Oh god my cat has caught my little hamster

[ThoseFemalesAreStrongAsHell]

My DS got a hamster for his 5th birthday (about 18 months ago) and he's very much part of the family we love him loads.

About 3 months ago my friends cat had kittens but one was pushed out and the mum wouldn't let him feed he was so small so I took him in bottle fed him etc and he's thriving now at 12 weeks but has obviously tried to get the hamster so in the day when I'm not around/night I've kept the hamster in the cage in the bathroom with the bathroom door shut because the cat kept jumping on the cage and I was worried.

Tonight as we were getting ready for bed I left my DD who is 4 in the bathroom to brush her teeth and closed the door behind me, and she'd got him out of the cage and he was running around so as I opened the door to check the cat grabbed him and had him in his mouth and was pawing at him it was really quite traumatic and I would say it went on for about 5 minutes before I could get the cat as he kept running from room to room with him in his mouth.

I have got him back in his cage, theres no obvious bleeding or injuries but he's just not himself. Has not accepted any food or even moved from the tube in his cage. He normally loves carrots so i put some next to him and he's not touched them.

Could this just be shock? Hes not making any noise like squealing or anything, both eyes are open When I wake him and normally hes not very active at this time. My vet isn't open so I'd just like some advice I will take him tomorrow. Thanks.

I'd just leave the hamster alone and hopefully he'll recover.

4 year olds aren't babies.

No wonder you shouted OP, the whole thing sounds traumatic.

Oh no, poor little guy and poor you, sounds awful. Hope he's ok tmw xx

My post should say uninjured not uninsured!

No advice. Just wanted to say we've kept hamsters and cats in the same house for years with no injury, so please don't feel too guilty about what was clearly an accident. You're not "bad" for keeping both! One of our hamsters managed to push an opening in his cage and disappear behind a wall. Luckily the cat didn't get him but we had to cut a hole in the wall to get him out. 🙄 These things happen!

Thanks everyone. I do agree with the ones saying hamsters and cats should not be together but my little kitten captured my heart even though he was supposed to only be with us for a short while. I'm selfish in that respect I know, but I always kept them separate and tonight was so unexpected.

Anyway hammy is in our bedroom tonight, our bedroom is the attic so have not felt comfortable having hammy upstairs with us and shutting the door in case the kids need us as the door is hard to open but DP is sleeping in DS's room so he can get to them if needed.

I'm very pleased to report that little hammy is on his wheel right now and has woken me up because of that bloody noise!He still hasn't touched any carrot though . And one eye looks a bit funny. I'm going to the vets first thing. I hope he is okay.

Let us know if vet can do anything for him.

Hope he's OK today

Hope he’s ok, keep us updated x

If he's running around I wouldn't take him to the vets on a Sunday. Watch him and see how he goes. I doubt there's much the vet could do.

I've successfully lived with a hamster and a cat. I was 8yo so knew not to get them together though.

How's he doing? I hope he's still okay

Oh I hope he is okay today. Running around in his wheel sounds promising.
A stray cat we re-homed killed our hamster a few years ago, after he escaped the cage in the night. Agree rodents and cats should never be in the same house

Hoping little Hammy is ok x

I keep checking back in - how’s hammy today? Hope you are all okay op

Hope your hamster is ok

We have 3 cats (previously had another too but she left, voluntarily and is living elsewhere as an outdoor cat with people who won't give her back, embracing her feral cat roots), we have had many many pet rays, and mice and hamsters too over the past 6 years of cat ownership. The cats ignore the small furries after the initial novelty of watching them wore off. The small furry things don't seem bothered by the cats. The only thing we do since having kids is make sure the cage has a shutting mechanism that the kids can't open as they are 2 and 4 and therefore can't be relied upon to not open the cage. Obviously if the rats are out of their cage the cats are out of the house with the exception of the kitten who is shut out of the room.

Any update op?!?

If it’s any consolation, I told my daughter aged 7, forty two million times, not to leave the cage door open when she got the hamster and she still did it, several times! They just don’t listen!

Would you give him a bit of peanut butter? I would deffo prefer that than a carrot after a near death experience (and a drink too probably!)

I hope he has recovered now.

Hope he is ok today op. Such an awful thing to happen, and so stressful for you. I had a similar incident, although not with a cat....with another hamster! We were looking after the school hamster (or meant to be) and our hamster made its way into his cage and attacked him 😔 I never found out how exactly how it happened, but the poor little fellow was so shocked. He was very old for a hamster, but still went on to live for another 8months, so completely recovered from it. These things happen sometimes, even though we try to be careful.
You sound like you are a really caring animal owner, please don't blame yourself, it was a horrible accident.

Thank you everyone! Sorry for the late update, little hammy was running around all night and has eaten his carrot and some other food so I didn't go to the emergency vet.

So far, so good. He's just becoming active now as usual so have been watching him and he seems absolutely fine. Im still keeping him away from any noise etc anx havent tried to touch him or get him out oc the cage because i dont want to frighten him. I'm keeping everything crossed! But it's looking good so far!

Really pleased to hear the poor hamster is doing better.

I have to say, I really don't think I could consider someone like the woman you know as a friend - she's not just irresponsible, she's an animal abuser

I think if hamster has made it through the first 24 hours after the incident then he will probably be ok cats are bastards

samanthasung cats are indeed bastards, the kitten has been lounging around all day wanting cuddles and doesnt even care about all the drama he has caused. Prick. .

MargaretCavendish I have known her for a long time and I just wish she'd have the cat neutered, her cat is tabby and all the kittens apart from mine are tabby too (He's fully black) all of them already had interest apart from him so she thought he wouldn't get sold anyway. But the mum cat is well looked after from what I can tell.

@ThoseFemalesAreStrongAsHell a word of warning to your friend if a cat repeatedly has litters the kittens can become unwell the more litters that are had because the mums body cannot cope. Well done for saving the kitten and glad the hamster is ok. Maybe a sign that the kids make so they look for it every time that says please shut the door hamster sleeping or something

The cat is NOT well looked after if going through multiple pregnancies - it's awfully hard on her body.

Glad little hamster is ok!

Glad the hamsters okay. Don’t feel guilty about what happened, it was an accident. The first day we got our roborovskis one of the cats snatched it out and hand and ran off with it, luckily we managed to get him back quickly and everything was okay but was super scary.