Cats and guinea pigs

[Fleurdelise]

Hi all!

Anybody here who has both pets, cats and guinea pigs? Are the cats attacking the piggies?

We keep the piggies in the garden and during the day they are usually allowed to explore the entire garden (made safe so they can't escape).

We adopted a cat about 6 weeks ago and she is now allowed out during the day. First time was last weekend while we sat and watched her to see what she would do with the piggies.

In all fairness she doesn't seem to want to eat them but she does think they are a fun toy and chased them around the garden. We allowed it for a while so maybe she'll lose interest until we felt it is getting a bit to much for them and locked them back in their hatch.

Now the are locked throughout the day when the cat is exploring outdoors and we are at work/school.

I feel sorry for them but I am scared she may get too excited and kill one of them. They are pretty big though...

What I can't understand is the fact that there are two neighbour's cats exploring all the gardens including ours and never attacked them (or not to our knowledge that is).

What is your opinion? Do I need to keep them locked all the time? Can I be confident that she will soon lose interest and move on?

Any experience?

[SqueezyCheeseWeasel]

I have both - 2 neutered male cats, 2 unneutered boars who live indoors.

Cat1 is elderly and very, very easy going. He doesn't care a jot about the pigs. If they are in their cage he will completely ignore them. If they are on my or DD's lap, he will sit next to us and again, completely ignore the pig. If they are in the garden in their secure run (unsupervised), he will ignore them unless we are out there, in which case he will sit with us.

Cat2 is a different story. He is 8 and has a much keener predatory instinct though he is still very good under supervision and in the house. However, if the pigs are in the garden (again, in the run), he is not allowed out as he sits by the run and tries to poke his arms through the wire (he can't, the gaps aren't big enough) but the pigs are oblivious and seem to have zero defence or awareness that they may be at risk as they are often right up against the sides of the run with bits of fur/flesh poking through the wires that could easily be 'got' by cat2's claws. Hence he stays indoors. Their indoor set up is different and means he can't get at them.

[SqueezyCheeseWeasel]

I wouldn't want my two pigs roaming the garden. I'd be too worried that they'd eat something bad or that they'd be harmed by a local predator. Hence why they have a large covered run for outside play.

[Fleurdelise]

My piggies are 2 and 3 years old and have been used to having the garden to themselves since the beginning. We would let them out in the morning and lock them in at night. They have been happy with this for two years so I feel a bit mean to keep them locked now.

I will have to buy a safe run for them now but I was wondering if there are any other options. Seems not.

Thank you!

[Fleurdelise]

I have watched her at the weekend and she chases them but when they stop running she stops also. So I do think she thinks they are a toy.

But I don't feel confident about being alone with them as she may get overexcited and bite them.

[Fluffycloudland77]

My cat can kill piggie sized rabbits so I wouldn't risk it.

[code]

I wouldn't do this. Cats are predatory and the piggies will feel stalked and stressed at the least. At worst an injury or death might occur. A couple of my rabbits are bigger than my cats but although they are happy to sniff each other through their run if never let them out at the same time. Likely there would be a scuffle and likely the cats would come off worse.

[peckforton]

One of my cats brought home live guinea pig for the others to play with!!! It turned out it was from one of my neighbours 10 doors down and it was running round my conservatory, I would build them a run.