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Original poster

Hamster and Cats

38 replies

Violashift · 03/01/2023 11:35

Dd would like a hamster but we have two cats of a year old.

Does anyone have cats and a hamster? It's not a good idea right?

OP posts:
TeenDivided · 03/01/2023 11:38

We did for a few months. We only let the cat in the same room as the hamster if we were in there too. It was OK for us, but would depend on where the hamster was kept I guess and how good you were at shutting doors.
We also had to remove and block the external tube on the hamster cage.

Original poster
Violashift · 03/01/2023 11:47

It would be in dds room. She had one in there prior to having the cats.

OP posts:
Tilllly · 03/01/2023 12:29

We managed for years with cats and assorted hamsters and gerbils

Just v vigilant about closing the door and double checking the cage was all closed up

Missed once and found one cat draped all round the rotastak and another cat, nose to the bars. Gerbil bit her...!

PlaitBilledDuckyPuss · 03/01/2023 12:34

I wouldn't - very stressful for the hamster to have predators stalking round, and frustrating for the cats to have prey dangled in front of them that they can't get out. Not fair on any of them.

SpottyMcGrotty · 03/01/2023 12:38

My hamster escaped for six weeks and survived in a house with a cat and a dog.

The cat was never really bothered by it, anyway.

blubberball · 03/01/2023 13:56

I wouldn't. I always remember when a girl at school had a hamster in the house with cats. One of the cats ate the hamster, and she found the hamster's eyeball in her bed. Very distressing and not worth the risk imo.

Can you get one of those toy robot hamsters for your dc instead?

SpinningFloppa · 03/01/2023 13:59

Had gerbils with a cat for 2 years was never an issue, now have a goldfish and cat again no issue

daschundthroughthesnow · 03/01/2023 14:04

Bad idea. Our cat became obsessed when she reached 6 months old. Hamster would come out and show off, thankfully cat never ate hamster but she 100% would've done had she had the chance. We also kept the hamster away contained in one room.

MithrilCostsMore · 03/01/2023 14:06

We had three hamsters and have nine cats. Note the past tense. Don't do it.

FuckFuckGo · 03/01/2023 14:07

PlaitBilledDuckyPuss · 03/01/2023 12:34

I wouldn't - very stressful for the hamster to have predators stalking round, and frustrating for the cats to have prey dangled in front of them that they can't get out. Not fair on any of them.

This. It’s really unfair on the poor hamster. They’re already stressed out from being caged and being handled by people, let alone having a big predator lurking around.

thunderstruckk · 03/01/2023 14:08

Depends on your cats! We had two cats at the same time we had three hamsters - neither of those cats were mousers and had zero zero interest in the hamsters (wouldn't even sit and watch them). I wouldn't do it if you had a cat with a high prey drive or with a mousing problem, because that's teasing the cat and upsetting for the hamster.

Beamur · 03/01/2023 14:09

It really depends on the cat..
It's going to be a stressful existence for a prey animal if the cat is interested in it.

Orcubed · 03/01/2023 14:09

We do but we keep the cat out of the room the hamsters are in. She’s snuck in a couple of times and sat there sniffing at them but thankfully that’s it so far.

Retrievemysanity · 03/01/2023 14:12

We have two cats and DD got a hamster in November. All seems ok so far. Hamster is in a converted fish tank (so solid glass sides) and when she comes out, we make sure the cats aren’t in the same room and we close the door. Hamster only comes out in the evening anyway so daytime isn’t an issue.

Orcubed · 03/01/2023 14:12

Orcubed · 03/01/2023 14:09

We do but we keep the cat out of the room the hamsters are in. She’s snuck in a couple of times and sat there sniffing at them but thankfully that’s it so far.

Should add she isn’t a mouser and has never been into catching things! We had other cats that used to bring us presents all the time and wouldn’t have risked them with hamsters

Retrievemysanity · 03/01/2023 14:12

Should also say, the tank is high up on a bookcase with no way the cats can get to the hamster.

Lemonademoney · 03/01/2023 14:14

My cat is scared of our hamster! However we do keep the hamsters tank upstairs and our cat is a downstairs pet just in case

MoscowMules · 03/01/2023 14:15

I wouldn't, friend did this, cat and hamster in same house.

Despite their best efforts to seperate them, the inevitable happened.

Cat managed to open the cage, and attacked the hamster.

Is had pawed and pawed at the cage opening till eventually it pinged open they think by chance.

Their daughter was terribly, terribly upset. :(

Lemonademoney · 03/01/2023 14:15

Omlet do a fab hamster tank/cage if youre looking for which one to get

xogossipgirlxo · 03/01/2023 14:20

If cats were first, most likely it will end up badly. This happened to my husband's mouse. Cat dragged poor mouse out of the cage and killed it (husband left room for 5 mins) :( When rat was first, and then cat joined, cat was bullied and disciplined though.

KnittedCardi · 03/01/2023 14:33

Dusty (Hamster), and Arthur (Cat), had a very odd relationship. Arthur is a big mouser, but was very perplexed by Dusty, and didn't really seem to understand what he was. Dusty was completely unfazed by Arthur. The two literally used to sit together and ignore each other! Obviously depends on the cat, and the hamster.

I often wonder if it was because the hamster was inside, in a cage, in a room. Arthur doesn't generally chase mice inside the house, he ignores them. Outside mice on the other hand......

TheHauntedPencilCase · 03/01/2023 14:36

I'm still not over my friends dog killing her 3 guinea pigs when they were locked away so I wouldn't risk it tbh. My DC loves mice though so it would he v risky.

Nimbostratus100 · 03/01/2023 14:40

NO

A big no

The hamster would have an utterly miserable existence, in constant high stress.

Extremely unfair

HiccupHorrendousHaddock · 03/01/2023 14:43

It didn’t end well for us. Also the hamster was neurotic, on high alert for the cats he could smell even when they weren’t directly nearby.

SkylightSkylight · 03/01/2023 14:44

I wouldn't because of the stress factor.

i could physically keep them apart, but you can't stop the 🐹 being able to smell the 🐈‍⬛ & being permanently stressed.