that high levels of stress can induce illness in rats ...

Rats and ferrets in the same household? - from what people wrote, it sounds like a really bad idea
Not something i will be doing

jorats said:

Well, that settles my question about geting a ferret. I'll always have rats so, no ferts.

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I wouldn't recommend it. It's really hard to give both species the attention they deserve if you have to keep them so separate also. Ferrets need at least four hours out of the cage and unless you have a perfectly ferret proofed area, you should be around to at least keep an eye or ear out.

We're one of the rescues that will not adopt rats or other vulnerable species to homes with ferrets, at least as a general rule. I think LMR had a similar policy.

I think owning a ferret while having a rat is just as risky as having a cat, dog, snake, or any other carnivorous animal in the house, except the ferrets are not 24/7 free roaming around my house like a dog or a cat would be so I can have a little more control over my rats safety. I don't at all see how this is a big risk as long as the owner is responsible and aware of whats going on with their pets. Its simple, don't let the rats out while the ferrets out are, and vice versa. If you're concerned about accidental escapes (which is almost 100% preventable by keeping up with cage maintenance), just keep them in a separate room and close the door when you're not home. I can understand that some owners are not responsible enough to take the very simple (and common sense) precautions, which would pose a risk - but I'm really not seeing how 'its dangerous' as long as the animals have zero contact with each other, which is very easy to do as long as you have adequate space and the mindfulness When I first got the ferrets, I did extensive research on the internet trying to find information about owning both. All I found was information about how wild polecats (closest wild relatives of ferrets) eat rats in the wild, and were originally domesticated to hunt rats. Domesticated cats are notorious as mice/rat hunters and are still used for that same purpose today - how is it any different then a ferret? While researching, I found almost ZERO 'first hand' anecdotal stories of accidents happening between the two species in someones home. Yes, there is always going to be some risk when you own a carnivorous animal and rats at the same time. But I really think its unfair to say its 'dangerous' or 'very risky' as long as you follow common sense and safety precautions.

Although the time investment/cost of a ferret is a completely different issue in itself. I hope I didn't rustle and feathers here with my post, it wasn't my intention!

I would think having ferrets and rats in the same house no different then having cats and rats in the same house. You have to use caution of course....My cats don't show any interest in my rats..but when the rats are out of their cage the cats are put in a bedroom.....just to be safe. I know some people who allow their rats and cats and even dogs to interact....but I say be safe and then you don't have anything to worry about

Dahlas said:

I would think having ferrets and rats in the same house no different then having cats and rats in the same house. You have to use caution of course....My cats don't show any interest in my rats..but when the rats are out of their cage the cats are put in a bedroom.....just to be safe. I know some people who allow their rats and cats and even dogs to interact....but I say be safe and then you don't have anything to worry about

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I don't disagree that it CAN be done, if you are super careful and responsible, have the space and the time to devote to each group of animals, etc, but I don't think you can really compare ferrets with cats and dogs.
Cats sleep most of the day with brief active periods, and dogs, well I don't know much about them, but you can train them to obey you (in fact I believe you are supposed to do that with a dog, or you'll have one unhappy dog not to mention a lot of problems controlling the animal) and they are not able to get into the kinds of small spaces that ferrets can. I imagine, although I do not know, that ferrets are possibly quicker than cats and dogs.
They definitely can cause more mischief and are much more active, I believe, when they are awake. at least when I was thinking about ferrets, I got a lot of warnings about how much supervision they needed and how easily they could get into trouble, ruin furniture, etc. The thing that was stressed to me by others who owned ferrets was that you really could not leave them alone for a minute.
even kittens, as mischievous as they can be, and puppies, too can be left alone at times.

Dogs usually go outside during their most active times and cats have fairly predictable schedules and as I said before, they sleep a LOT.

I just don't think it's accurate to make the comparison. Ferrets can get into places that most cats and dogs can not.


there's a risk with cats and dogs and rats but I don't think it's anything close to what you'd have with a ferret.

also, I'm wondering, are there illnesses that ferrets get that can be transmitted to rats?

ALthough like I said I don't know that much about ferrets, if ferret rescues have rules about not allowing rats and ferrets in the same household, I'd trust that there' s a really good reason for this.


sorry this is kind of scattered I'm multi tasking (not very well :roll: :lol: )

Bigcityrats, I think it's great how you push being responsible pet owner and you've proven it can be done. But I will add that we've heard many horror stories about careless rat parents who had their rats killed by their dog and once, a rat killed a degu. So we tend to be very cautious when people ask about keeping different species, especially if one is a predator.

Petunia said:

Ferrets can get into places that most cats and dogs can not.


there's a risk with cats and dogs and rats but I don't think it's anything close to what you'd have with a ferret.

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This. Ferrets can get virtually anywhere a rat can. At least with a cat, a rat can run behind the fridge or under the couch to hide until they're saved by their humans... Also ferrets are brutal with their prey and they really torment them before they kill. Not to mention they are skilled escape artists - I know I am not the only one that has had a rat get out of the cage unnoticed when I've opened it to medicate or trying to put them all back after playtime. Or had the CN door pop open when you think you latched it properly. We are human... we make mistakes when we're tired, rushed, stressed, etc. We suggest people not keep two intact genders in the home for the same reason.

The same rat that was terrified of me after I played with ferrets had no issues with a former feral kitten (she was a year old at the time) when we went home for a visit - they were even sniffing each other through the bars. (I was supervising.)

I'm not saying everyone that owns rats and ferrets will have an accident or is irresponsible but as a general rule, I really think it's a bad idea.

Petunia said:

also, I'm wondering, are there illnesses that ferrets get that can be transmitted to rats?

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Not too many. Ferrets can get canine distemper (not the cat one) and the common cold but there aren't a lot of diseases that cross over to rats. Rats share a lot more transmittable diseases with other rodents and rabbits (Pasteurella, Sendai, Bordetella, Myco, etc.) than with ferrets.

.... people are not 100% perfect all of the time
and our pets are very smart and very motivated ..... accidents happen even to the best pet owners
which is why many of us feel it is best to err on the side of caution ...

i have the five rats, a cat a ferret and two dogs. the ferret for me isnt a problem at all . since we are a large family of four kids we have many pets but also we each have our own. the ferret stays in my brothers room and his door is always shut. the rats are in my room so when im home and the ferret is out i can watch them. but the main problem ive had is that the rats have bit the ferret through the bars and have almost made her bled before . the cat is often in my room and does not bother the rats since they bit him ( Boo the rat is VERY protective of her little sis Terry) the dogs sometimes get to play with the rats but i watch them like a hawk and my dog riley and the rat fivel love playing and chase each other around the room then lie down and cuddle for a few minutes. its very doable.

I think the problem is largely that ferrets are so driven to get into trouble and areas where they shouldn't be. But it does come down to each individual animal. One of my cats has no interest in the rats, another loves them and with my old crew of girls especially he would rub against the cage and have them groom his head through the bars. So weird and not normal.

The point is to make sure people are aware and it's a very real risk. We've had very dedicated owners of both species have really terrible, horrific accidents.

I personally would not have rats and ferrets unless I had a home big enough for them to be on separate floors, let alone separate rooms. And I would say cages in the same room is absolutely asking for trouble.