Can a cat get along with smaller pets?

[kittie1]

I know it's not your ferret so this is moot. But why do they keep the ferret separate from the cats like that? Ferrets do not need to be protected from cats (unless there's a personality conflict and they dislike each other for some reason, and even then the cats are probably the ones needing protection!). Ferrets are weasels, carnivores, predators, not prey animals at all. Mine even play freely with the dogs, but of course I supervise because a large dog could easily hurt a ferret just by stepping on it. Keeping a ferret separated from cats is like keeping a puppy or kitten separated from the older cats/dogs--sometimes it's necessary but only under special circumstances. And putting a ferret in an exercise ball is like putting a puppy or kitten in an exercise ball. . .

I just wanted to point out ferrets may be predators but the wild cat does eat the weasel odd thing is martens can eat cats which is a weasel relative. My dad says they look a little like a wolverine though.
 But yea cats are bigger than ferrets and I guess can kill them. I think the reason cats kill rodents is more of a price to bring to the owner.... I think with ferrets it's not that big of a deal since the cat is fed regularly. Plus the ferret would put up a fight. I don't even know if my kitten would treat it like that matters how they move like she loves attacking bugs bu the dogs she never had an issue with them unless they're in her room. But free range she didn't care... Ferrets are mostly under 4 lbs but if they act like cats or dogs I don't think she'd care. I don't know she'd act towards rodents. Both she and the dog wanted to attack the bug. And the dog is scared of even cats. She's still a kitten anyway. She's barely over 4 lbs herself...

 

[Willowy]

I had an indoor/outdoor cat when I was a teenager (at the same time I had 2 ferrets). He was a big, handsome Maine Coon lookalike who was a mighty hunter. He killed and ate mice, rats, squirrels, rabbits, gophers, etc. He fought with all the neighbor cats. He was The Scourge of the Neighborhood. And he was terrified of the ferrets, LOL. It was adorable.

Anyway, I have always had many cats of varying backgrounds with free access to the ferrets (who have their own room with a special ferret-proof baby gate that the cats can easily jump over), and the ferrets have never even gotten scratched. I think it depends on the small animal's behavior; if the critter runs and is scared, the cat will behave in a predatory manner. If the small animal runs up to the cat confidently, they won't see it as prey. I also think that carnivores smell different than prey animals and their odor doesn't trigger the predatory response.

And, yeah, wild cats may eat weasels, but if they were hungry enough they'd also eat other cats. But that doesn't mean that you'd have to worry about your kitty eating any new cat you brought home!

I've never heard anything about ferrets having particularly nasty bacteria in their mouths. I know cats do (and cat bites usually get infected) but I didn't think there was anything notable about a ferret bite. They rarely break skin when playing with each other or a cat, no more than cats do when playing anyway. It's weird what pet store employees tell people. But Petsmart doesn't sell ferrets so probably it was the PetCo guy who was Mr. Misinformation .

 

[kittie1]

It's actually apart of the felis sylvestris's diet. Cats don't need it as a meal though. The part I don't get is how come they can kill weasels yet martens can kills them? It makes sense to me why the cat would be scared of them. Because naturally apparently the marten is their predator. It just is odd to me how come they don't eat martens in the wild as well? Or why the weasel won't kill wilcats... Idk...

I find this statement contradicting... And they're less than 3 lbs. Maybe it's least weasels cats eat that would make more sense if so it all makes more sense. But I think usually the distinction is made...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildcat

'Wildcats compete with fox, marten, Golden jackal, and jungle cat. Where their ranges overlap in the Caucasus, jungle cats inhabit lowland sections while wildcats reside in beech forests on the mountain slopes; at exact places where one of these two species exists, the other is altogether absent or only a few individuals are found. Martens kill many young wildcats in Central Europe, and forest martens have occasionally killed and eaten adult wildcats.^[10]

[edit] Diet

The wildcat is an obligate carnivore; insects and plants are minor parts of its diet. Regardless of subspecies, most of its prey consists of small mammals, mainly rodents and rabbits, with lizards being the third most common prey in Portugal, and birds the least common.^[11] Wildcats are, however, opportunistic predators, and have also been observed to eat amphibians, fish, weasels, scorpions, and even young roe deer or antelopes.^[5]'

 

[Willowy]

Martens/fishers are pretty big, and most weasels are pretty small, and I'm sure it depends how big and how old the wildcats and the weasels are. . .but felis domesticus is not felis sylvestris so I don't know what they have to do with anything :dk:.

 

[kittie1]

no domestic cats are actually felis sylvestris catus. They are the ancestor of the cat. And Martens are about 3.5 lbs. Ferrets are 2-4 lbs. They look similar... Yet the wildcat which is at many times hybridized with domestic feral cats eat the weasel. Idk nature is different. Sorry but I find that odd....

 

[nekochan]

I've had pet rats, mice, hamsters, a guinea pig, rabbits, a gerbil, and sugar gliders. Oh, also ferrets.

None of them acted afraid of my cats, of course I didn't let them interact too much just to be safe. The rabbits were a little scared of my dogs, they'd thump and scare the dog off if they got too close to the rabbit cage. The other animals pretty much ignored the cats, and likely my dogs. I had a Golden Retriever Ginger who loved other animals and the small animals liked her too for the most part. When I would take my guinea pig out in the yard in his pen, I'd bring Ginger and she'd lay in the pen with him, which seemed to make him feel safer. He would even snuggle up to her between her paws.

Ginger and my guinea pig:

 

[azalea87]

I've had a lot of rats, I did rescue for a bunch of ratties back when I lived with my mom and our family cats. I've never had a problem. In fact, I would say I'm more concerned for the safety of my cats than the rats. Rats are feisty little creatures. Obviously you would need a very secure cage, and when they were out of the cage, you need to supervise very, very closely but I've never, ever had a problem. I know lots of people who have also had small pets and cats coincide together and had no problem.

I have 2 kitties and I also have 3 ratties in a large cage. If my kitten walks on the cage, the two older rats don't usually care but the younger boy, Milo, will nip at her. She was fascinated by them at first but now doesn't think much of them. My newest addition, a 3 year old cat, has no interest in them whatsoever. Still, I never let them run around without close supervision but that's just common sense.

So, as long as you have a very secure cage and you supervise closely whenever they're out of their cage, I don't think you'll have any problems, I know I haven't. If you do get a small pet, especially rats, remember to get them in pairs. They're super social creatures and should always be with at least another ratty.

 

[christine11276]

I have 5 cats (counting the 3 kittens my cat had almost 2 weeks ago) & 10 hamsters (NOT counting the 17 babies they have).  They get along just fine.  My cats almost ignore them now.  When we first got the cats ( at different times) they would want to investigate the hamsters but after a few days, they could careless.  A lot of people would tell you to keep them separate as much as possible but in my experience, when you do that, they become more inquisitive and try harder to play/smell with them so I just let me be.  Obviously I keep an eye on them just in case but nothing has ever happened.  Also, I think a hamster is a great alternative to a mouse/rat if the tail is an issue.  I've never had a ferret (they are illegal here) so I wouldn't know  but my fiance says they are almost like cats ... they can be litter box trained, they need their play time, daily feeding, they are curious, etc.  With a hamster, you feed them twice a week, they need play time too as well but not as much and they are nocturnal as of most cats.  I like hamsters ... in case you didn't notice      I have no experience at all with guinea pigs.  I just know that they can make noises, prefer company, the cage must be a nice size ... I'm not sure I'd count it as a small pet.  Maybe a medium pet ... if there is such a thing!