In this post we are going to look at the question of will my cat kill my hamster or do cats get along with hamsters? It’s an important question to ask because a lot of households these days have multiple pets. You may also have a cat and now want to get a hamster, or vice versa. The quick answer is, yes, your cat will kill your hamster.
Although on the very odd occasion they may spark up an unusual friendship, cats will naturally hunt and kill rodents. If your asking the question “do cats get along with hamsters”? No they generally don’t. This doesn’t mean you cannot have both a cat and a hamster as a pet. You will just need a plan and that’s what this guide will show you.
Cats Are Predators
Although cats are very much domesticated animals who make great pets, you must always remember that cats are and always will be predators. If you planning on getting another pet such as a hamster, remember that each cat is an individual. They will all react very differently depending upon that cats individual character and personality.
A cats age is something else you will have to take into consideration. Younger cats tend to be more active predators than older ones. You’ll find that an older cat won’t really pay much attention to other pets. But again, this is down to individual personality.
Will My Cat Kill My Hamster and Eat It?
In the wild it is a cats instinct to hunt and kill rodents. Sometimes they will eat the prey and other times they will hunt for fun. With a hamster being a rodent, cats and hamster are natural enemies. It’s rare that your cat would eat the entire hamster if ever it got its paws on it, although this is still a possibility. In the wild a cat would eat the entire rodent.
With that being said, you can still have both of these animals as pets, you will just need to take safety measures to keep the two apart. The two of them can coexist providing you follow certain guidelines such as keeping the hamster in it’s cage (more on this later). You will always have to remember that you can never change your cats natural hunting instincts. You will always have to keep them apart or your cat will kill and eat your hamster.
Can Cats and Hamsters Be Friends?
After everything you have read in the post so far, it’s safe to say that cats and hamster won’t be friends anytime soon. As previously mentioned, there may be the odd occasion where a cat and a hamster spark up an unusual friendship (this happens in life), but this is very rare.
Cats will attack hamster if they see them. Sometimes they may not attack straight away, but chances are if you leave them for an extended amount of time, they will attack. It’s good that the two of them are aware of each other, but there is no way you can get your cat and hamster to become friends. It’s just not even worth the risk.
How to Keep a Hamster and a Cat
While cats and hamsters will never be friends, this doesn’t mean you can’t have both as pets and live happily in the same household. Here are some tips and guidelines for you to follow.
Separating Your Pets
#1 Get your hamster a secure habitat
- As your cat will treat your hamster as prey, you will need a secure cage for your hamster to keep your cat away. The best kind of cage to get is one that is closed off with no open tops.
- Get a cage with narrow bars to prevent your cat from putting it’s paws through the cage.
- A larger cage is ideal so you can fit play features inside instead of them being on top where your cat can knock it off.
- A very important aspect of the cage is to get one with a latch that your cat can’t unfasten. Especially if you have a clever cat such as a Bengal who are well known for getting into places they shouldn’t.
- Never take the hamster out of the cage unless the room you are in has the door entirely closed or even locked.
#2 Keep your hamster in a room away from your cat
When a hamster sees a predator, it’s fight-or-flight adrenaline response will kick in. When it comes to your cat, even if they can’t physically reach the hamster, just the site of it will drive them crazy with curiosity. It’s best to just keep your hamster in a separate room which will eliminate stress on both creatures.
#3 Place the cage in a corner
Although we said to keep a hamsters cage in a room which your cat generally wouldn’t go in, it’s always best to take extra safety measures.
- Make sure the cage is in a place where it can’t be pushed. This is so if your cat does happen to get to where your hamster is, they cannot get behind the cage to knock it down.
- Place the cage on a stable surface such as a desk or book shelf.
- It’s worth even securing the cage to the wall which totally eliminates the risk of the cage ever falling off.
Bringing Your Hamster out of The Cage
#1 Pet-proof the room
Before you even consider taking the hamster out of the cage, make sure you have set up a pet-proof room. It’s important to do this because leaving a hamster in their cage constantly will make their life unhappy. You will occasionally need to let them out of the cage and to do this you will need a pet-proof room for their safety. Here are some tips you should follow.
- Keep the door securely closed or locked and consider putting a towel or blanket across the bottom of the door. This will prevent either your hamster from getting out or your cat trying to put its paws under the door.
- Close any windows in the room and cover anything else that your hamster could potentially get into or fall down.
- To take extra safety measures, it may even be worth shutting your cat in another room when taking the hamster out of the cage. You will then have that piece of mind knowing that your cat can’t possibly get to your hamster.
#2 Set up a playpen
Many pet stores offer a playpen which will enable your hamster to run around and stretch without having to worry about them escaping.
#3 Spend time alone with your hamster
We have talked many of times on this blog about the importance of bonding with your cat. The same level of bond must also be done with your hamster to help reduce stress levels. You can break this up into a few 15 minute sessions throughout the day.
Using an Exercise Ball
Using a ball is great for your hamster but here are some important tips you must follow.
- Always pick a ball that has a secure lid to prevent your hamster from escaping.
- Your hamster should always be in the ball in a closed room away from your cat.
- Your hamster should spend 15 to 20 minutes inside the ball once a day.
Conclusion
Hope you enjoyed this post on will my cat kill my hamster or do cats get along with hamsters? You should now know that it is possible to have both a cat and a hamster as a pet as long as you follow the tips provided in this post. If your somebody who has both a cat and a hamster as a pet, let us know in the comments below.
