Cats & rats.

syrcaid · Jul 31, 2010

So I am a new rat owner who also has other pets, including 2 female cats. These two cats will just sit there and stare at the rat cage for HOURS on end. Even when the rats aren't in there, or when they are asleep in their igloo and out of sight. It's like they are obsessed with these little furry creatures who run around inside. Obviously, I am VERY careful with my new babies around these demon-cats. I try to spray them with a water bottle to keep them away, but that only works for maybe 5 minutes and they are back again. Fortunately, the rats don't appear too distressed by their audience.

I guess my main question is for those of you who have dealt with this...how long will the cats be so mesmerized by the new pets? Surely the obsession will have to wear off at some point and they'll just get use to it. lol

Moon · Aug 2, 2010

If you can, I would recommend putting the rats in a room where the door can be closed, at least when you are not there to moderate. Sometimes animals do NOT get used to pets like rats, especially ones with high prey drive.

jorats · Aug 3, 2010

I put a gate around my rat cages so my young cats can't get to them. But when I only had my old lady cats, they didn't bother with the rats at all. But the young ones... no way, I can't let them get close.

SQ · Aug 4, 2010

Cats are predators and their instinct is to bat at anything that moves.
I would keep the rats in a seperate room from the cats.

MumsyRat · Aug 4, 2010

In my experience you can teach any animals to get along. You introduce them in stages and teach them to be nice. I've found teaching cats to behave with rats to be a piece of cake. Since I take in strays and orphans of all shapes, sizes and species it's important to me that I can teach this behaviour easily.

Late in Junr I got a Jack Russell terrier. I was told that he would never learn to get along with my cat and my rats. Wrong! After only 4 weeks he now shares the couch with my cats and just today I had him in the backyard with a couple of my rats and although he paid close attention he made no aggresive moves.

Cat and Rat:

Pit Bull and Cat (plus teenager):

syrcaid · Aug 4, 2010

Well, thing is they are in the living room. I don't have room in my bedroom for the cage and the only other room is the "cat room" where all their stuff and litter boxes are. The cats are not allowed in the living room at night when we are asleep though and they stay in the cat room then. I understand that the rats are most active in the dead of night, so at least they aren't being watched then.

They don't really do anything, they just want to sit by the cage and watch it. I'm not sure what else to do other than spray their butts when they hang around it.