>Its a 7 year old male, he's been neutured, and they used to have a rabbit
>which they let run in the house for freetime and the cat just sniffed it
and
>left. They also have a couple of dwarf hampsters in a plastic cage thing
>which he ignores.
It's 'hamsters' <g>
>Problem is I have 3 gerbils and 2 guinea pigs. I am worried, not so much
>about how the cat is with them, but how they will react to having a
>"predator" in the house. Is it true that just the sight of a predator can
>give guinea pigs and gerbils a heart attack?
You can do a slow intro. First confine the cat to one room with
food and litterbox for a few days with you coming in to give lots
of attention. This allows the cat to acclimatize...
Then let cat out with supervision. You can have a family
member hold the small one while you hold the cat and let
them sniff. ANY overt attention on the part of the cat should
be gently reprimanded...you need to let the cat know that
that is NOT a menu item.
Secure things so the cat can't jump up to or on top of or
otherwise reach the cages.
If the cat can't perch nearby then it will be easier on
your small ones.
If you let your smalls out for exercise, make sure that
the cat is locked out of the room.
>The gerbils live in 2 acquariums in the living room which are up at eye
>height but a cat could easily get to. They have secure mesh lids so he
>couldn't in to them, but they are going to be scared if he is leaning down
>over them. The guinea pigs are in the bedroom in a wooden hutch which
again
>is at eye level height.
As I said above, move and secure the cages so that the cat can't
get on top of them, or sit right next to them. In which case it will
reduce the smalls anxiety.
>What do you think? I wouldn't even contemplate this except that if we
don't
>take the cat in they will have to take him to the RSPCA and what chance
does
>a 7 year old cat have of being rehomed?
Not great.
>Can cats and small and furries live in harmony? I would imagine that if
>they are introduced as kittens you have a better chance but what about a 7
>year old?
My older cat was in his teens when the hamsters started arriving
and even older when the gerbils showed. The younger cat was
also a few years old when the small animals started showing.
>Any advice would be gratefully recieved. I am torn between by feelings and
>my common sense here.
My cats know me as 'top cat' (the dog considers me alpha too)
and 'Mommy Says'. hamster is not on the menu, gerbils have
claws (and can make the older cat tuck tail and run after one sniff...
he got clawed in the nose just once and he remembers), and
some rooms are offlimits because I say they are. Even being
interested in the door and the smells beyond can get you in
trouble and it's not worth it so keep going...(they really don't
try to get into offlimit rooms because the consequences are
not nice (i.e, I yell and get the squirt gun out).
It should work, just don't give the cat a chance to be a cat. :)
>Beki
>Mom to Milly, Molly and Mandy the supergerbs
>Daphne and Jamima the superflumps
Deb
Rebel's Rodent Ranch
