Hamster and cats?

[RosieRoww]

Hi, I just don't know what to do...
My son got recently Syrian hamster, he's great.
However my daughter long for a cat, there's is a possibility of having a wee kitten from our friend, however the more I'm thinking about that, the more I'm petrified of this combination, my son would be very sad if the cat accidentally killed the hamster, but my daughter is gonna be sad as well, as in her perspective, my son got his pet and she cannot have hers.

I'm just do thorn between...😔

Personally I'm happy just with one pet, which is the hamster, but I feel so guilty towards my daughter, I don't know what to do.

One of my first memories is coming down in the morning and finding a tiny hamster stomach outside the hamster cage. My cat ate the rest of it.

We got a hamster and later a cat. Didn't take the cat long to (while we were out) prise open the hamster door and lure the hamster out. Hamster found dead on the floor when we got home. I feel bad about it years later. We could have taken more precautions, but I'm confident the cat would have got the hamster in the end anyway. Wait for the hamster to die (approx 2 years), and then replace it with a cat.

NB, the cat would not "accidentally" kill the hamster.

So I currently have both, although hammie lives with DD at school during term. It is ok so far. Ham lives in room at end of house to which cat has no admittance. Sign on door reminding everyone to keep it closed.

Yes, this would be the best option.

I need to talk to my daughter and try to explain her my point.

My children are still quite small to remember to close the doors all the time, I think the best thing gonna be to wait few more years and then get the cat. I need to try to explain it to my daughter.

My cats are fine with the hamster they occasionally stare at it through the bars but they are fine.

I had gerbils and a cat and my cat never did anything to them, she would have a look at the cage but that’s it, they eventually died of old age, currently have a goldfish and a cat again no issues had the fish a year now cats never tried to get it

We had a hamster and two cats. Hamster lived happily in DS1s bedroom and door was always kept shut. We had a good quality cage just in case and found cat sitting on top of cage a couple of times. Hamster lived until he was 3yrs old.

We then looked after school hamsters a couple of times. The cages were a bit rubbish and one time we heard a bump and ran up stairs. The door had been left open, the cat had climbed on the cage and the tube had fallen off. My DH saw cat with hamster in his mouth and shouted 'drop it'. Amazingly the cat did and I caught the hamster. I popped the hamster back in the cage and we returned it to school the next day. The hamster lived for at least another year after its brush with death! We never told the school!!!!!

Cat used to visit our Syrian hamster whenever our backs were turned . If cat realised it was being watched it would act nonchalant and as if last thing on its mind was hamster. Given it was draped on top of the cage and we could see what it was trying to do before it noticed us,we we were not fooled. Luckily, we had enough experience with escape-artist hamsters to have a very large ,customised , maximum security cage which the cat could not get into. Hamster not worried at all,possibly because cage big enough for it to lurk.

I think it's hard to say because not all cats are that interested in hunting.

My two wouldn't care if there was a hamster in the house but appreciate it's not always the case.

Would you be able to put hamster in a room where the door always stays closed? I mean if you're going to explain to DD why she can't have a cat, wouldn't it just be the same conversation explaining why the door must always be closed?

Yes, they would understand but I'm afraid that they would forgot , they are both 7 years old, so can handle some responsibility but still quite careless iynwim.☹️

Another point to consider - hamsters live a couple of years. Cats can live 18+ years.
It's unlikely that your DD will take "her" cat to uni / when she moves out, so please only get a cat if you want to be a cat owner for the next decade or two (not to mention cats tend to cost a fair bit more in terms of yearly vaccinations, preventative flea and worm treatment, neutering, pet insurance/vet bills...).
Maybe a second hamster (to live separately, as DDs pet) instead?

We have both, DD previously had a Syrian hamster at her dad’s which moved in with us over lockdown and stayed. Cat would go and look at it through the bars, hamster not bothered. Bit of a flimsy cage so I did reinforce it with string regularly. Hamster died of old age.

DD (7) asked for a new one for Christmas. Realised the space we have is more suited to a dwarf hamster. I chose a very robust deep tank with a wire top. Cat has a look close up if he gets a chance and I lift him away. Dog is protective of hamster and gets between cat and cage. I always make sure the cat is not left alone in the room with the hamster.

We did nearly lose the hamster on NYE just a few days after getting him when he leapt out of his handling pouch onto the floor. Luckily cat was busy with his Christmas present, dog and DD stood guard while I scooped hamster back up from the corner he had run into. I downed a glass of wine very quickly after that.

We have 4 rats and 4 cats, rat room door is ALWAYS shut.
If you can’t guarantee to keep them apart it is not fair to have rodents and cats, even the smell of cats terrifies my rats.

No help at all but I found our neighbour’s dd’s hamster in our hall one morning earlier this year - he had got in their wall and appeared from behind the bathroom sink, I think. Hamster was VERY lucky our cat is shut in the kitchen overnight or she would have had him in a flash. Even when he was safely in a Tupperware box munching on some celery she had a glint in her eye.

One of my more surreal Mondays.

Thank you so much everyone for your response, it helped me to confirm what I was already feeling and thinking and that is to wait few more years to get the cat and enjoy our little hamster atm.

Everyone would be very upset if anything happened to him and it would be only my fault if so, because I would be the one who agreed to bring the cat in.

Thanks again for your help.🌷🌻🌷🌻🌷🌻

Mumsnet is great.;)

Think of the little hamster living with a predator looking at him every day for the rest of his life. Not fair to do this

My cat ate my school hamster that I was taking care of for the weekend. It opened my bedroom door, went inside and opened the cage and ate him. I had to go and explain to my class what had happened... 😭

These pets do not mix. It's also very stressful for the poor hamster to have an enourmous predator trying to get into its cage even if it does not succeed.

Please just pick one or the other. They are not compatible.

Just seen this: good decision OP. I wouldn't want to face a tiger 30 times my size whilst being in an enclosed space! Can you imagine the terror?

Absolutely the right decision OP.

To the posters saying "my hamster (rodent) was ok with a cat being around", absolutely NO IT WAS NOT. Imagine an Apex predator (T Rex for effect) staring in your window every day while working out how to break in and kill you. Would you be relaxed and ok?

Cats and rodents only work if they are 100% segregated with closed off areas as others have suggested.

Enjoy your Hamster, and cat in a few years OP. 👍