Rats generally survive on what is available nearby. They usually feed on the leftover food, jumping in and out of the garbage bins and sustaining themselves on the same diet as human beings. Rats often kill as well, but do rats kill guinea pigs?
Yes, rats kill guinea pigs as well. It is often that a rat attack adult guinea pigs. Sometimes these attacks are too much for the guinea pigs, and they die. However, an attack on a more miniature guinea pig is brutal to recover from.
In this article, we will explore why and how the rats attack guinea pigs and what can be done by those guinea pigs to escape rat attacks.
Can Rats Eat Guinea Pigs?
Rats are omnivorous predators. This means they feed on plants as well as animals. The rural rats rely on all the food sources that keep humans alive.
However, the wild rats are always looking for a small animal or two. They attack them with their paws and kill them to feast on them. Rats are also the prey of many wild animals.
A rat doesn’t need to eat a guinea pig. However, the rat will undoubtedly try to attack it, injure it, make it weak, and then start feeding on it.
Do Rats Attack Guinea Pigs?
Yes, indeed, the rats attack guinea pigs. They attack the pigs to kill them and have them as a food source.
Moreover, the guinea pigs do not strike back but are so scared and intimidated by rats that they quickly succumb to rat attacks.
Many guinea pigs run for their life once they come across a rat. However, if a rat has attacked a caged guinea pig, it has nowhere to run.
Is Guinea Pig A Rat?
No, the guinea pigs are not rats, but both are rodents. The guinea pigs resemble chinchillas more.
It is a common misconception to think that guinea pigs come from Papua New Guinea. However, they come from Venezuela, Brazil as well as Peru.
Are Rats Afraid Of Guinea Pigs?
It is seldom that a rat will get afraid of small animals. However, the very young rats are so scared of the guinea pigs.
The adult rats are brave and will also initiate the attack on a guinea pig.
So, one thing is for sure; the rats and guinea pigs do not get along well, and if put in the same environment, a rat will fearlessly attack a guinea pig and take its life to eat it up.
Guinea Pigs Don’t Attract Rats?
These pigs do not attract rats on their own. It is not in their nature to call rats towards themselves.
However, if a rat comes in their vicinity, especially if it intends to prey on them, then it can be said that rats will attract other rats to feed on guinea pigs.
This way, the guinea pigs can be endangered if many rats contact them. Guinea pigs do not get along with rats, and that is why they will try their level best to escape their grip.
Do Guinea Pigs Bite Rats?
They can bite rate, but most of them choose not to. However, if there is such a circumstance in which a guinea pig bites a rat, it will hurt a lot.
Most guinea pigs’ nibbles are harmless, and the rats can easily survive their bites.
There is always a solid reason for a guinea pig attacking rats because this is not their normal behavior, and they will do so only if it is the demand of the situation.
Can A Rat Get Into A Guinea Pig Cage?
Guinea pigs are not only miniature, but they are also timid, skittish creatures who are not brave enough to fight for their territory or home.
On the other hand, Rats are driven enough to enter their cages.
A rat can squeeze through the cage’s bars and will carry off a guinea pig, harm it and kill it. That is why the guinea pigs are not safe even behind the cage bars for rat attacks.
Can You Keep Rats And Guinea Pigs Together?
Though the guinea pigs are timid they are also social. They will attack an animal if they see that it is trying to invade their territory.
The rats are able to live together with other rats.
However, when it comes to guinea pigs, the rats will harm and as eat them. There have been reports of the rats killing guinea pigs that have been kept outside.
The reports have also mentioned baby guinea pigs as well as adult ones.
Do Guinea Pigs Deter Rats And Mice?
The rats can attack to kill guinea pigs in a number of various ways. This includes:
The rats want to kill them for food supply
The rats want to reside in their territory and have all the food that the guinea pigs have left.
So, instead of deterring the rats and mice away, the guinea pigs end up inviting them. The rats, in return, attack them when they both are nearby.
How To Stop My Guinea Pig From Attracting Rats?
As per the information you have read so far, you might have understood that guinea pigs do not attract rats.
But the environment in which they reside can undoubtedly act as an attractant for the rats.
That is why it is the responsibility of the owners to keep their guinea pigs protected against potential rat attacks by implementing the following measures:
By controlling the amount of food available for the rat. You can do this by:
- Keeping the food containers closed. You can keep the food items secured and sealed. This is why not only are you saving a food source for your guinea pig but preventing a full-fledged attack by the rats on the loose.
- Make sure that no food pellets are lying around. As a rat’s sense of smell is very sharp, it will be attracted to them instantly, and a starving rat will not mind attacking a guinea pig alongside a few food scraps.
- Avoiding stray food. This can be done by keeping track of all the dropped food. Although this can be hard, it can be avoided if one has a keen eye and takes enough precautions.
- Getting rid of unnecessary food
The food that goes missing under furniture or carpets can be avoided by feeding guinea pigs in an open space. Guinea pigs waste a lot of food while they are munching.
Thus a slight mop or vacuum after they are done eating can avoid attracting rats to their cages.
Though this is not perfect avoidance, implementing such measures can keep your guinea pigs out of the blue and ensure a longer life span, free from rat attacks.
How To Keep Rats Away From Guinea Pigs?
Though it is a difficult task to keep the rats away from guinea pigs, it can be done by:
- Keeping the place tidy
- Not leaving behind food
- Using peppermint spray near guinea pig’s cages
- Using peppermint oil near the guinea pig’s cages
- Keep a cat
A cat hunts all the rats down for food to keep any rat miles away from a guinea pig.
Can Guinea Pigs Kill Rats?
Guinea pigs are certainly not able to kill rats. However, the maximum they can do is attack rats and scare them away to save their own life.
Such unusual activity of guinea pigs is only observed when they are under attack by rats.
However, a rat is speedy when attacking and killing animals.
A guinea pig might be able to escape a rat attack, but if a rat attacks a caged guinea pig, then the chances of survival for a guinea pig are narrow.
Can Rat Poison Kill Guinea Pigs?
As the guinea pigs are rodents, too, any rat poison will work effectively against them.
Therefore, if you try to kill rats by using rat poison, it is not one of the best options.
You will end up killing guinea pigs as well. The rat poison gets accumulated in the liver of guinea pigs, ultimately causing liver failure.
The guinea pigs can consume a rat bait even after a rat has fed on it.
Can Wild Rats Kill Guinea Pigs?
Whether the rats are domesticated or wild or belong to any other species, they will attack and kill the guinea pigs as their basic predator-prey relationship remains intact.
However, the wild rats are more ferocious and attack guinea pigs so strongly that they die out much quicker as they cannot recover from the inflicted wounds.
Also, a wild rat is much more giant in size, and it is very difficult for a guinea pig to escape its attack.
Wrapping Up
The rats are predators of guinea pigs. However, they are not their favorite food, but they will attack them and kill them if they come across any.
Therefore, preventive measures must be taken by owners of guinea pigs to ensure the safety of their pet animals.
References
Graur, D., Hide, W. & Li, WH. Is the guinea pig a rodent?. Nature 351, 649–652