Owing pet rats and ball pythons?

[EverEvolvingExotics]

I don't see much of a problem coming from this as long as you wash your hands after handling a rodent of any kind. I was thinking about again getting a pair of rats around for pets. Have any of you had any problems with owning pet rats and snakes together? Such as, them smelling the rodent on you thinking you are food or feeling bad about feeding rodents. This is mostly to reassure my lady that she will be fine with having pet rats and having me feed rats, and NOT GETTING BITTEN.

[MikeV]

I don't see much of a problem coming from this as long as you wash your hands after handling a rodent of any kind. I was thinking about again getting a pair of rats around for pets. Have any of you had any problems with owning pet rats and snakes together? Such as, them smelling the rodent on you thinking you are food or feeling bad about feeding rodents. This is mostly to reassure my lady that she will be fine with having pet rats and having me feed rats, and NOT GETTING BITTEN.

I dont know about BPs, but when a rat or mouse is in my room, my red tail boa goes straight into feeding mode

If you open her tub she becomes a chainsaw until shes fed, after she eats shes fine

If you are going to own rodents its probably best to keep them in a different room than your snakes. But it all depends on the snake

some snakes may think its feeding time as soon as they smell a rodent, others may not think its feeding time until a rodent is put infront of thier face.

Just keep that in mind

[stratus_020202]

Yes, I have rats and BPs, and have had no issues. My BPs are only in food mode on feeding day. And, it's not only the rats smell, but also their heat signature that turns a BP on. They have higher heat than we do, therefore I've never been mistaken for a rat.

Of course, I keep them in seperate rooms. Wash my hands all the time. etc, etc. Rats are awesome pets. I usually don't feel bad about feeding them, but I try not to play with the feeders. If you don't imprint on them, they stay semi-wild, and mean. I have no trouble feeding off a biter. The hardest part is feeding off the hoppers. Becuase they are so darn cute! But, my snakes are cuter

[EverEvolvingExotics]

Stratus, I agree with not getting attached to feeders. You need to separate things your pets eat from your pets. I own fish it doesn't mean I won't eat tuna or cod. Rats ARE great pets. Incredibly smart, clean, and sociable. Thanks for the input, both of you.

[don15681]

with handling rats, one must be careful of rat bite fever. it's rare to get. I do know a lady who breed rats and she got rat fever and almost died from it. one of her problems was that the doctors didn't know what she had. google it and take the precautions. it's rare to catch in the U.S. but can happen.

[cstruthers]

I have two pet rats along with a retic, kingsnake, and ball pythons. I have never had any problem with a feeding response because of the rats. My rats are in my living room along with my retic and I have taken them out back to back, holding my rats and having them run all over me then just washing my hands and picking up my retic with rat smell all over my clothes.

Now before anyone criticizes me for not being safe around a dangerous animal, he is a baby and when he gets bigger I will be more cautious.

So anyway, I have never had any problem with any species. I work with pretty much every species of snake on a daily basis and have to go in and out of a feeder room. So i always smell like rat and the snakes dont act like they are in feeding mode whenever I take them out.

So go out and get a few pet rats, they are awesome pets! As long as you can have the mindset that pets are pets and food is only food

[snakesRkewl]

As a breeder of pet rats the key is to not get attached to anything not being held back as a future breeder.

My snakes have almost always been in the same room as my rats and it's never been an issue,
not sure why one would have to or need to keep them separate?
If your snakes never smell rats/mice then the scenting concept works, but mine smell rats 24/7 and they don't go into feed mode just because I smell like a rat.
There are days i go back and forth without getting a chance to wash my hands and the snakes don't even notice I have handled rats just moments before.

[EverEvolvingExotics]

So, basically as long as I don't get rat bite fever, and I don't try to make my snakes and rats friends, it's easy to have both as pets. Cool beans. I appreciate the hands on knowledge and will be looking around for a couple weaned pups. Enjoy the holidays all!

[snakesRkewl]

So, basically as long as I don't get rat bite fever, and I don't try to make my snakes and rats friends, it's easy to have both as pets. Cool beans. I appreciate the hands on knowledge and will be looking around for a couple weaned pups. Enjoy the holidays all!

I think your pretty safe

[Herp_Herp_hooray]

If they are in separate rooms!!! We just moved and have rats and snakes in the basement. Our snakes always seem to be hungry. They do know the difference, it's the babies that don't