How do I introduce pet rats to my cats?

[C H]

I'll be getting 3 baby rats soon... Well I have 2 cats. Fixed female who s about 10 years old, and fixed male who is around 7 years old.
I know the female is known to kill wild mice. A few times she has captured and killed some field mice that wondered into the house.
The male has been known to raid rabbit nests and bring home new born [living, and unharmed] cotton-tail rabbits.

How can I introduce rats to these two cats without the cats harming the rats?

Will the baby rats grow to get used to the smells and presence of cats?
Theres no avoiding it. They will be living in the same room together.

 

[Cherry Pie]

I do not recommend "introducing" your new rattums to your cats.
And one of the answers said, get a ball, but that is NOT a good idea. A rats spine is not flexible like a hamsters, and it could cause long term spinal damage if you allow them to do this.
Your best bet is to just put the cage up, lock it, and shoo the cats away when you're playing with the ratties.

I have two boys, and the cage is a few feet of the ground. My cat (who has also been known to kill mice, rabbits, etc) doesn't mind them at all, unless they're making a lot of noise and arguing; then he'll just sit and watch for a moment and trot off.

Your rats will eventually get used to the sight and smells of the cats, and as you will, it will become the usual and they won't really care or even bother being afraid of them.

 

[Claire]

This is not a good idea. The cats obviously know how to hunt and kill small animals and there isn't really a way to "introduce" the rats without putting them in danger. I would just make sure the cats can not get to the rats when they are out of the cage and it should be fine.

 

[chizz]

i have mice and 2 cats, a 3 year old cat and a 6 month old kitten, i have to shut my door to keep them out, and u know kittens they want to play with anything, i would keep them some where that they cats can't get them, or build a thing around the cage to keep the cats from tipping it over

 

[ADTC]

A cat accustomed to hunting mice may not get along well with your rats. It may hunt the rats and eat them, so be careful. You may have a chance with the other cat.

Put them together and watch them. As cats are predators, you will want to have them in belts to pull them away in case of an attack. Cats will not pretend to be friendly with the rats in hopes of eating them when you're not looking. If they get friendly, it's genuine and you can be assured after a few times of witnessing good behavior.

It's easiest to do this when both parties grew up from birth together. An already grown animal is set in its ways and can't change. But when baby animals grow up together, they learn to love each other despite traditional predator-prey connotations.

-

 

[Frankie]

Put the rats cage up high and allow the cats to get used to the smell of rats.

Its not a good idea to try introducing them until the rats have settled into their own home. when you bring them home, they will be freaked out and will want to hide and avoid everything. This is normal. So many new sounds and smells can be overwhelming for them.

Keep the cats out of that room for the time being...

DO NOT introduce the rats to the cats without a cage between them. Especially with cats who have a high prey drive. You will be sorry when the cat mistakes a rat for a field mouse.

Cats normally won't attack adult rats. They see they are much larger than mice. Rats can also inflict quite a bit of damage if they feel threatened and need to defend themselves.

 

[Anonymous]

Someone mentioned putting your rats in a hamster ball but this a TERRIBLE idea. Hamster balls for meant for just that, hamsters. If you put a rat in the ball one of two things will happen. Either the rat will hate it and sit there and get pissed at you, or the rat will try it out and end up damaging its own spine. Either way, it is just a bad idea. DON'T do it.

Now then, an actual "introduction" between adult cats and baby rats is a no-no. The first thing on your agenda should be letting your new rats get used to their new environment. Give them time to settle in and bond with you. Put their cage a couple feet off the ground, like on a dresser, so they can get a good view of their surroundings. After a couple days you can let your cats check out the rats with cage bars between them. Look at their reactions, and if they seem hostile remember to shoo them away whenever you see them eying the cage in the future. If they seem to not really care, you can let them hang out around the cage if they want, but just shoo them away when you open the cage door to feed the rats, and make sure to kick them out of the room for an hour or two when it's time to let the rats out to play. Once the rats get bigger and become accustomed to the sight and smell of cats, you might try taking the rats out and putting them on your shoulders or in your pockets while the cats are in the room and see how they react. If they get curious, allow them to only come within about two feet of you. If they come any closer shoo them away. After a couple of times they should get the idea. But if they don't really pay you any mind, you can set the rats down on your bed (making sure that the cats are on the floor) and keep yourself between the two. If they seem to go into predator mode, put the rats back in the cage. If they just seem curious, again let them get as close as about a foot from you. If they don't really care at all and go about their business, you can hop up on the bed and start playing with the rats. As soon as one or both cats seem a little too interested in the rats, put your babies back in their cage. Remember though, this is once your rats are larger, calmer adolescents! Wait until they are AT LEAST eight or nine months old to attempt this. And even then, you must be VERY cautious.

Cats and rats CAN be friendly, but it can take a long time for any cat (especially adult cats) to transition from predator to playmate. For the time being, don't try it. In the future, IF you decide to try introducing them, BE CAREFUL.

Good luck, and best wishes!

 

[emmax33]

i would suggest not introducing them to eachother

 

[SHINee4Ever]

Get Your Rats Balls (( Like Hamster Balls )) And Put Them In A Room With Your Cats (( BE IN THE ROOM )) And The Cats Will Just Sniff Them .. =]

 

[Jackjon]

When i had rats my cat was scared of them whenever they would walk by my cat my cat would jump back

 

[spider pig!!!1]

ok do you really want to risk your cats killing them. and maybe you should keep the cats in another room

 

[Avriah]

it's like attempting to mix oil and water, you can never mix oil with water..