Bar Spacing - Ermines etc - predators that can enter your home

The Rat Shack Forum

Help Support The Rat Shack Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

SQ

Senior Member - Vegan for the animals
Joined
Jul 21, 2007
Messages
17,208
Location
central New Brunswick Canada
Cage bar spacing must be very very small because small predators can enter your home

1. because smart, beautiful, adorable little ermines will enter homes/apartment buildings etc to find small rodents to eat ……. they will kill mice, rats, and larger animals
They can get through very small holes.

2. small wild snake attacks pet rats in their critter nation cage (see story below)

I used to use rabbit cages and ferret nations, but no longer unless covered with hardware cloth because the bar spacing is too large.

Edit:
* I know of a home in NB and one in ON where ermines entered homes looking for mice this winter.
* An ermine also "broke into" another home in NB to get a hamster, or the cat - fortunately they are both ok.
* I was involved in adopting out 2 sweet rattie boys a few years ago to a good home where they lived in an FN. Months later I was told that one night the 2 boys were ripped apart and took hours to die ….. now I believe that it must have been an ermine as nothing else makes sense.

I only recently became aware of this danger because no one seems to talk about it.
And of course there are other predators that can enter your home or apartment.

Quote:
A Ermine currently in our care.
Do you see the funky hair pattern going on?
Ermines, also known as Short-tailed Weasels or Stoats, are small predators that like to change with the seasons to better camouflage themselves.
In the summer, they are a tawny brown on top and white/beige below, and in winter pure white. But one thing that stays consistent and is a major ID factor is the black tipped tail!
This female is in her molt, changing from her winter white to summer brown, always a neat thing to see!

These small weasels may seem cute, but don't let the size fool you.
They are serious predators and can take down prey much larger than themselves.
With their fierce teeth and strong bite, they aggressively can jump on the back of their victim and break the neck/spine with a good bite.

#NaturalRodentControl #SmallButMighty #NoThisIsNotAFerret

Ermine molting will kill mice etc.jpg


Posted May 22 2019: about finding a small snake in the critter nation cage

Snake attacks pet rats in cage.jpg
 
Last edited:
Omg the part about the ratties being ripped apart broke my heart! So glad we don't have these down in South Texas!
 
That is better known as a undomesticated ferret.... wondering how a domesticated ferret would react to ratties
 
My sister had two very docile ferrets, and they would attack the kittens my mom had, every chance they got. It almost looked like they were playing, but they latched on. I wouldn't trust them around rats at all. Once, I went home smelling like the ferrets, and my rabbit (who has always been super friendly and loving) attacked me and hissed at me! She has NEVER done that before, or since. It simply broke my heart, but once I figured out that it was the smell, and she was afraid of it, I washed my hands and arms, and changed my clothes. All was good after. So I would assume rats would be the same way. Defensive, and the ferret's natural instincts to attack, and kill or eat the rats, would be the same.
 
Domesticated ferrets will kill pet rats if given the opportunity

Google ermines … they are found in many places around the world

Wonderful little animals but pet owners need to be aware that small predators can enter your home so small cage spacing is essential ………...……. as I mentioned, I only recently became aware of this danger as no one talks about it :(
 
Thank you so much for putting this together! The idea of snakes and other predators getting into my apartment and at my ratties through the cage honestly never occurred to me before this.
 
Thank you so much for putting this together! The idea of snakes and other predators getting into my apartment and at my ratties through the cage honestly never occurred to me before this.

I had never thought of it until I heard about these incidents this year either

I have no idea how rare these events are, but I assume they do not often happen in most places
 
Last edited:
Back
Top