Cats Vs Rodents

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Sue_P

Sue_P

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So how well do rodents and cats get on with each other? I know someone who got a 6 month old rodent just over a week ago and can't be bothered buying it a proper enclosure and so has it either in a cat basket or loose in the house in the same room as 3 cats (even unattended). To me that's asking for trouble. What are your thoughts?

If the cats haven't attacked it yet does that mean they aren't likely to later?
 
:no::no::no:She hasn't bought it a proper cage. Is she even bothering to feed and look after this rodent? Letting it loose with just ONE cat is a recipe for disaster -and a very short recipe too! I wonder if this person has got this rodent (what sort?) as a TOY for her cats.
Anyone with any sense, knowledge and love for animals does not let a small rodent loose with any type of predator - not even attended. :no::no::no::no:
 
cats with any small animals is asking for troble
 
I believe the OP is referring to guinea pigs.

Personally, your friend is potentially looking at a disaster waiting to happen :( I have two cats who have been brought up from kittens with the Guinea pigs. They're not bothered by the piggies and will often run away from them.

However, I never leave the pigs free ranging unattended with the cats as you just never know. At the end of the day, cats are preditors and Guinea pigs are prey :(
 
I'd be interested to know if anyone has cats and rodents and their cats have attacked the rodents. If so, was it an attack at first site or can cats just bide their time, act like friends or show no interest in them at first but then eat a rodent when the mood takes them? I mean rabbits can turn on rodent friends so I imagine it would be the same with cats.

My friend is a headcase. I told her before she took it on that she wasn't to, I insisted she left it alone and told her that she isn't fit to look after herself let a lone a rodent. I tried hard to talk her out of it because she lives in filth and sqauller herself and I know there's no way she'll muck that rodent out on a daily basis, it won't get enough clean bedding, it probably won't get a good consistent diet, she barely eats herself and hates spending money of food. When she got it I tried talking her into handing it over to the RSPCA or a rescue but she refuses. I told her it needs a safe enclosure but she just laughs. I told her it can't stay in a cat basket but she is convinced its fine just like she's convinced nothing will happen to it when it's loose. Decades ago she had a rodent and said it was friends with her cat at that time so therefore she believes its fine to have cats and rodents together. & even though she's had a rodent before long ago she seems clueless about how to take care of this one, she's surprised about how much it eats, I wonder how her past one lived? I bet that had a thoroughly miserable grubby existence.
 
It's a cats natural instinct to hunt so I would think it's only a matter of time before the inevitable happens. Would the RSPCA do something about a situation like this x
 
Hmmm.....your friend clearly has many issues and unfortunately those issues are going to impact massively on the life of the Guinea pig. It is a difficult situation because if she doesn't look after herself then she won't look after the animals. Sounds like piggy's days may be numbered. I think a call to the rspca may be in order so you know you have done everything you can. Good luck and keep us up to date.
 
I've thought about dobbing her in to the RSPCA but I wonder if it will be wasting their time. If she's feeding it will they take action? I've dobbed in rabbit owners before who let them out loose in the neighbourhoods and the RSPCA's stance has been that if food and water is provided then they won't take action. In one case I captured the rabbit and the RSPCA told me to return it to the owners and that they'd give the owners advice, in the other case they said they couldn't do anything and told me to contact the highways department if I think it's a hazard for car drivers. General safety to the animal doesn't seem to be high on the agenda.

I imagine the RSPCA's arms will be tied if my friend is feeding it and it has hay to sleep on. I've no idea how often she's mucking it out but I think she will be doing so therefore there isn't months and years worth of appauling conditions for the RSPCA to take into account. She's only had it less than a month. Plus there's no bans on the mentally ill or dim people keeping pets. The RSPCA would only offer her advice I imagine and that's no good when they're dealing with someone who never takes advice or does as they're told.

Blah, she makes me so angry.
 
I haven't heard from her in over a week, I hope she hasn't gone all quiet because she's avoiding a case of "I told you so". :soz:
 
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