WAY too close

[Lilavati]

So my fiance is feeding his pet rats last night and Sarama is curled up on the floor nearby. That's when Coco, the oldest of the rats (she's nearly 3) decides to jump from the cage onto Mike's shoulder. She doesn't make it, hits the floor and Sarama, realizing that a much longed for snack is now within reach, leaps for Coco. Both Mike and I leap for Sarama as she sweeps Coco up in her mouth. Mike manages to get her away before any real harm is done. Way too close though. Way too close. Any suggestions for making Sarama a little less interested in live rodent snacks?

 

[Maxy24]

I'd say just lock her out of the room when you handle them, that's what I have to do with the cats when I'm doing stuff with the gerbils. I'm glad the rat is ok though, that happened with us once when the gerbil chewed through her critter trail. We see the cat chasing something down the hall, walk out and the gerbil is in his mouth :yikes: luckily all was ok, then the gerbils got a tank. So yeah, I don't think you can turn off the prey drive, you may be able to command her to leave it though. I would just keep her out of the room when your doing stuff with them.

 

[Baxter'smybaby]

I desensitized my dog to our bird by leashing the dog to have some control, and then bringing the bird out for short periods, moving closer to the dog. The key was keeping the dog focused on me and/or a treat, and then rewarding him for actively ignoring the bird. I would never have the bird out and the dog out alone together...but with me in the room, the dog knows the bird is not for him! It takes awile..so if you do this, do it carefully and consistently.

 

[bubbatd]

Sorry , I don't like rats !!!

 

[adojrts]

I would keep the dog in another room when ever the rats cage door is opened.
My son had a Gerbal, my dogs couldn't have cared less about it. But I warned Jeff that if the little fellow ever got out of the cage loose, that it would last 10 seconds.
One morning, I am in the kitchen, I hear a very brief scramble from the livingroom and figured that one of the dogs had stolen from another dog (all jrts).
When I walked into the livingroom, Petie is sitting there wagging his tail and looking between me and something at his feet. It was the Gerbal, very dead and not a mark on him.
The cage was unlocked and Willie didn't have a chance once he came out.
At least I know it was quick.

 

[Tankstar]

I too would just keep them seperate. I think i got way to lucky with Blazes personality. He doesnt try to eat any of our pets in the house. The rabbit is free range and lives in the basment. The birs freely fly around the house. And not so much as a bat of a las from Blaze. Only time he chases the birds is when they try and chase him lol. i dont know if its a game they have but they chase each other around, he just follows them, doesnt try to kill. The rats we have he stays clear from as he has learned they chew on him lol and the turtle has snapped at him a few times when he is out walking arund int he basment (the turtle)

 

[mrose_s]

I'd probably just seperate, I actually lost a pet rabbit to the dogs when I was at school one day.
Buster's good when we're aroudn though, I was feeding Thistle (my rabbit) one day and she jumped out of her cage right in front off buster. I yelled "Buster OUT!" and went to catch her, lucky I think she was in shock and I caught her pretty easily, put her back in her hutch, turn around and Buster had left the room and was waiting outside.

 

[Lilavati]

Well, We were keeping them separate (not having them out at the same time) and now when we feed them we'll take Sarama out of the room. But its the kind of accident that Dekka was describing that worries me.

 

[shaker]

I had a pair of hamsters before... i actually posted a story about one of my dogs and the hamsters in http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1637 if you're interested.

I could leave the hamsters running around the room while Buff is there, I would even leave him alone with them and he wouldn't touch them. But i would leave them for just a little while like maybe 3-5 minutes not half a day or something.

I can't speak for everyone, maybe it depends on the dog. all i can say is that it's possible to train dogs not to hurt hamsters/ rats. What i did was let my dog see the hamsters, at first he would whine in frustration because i hold him back from them but after a while he gets it. I would let him smell them, but once he opens his mouth i pull him back and scolds him.

 

[mrose_s]

I think it depends on the dog and the breed.
Buster I'll just never trust with a small animal, I barely trust him with the cat and that took careful introduction. I only persisted because he'd lived safe with a cat his entire life.
His prey drive is to high to expect him not to want to chase little furries.

 

[wishbone]

Our guinea pig also got danger when Wishbone got into the room where they stay. Wishbone got there for couple of hours , good thing he's just barking and watching them and didn't treat them as prey.

 

[Punkygirl0101]

When I am opening cage doors (Which is several times a day) I make sure NO dogs, or cats (other than Lucy the chihuahua) are in the room. I close my door (All my rodents are in my bedroom) and everyone is kicked out.

 

[Lilavati]

Well, I have sort of solved the problem. Not if they get loose, but I seem to have cured Sarama of her newly acquired habit of jumping up to stare in their cages (they are in the bedroom . . .theres no where else to put them) After scolding her, and exiling her, and five other solutions, I finally pegged a flashlight at her when she did it. (I missed . . . I intended to miss) it hit the wall behind her, and she looked stunned (she should, I've never thrown anything at her before). 24 something hours alter, she has yet to try again. Shrug. Not a training method I would recommend, but . . . you could tell "Mom's really mad now!" So at least she's leaving them alone IN their cage for the moment. <sigh> Unfortunatley, there's no place to move them to that would be 'dog-free' except the basement, where there is no room.

 

[Paige]

Bandit gets along with my rats famously but Spanky does not. He was put on a leash for about a week whenever he was near the cage and a firm no, enforced if he didn't listen, was used so he learned the rats and their cage is off limits. To this day he will not crowd the rat cage.

Easier solution is just don't let the dog in the room.

 

[Lilavati]

The problem is the room is the bedroom . . . its common domain, so to speak. After the flashlight, NO seems to be working. But if we're going to open the cage, she'll have to be elsewhere. At least I'm less worried about her knocking the cage off the shelf (she cant really reach it, and its huge, but I know bettter than to underestimate a determined dog)

 

[noludoru]

Ex-pen around the cage? Is there any way to contain a multi-level cage in a cabinet-type thing? I don't know if they are suitable for rats, but... it might be possible.

 

[Lilavati]

Ex-pen around the cage? Is there any way to contain a multi-level cage in a cabinet-type thing? I don't know if they are suitable for rats, but... it might be possible.

Its not a very big room. The cage is already on top of a dresser. But part of an ex-pen might work . .if she had to bump into it to stand up and see into the cage she might decide not to.