I just saw a post on another list about some ferrets killing a chinchilla (the woman had them housed in the same cage, albeit with a level between them). Well, a ferret got through and killed it. I have seen lots of posts that say you can't have ferrets and _____ (usually birds, rodents, etc.). I think that if someone is a responsible pet owner, it's easy to tell if your ferret can access those types of pets. After all, how safe is a bird, rodent, or other animal if the lid cannot keep out a ferret? I have 8 total ferrets now, and on the floor they run right next to a wire rat cage with five female rats. No issues. There are also habitrails with some lab mice and some pet store mice, and a hamster. No issues. Even when the hairless rat got out and played with them "accidently" (she thinks she is a ferret) she would get scratches but the ferrets would not kill her. Other ferrets, yes, probably. If anyone would like pictures, I have them. Angel the ferret who passed away from lymphoma earlier this year, lived below young Meadow the hairless rat. And she didn't like sharing her stuff with her, and nipped at her a lot. Rats have thick skin like ferrets do, and so Meadow didn't care, and finally Angel would go back to sleep and I'd find them both together (not by Angel's choice). That was when I got two female companions for Meadow and it kept her in her cage for the most part from then on. (They were in the top of a ferret nation cage and Meadow could get out). Meadow also happened to get out when my eight (at the time, when Peepers and Angel were still alive) were around on the floor....I came in and saw the smartest, most "violent" ferret I have known chasing Meadow. Well, Meadow had some scratches on her (superficial) and some chew marks!!! But wasn't torn up or anything....and she kept trying to go over and assert dominance over the ferrets!!! I am not sure, but I think had she not tried to do that, she would have been toast.... I think it all depends on what the said rodent/animal's behavior triggers in the ferret. If it acts like a ferret, they probably aren't going to kill it. By acting like a ferret, I mean - fighting back, playing rough even though small, etc. By acting like a rodent, mice and chins and most rats (the hairless one is very....odd) will act flighty and cagey. This in turn, causes the killing instinct to trigger (IMO) and this is of course, ONLY if the ferret actually has that instinct in it. Out of all of mine, only Okojyo will try to kill things outright. It's been documented that in young lions and other predators, the prey behavior of running DOES trigger them to kill - and when prey stands still, younger predators often do not know what they should do... It all depends on what the said rodent/animal's behavior triggers in the ferret. If it acts like a ferret, they probably aren't going to kill it. By acting like a ferret, I mean - fighting back, playing rough even though small, etc. It's been documented that in young lions and other predators, the prey behavior of running DOES trigger them to kill - and when prey stands still, younger predators often do not know what they should do... I guess on to what I was going to ask. When the ratties get into the closet after I'm done cleaning their cage, only ONE will not come out - Cremora. She won't come out after hours and hours....a true "rat" LOL! So I thought, I'll use a ferret, I have lots of them. So I put Okojyo in the closet and I heard a short chase, and then I caught Okojyo's butt end, and she had Cremora's scruff, so I got the rat easily! But she was kind of rough so the next time I used Lucy. Lucy wouldn't even try to go in the closet, but after about 5 times of me placing her in the narrow way (its full of boxes) she went in, and found the rat. Interestingly enough, this time Cremora started "talking" to Lucy like she was arguing. I would imagine this is because Lucy didn't immediately start chase like Okojyo. So Lucy just kinda stood there from what I could tell, and eventually came back out. I had to put her back in, and she did move the rat a little bit - but not much - and then finally Cremora came near me, and Lucy didn't know what to do. So I picked up Lucy and put her in the area I could not reach, and she scruffed Cremora, but when I picked her up she acted like she thought I was reprimanding her and let her go. I just set her back down by Cremora and she scruffed her again and I got the rat! I was just wondering - does anyone have any good stories of using ferrets to retrieve things (anything) OR stories about your ferrets killing rats, mice, (I know a lot of people's will kill mice - mine will too, I am pretty sure) or stories about ferrets getting along with rodents, birds, or other animals (not dogs and cats). Sorry for the long post, Laryssa [Posted in FML 5796]