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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Realllly want a Maine Coon but we have pet rats - is it the worst idea ever?

31 replies

IHeartKingThistle · 29/06/2017 17:23

Disclaimer: our previous cats have all been rescues! The rescues round here seem to have a lot of nervous old cats who can't be around children or other pets. Other rat owners on a rat forum I'm on have suggested that a kitten is a better bet for getting used to rats.

And I've always wanted a Maine Coon. But they're great hunters aren't they? The rats are in the playroom on top of a cupboard but I'm worried about them getting stressed or, you know, eaten. They do come out to play every day but we could keep the cat out of the room they're in.

I'm not going to do it regardless, if it's a terrible idea I won't do it, I don't want unhappy animals in the house! Any advice appreciated!

OP posts:
isseywithcats · 29/06/2017 17:26

as long as you keep a cat and the rats seperate then shouldnt be a problem, we had pet rats then took on an adult cat that needed a home, and she would sit the other side of the room and watch the rats playing for a while, but when her ears went back the rats went back in thier cage in my daughters room

Teddy6767 · 29/06/2017 17:31

I have a Maine coon and he's a rubbish hunter. He gets very interested by things like insects and birds, but he's never actually killed anything in 10 years. Maybe I'm just lucky though

ChrisPrattsFace · 29/06/2017 17:33

I've owned two maine coons... one was an incredible hunter but only for birds, and my current girl is absolutely useless. she couldn't catch a blade of grass if it fell in her mouth
Socialisation with anything from a young age will benefit them SO much! Whatever your decision, interaction and socialisation is key!!

DumbledoresApprentice · 29/06/2017 18:01

I have a rescue Maine Coon. She's an awesome spider hunter but is scared of the outdoors so doesn't catch anything else. If I'm honest I think she's too scared of her own shadow to be much good at hunting anything bigger.

Original poster
IHeartKingThistle · 29/06/2017 19:15

Oh this is encouraging!!!

OP posts:
junerat · 29/06/2017 22:24

Our Maine coon once accidentally stood on a spider and killed it. His only kill to date.

He runs at pigeons from about 20 feet away. You can practically see them roll their eyes.

Original poster
IHeartKingThistle · 29/06/2017 22:29
Grin
OP posts:
ragged · 29/06/2017 22:33

I would not do it.
(when I was a kid) My cats used to routinely kill my little pets.
My rat once killed another pet.
Actually, my cats never got the pet rats even if they got most everything else. My cats now bring home everything else but rarely a rat -- only baby rats. Rats are cunning Maybe should be more afraid for the cat.

Trying to say this nicely... you know ratties don't live that long. You wouldn't have to wait very long if getting a cat is what you want you can wait a while for it.

gingerh4ir · 30/06/2017 21:43

we had a similar combo and I would not recommend it. it was only a tiny moment of complacency....

Original poster
IHeartKingThistle · 30/06/2017 22:23

Nooooo! I don't know what to doooo!!!

OP posts:
SentientCushion · 30/06/2017 22:30

I agree with ragged I loved my rats soooo much and I'm so pleased I waited until they passed to rainbow bridge to to get my kitties because I wouldn't be able to get them out as much with the kitties around.
Rats are the best thing ever but worst thing about them is they don't live very long :-(

Original poster
IHeartKingThistle · 30/06/2017 22:35

I know :(

The rats belong to the DC and they absolutely want to replace them when they go so hanging on not an option!

The cat would be mine.

This is hard. Don't want rats getting eaten!

OP posts:
SentientCushion · 30/06/2017 22:42

My mother has cats and rats and they are fine.

AmyB1986 · 30/06/2017 23:13

Hi, I have a Maine coon and mice. She will sit and watch the mice and sometimes bat the cages if they get too close to the sides but never had any mishaps. The mice have learned not to go near the sides if she's sitting there. Our tabby cat isn't interested.

As someone else said, Maine coons are great spider hunters! Mine is always eating them, she does also however catch birds, frogs, worms and leaves she puts leaves in our bed nothing else to date luckily!

Beautiful cats they are

flumpybear · 01/07/2017 11:22

I had rats and cats and they were fine. We now have giunea pigs and cats, they're also fine, as were the hamsters we used to have ... again with cats - they generally ignored the rodents. My female cat was a stealth hunter and really good at alcatching all sorts of things - she used to knock the hamster cage off the shelf and watch them flee - she could easily have caught them but just liked to terrorise
Them little monkey but rats are
Really intelligent and great pets too ... I'd get cat, pref as a kitten and make them grow together as little friends /family Wink

TondelayaDellaVentamiglia · 01/07/2017 11:42

we had a hamster when the children were small and that was with two cats who caught all the things all the time

it was in one of those plastic tank type enclosures though...I think a normal cage would have been a disaster.

They use to take it in turns to sit on the top and try to stare the hamster down! Obviously did not do the hamster any harm, it was well past two years when it died.

Pikachuwithyourmouthclosed · 01/07/2017 11:49

We're the other way around; we have 2 cats and the children would like to get rats. We had rats years ago so I'm not averse to the idea - the main thing putting me off is the idea that it might be stressful for the ratties to live in the same house as two bloody great panthers who would eat them given half a chance. I'm imagining the cats hanging out on top of Rat Towers, licking their lips, biding their time.

DoraChance · 01/07/2017 11:51

I have a Maine and he'd starve if he had to catch his own dinner. He's very intelligent but really clumsy, there's no stealth at all. Any potential prey would hear him coming a mile off!

ZiggyForever · 01/07/2017 12:02

I have two Maine Coons and they are extremely clever and, worryingly, very strong. One in particular is very focused and absolutely relentless if he spies something he wants. If you do get one I'd advise a very robust cage for the rats!

Morifarty · 01/07/2017 12:03

I don't know, having two cats now with a couple of gerbils for the last few years, I have promised myself I will never own prey animals again with cats.

Generally they are kept separate, but we've had incidents where the cats have knocked the cage over, rammed at it, and several near misses (only because the cat is too slow to catch them). It's just too stressful, worrying that they might get eaten.

ImBreakingBad · 01/07/2017 12:05

I've 4 Maine Coons and it's down to the cats personality. One of ours is incredibly agile and clever. Birds and rodents don't have a look in near ours Grin

valeriarrgh · 01/07/2017 12:43

I have a Maine Coon cross, he's soppy as anything and an absolutely useless hunter the most he's ever brought home is a moth.

We've also had rats whilst having cats (I had rats as a child and as an adult and we've always had cats in the house) and whilst the cats were interested it never went any further than that. They watched from a distance and seemed to studiously avoid them. My mums big rescue Tom cat would sit on her knee quite happily whilst the rats sat on her shoulder.

Okite · 01/07/2017 12:50

We have two moggies and would never get a prey animal, it'd be a pretty stressful life for them being contained near a predator and unable to get away. I have a friend with two Maine coons who are both ferocious hunters and so so BIG. They are 3 times the size and weight of my cats, they are very very soppy with humans but prey stands no chance.

tigerdriverII · 01/07/2017 12:55

Our MCs are pretty good hunters. They had a squirrel frenzy recently (single tail sticking out of a pile of gravel, they have a sense of humour too). I wouldn't mix them with rodents.

BrexitSucks · 01/07/2017 14:06

no shortage of videos on youtube of Maine Coone cats hunting & catching small creatures.