Cats and rats

[Mom-ninja.]

Anyone have indoor cats and pet rats? Is this doable?

[Jean in Newcastle]

I had a cat and pet mice. I kept a screen top on their cage. The cat liked to sit on it.

[Kebo]

Sure, we had 3 rats and 4 cats at the same time. The bigger threat was our border terrier, but a very sturdy cage took care of that problem. We loved this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Midwest-Critter-Nation-Animal-Habitat/dp/B001NJ0DAY/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1372037731&sr=1-1&keywords=critter+nation

 

Our cats mostly showed mild interest in the rats without aggression, but that was their style ... other cats might be more predatory. Most cats wouldn't go to the trouble of trying to get into a closed cage, though, like our terrier did.

[Mergath]

In my experience, most full-grown rats are too big for the average housecat to really go after. You'll even get the odd duck who likes to groom the cats, or vice versa. The problem is that if they want to play, the cats don't realize the rats are more fragile. We lost our last rattie this way. :( It's doable, but you have to supervise any interaction pretty closely.

[beaners]

We had four cats and about 30 rats for a while. (I bred rats for years as a hobby and to play with the genetics.) Doors that close firmly, can't be opened by the cats, and won't be opened by unaware children are a must. We never had any cat or dog and rat "accidents." Less or more active cats can make a difference. We had more trouble with brand new rats being spooked by cats than cats bothering the rats. Tight cages are crucial with any predators in the house, not that they aren't highly recommended anyway. ;)

 

House set-up can make it harder or easier to manage. 8 rats, 2 cats, and a cattle dog mix in a small open floor plan house/apartment (the only door was on the bathroom!) was interesting. Our old house with lots of tiny rooms and doors was good because I could close the door to the room the rats were out in and another door between us and the big animals, like the double door system on an aviary.

[Sisyphus]

Our cat is a bona fide serial killer, but she is also wicked smart. She has killed squirrels and large birds (magpies) that are larger than rats, so it wasn't that. She just knew they were pets- no kidding. The rats got out once when the kids and I were out of town, and dh doesn't like rats. He would NOT pick them up and put them back in their cage, and they roamed free for 3 days until we came home, and the cat left them completely alone. It was really cool...except the rats pooped all over and I had to virtually dismantle the kitchen and clean it for fear they'd gotten into drawers, etc. Dh solution was to shut himself in the master bedroom, that had an outside door, and just leave the rest of the house to the rats. I couldn't get too mad as he told me he didn't like them, wouldn't touch them, etc.

 

We've had a gerbil and a hedgehog with the same serial killer cat, and she leaves small animals alone if they are in cages in the house. She knows they are pets, I swear!

[Hoot]

I do. My cats are pretty desensitized though. I could bring absolutely anything home and they wouldn't even flinch. I can sit on my bed with the rats running around and the cats laying at the end of the bed. None of them cares. I'm still overly-careful to make sure no accidents happen though.

 

The large rat cage is located in the office, which stays closed when no one is in there. This keeps the cats out unless someone is in the room. There is no way that the cats could get even a paw in or the rats could get out, but I don't want the cats sitting in front of the cage and making the rats nervous all the time.

 

Before I got the new cage, one of my rats escaped a few times. She left the closed office and sat under my bed. She was out for HOURS before we found her. We have 4 cats and none of them bothered her. I eventually discovered her under my bed because one of the cats sat near her almost protectively watching until I found her. I wondered what she was staring at and then realized that the rat was under there.

[Jeannie in NJ]

just wondering if maybe the smell on the rats of humans handling them and/or the fact that the cats see the humans handling the rats is what keeps the cats from having their normal predator instinct.

[Mom-ninja.]

Thanks. I've been coveting a cat (or two) for awhile. I don't know why! I've had cats all my life (except the last 9 years) and I know the pain in the rear they can be. They vomit hairballs where they like, scratch on things, leave hair everywhere, litter gets on the floor, they wake you at night, cost vet bills, etc. Sigh. Yet I want a cat. Dh says I'm nuts.

 

We have 2 rats. So I'm wondering how bringing cats into the house would work. I guess I'd have to move the cage. It's in the foyer right now.

 

This Friday is Feline Friday at the animal shelter. Cats will cost $5 instead of $40 this Friday only and I am so very very tempted.

[Dmmetler]

I don't have rats, but I have cats and frogs. Get a secure top for the tank that's strong enough to hold the cat's weight, because chances are high that the small critters will become their favorite TV channel. I also do shut the cats out when I need to change the frog water/bedding because I don't want anyone to hop out or a cat to jump in.

 

Otherwise, it's been uneventful-the one escape we had, I found because the cat was hissing at the door of a closet. I shooed her away, opened the door, and found a scared, but otherwise healthy, frog.