# Introducing a pair of rats into a two cat household...



## NJHeart2Heart

How does one introduce rats into a two cat home? We have two young cats, both spayed, both rescues. They dearly love staring out our floor length windows at the birds (we have birdfeeders) and squirrels. I KNOW what they are thinking (YUM.. wanna HUNT!) How do you successfully integrate them, or, due to cats very strong hunt instinct, is it just better management to keep the rats (when they are out of their cages), in a different room without cats? What about when they are in their cages? What are some ideas for encouraging the cats to leave them alone?

Thanks,
Dawn in NJ


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## bampinkfuzzyhat

Introduce the rats to your cats slowly, and monitor them INTENSELY! Make sure that the cats don't get an opportunity to bite or pounce on your rats.
And if it is possible, try to keep your cats away from the rat cage. Some cats may pounce at the cage and knock it over.
Every cat is different though. You know your cats the best, so if you trust them enough, then they can be around your rats. But just be careful.
In my experience, I just showed my cat the rats through the cage bars so she knew that they were part of the family, then in about a week I brought them out to meet her.
She doesn't pounce or acts like a hunter around them. She was curious at first, but now she just watches them sometimes from their cage but I trust her never to pounce, and if I bring my rats out she prefers they don't go near her or touch her or she will try to bite them.


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## A.ngelF.eathers

When I first brought my boys home I had a male, intact cat whom I had raised from his very birth. He was an avid hunter and often brought mice to my door. 
My boys were in a tank their first little while with me, and the moment they climbed out of the box to explore, there was Prince TajMahal, staring them down. 
http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/131/e/b/In_Your_Face_by_HiddenHeartsCry.jpgAfter a while, Taj grew used to their presence and they were able to get this close to one another, even freely.

After Taj passed a new kitten, a maine **** named Cail, came to live with us with his friend Desmond, who was an older tom cat and extremely laid back. Desmond never paid the rats any mind at all. Cail always stayed very interested in them, but did little more than sit on top of their cages and stare. Cail was rehomed for various reasons. Desmond passed.

My current cat, Draevyn, is a neutered male, around a year old who I adopted from an animal shelter. He had been surrendered, then adopted, then given back again. He has quite a few social problems. He sees my rats as little more than toys. He isn't allowed outside but he watches the boys like he watches the birds: with intent and licking his lips -literally. He used to pick at the hardware cloth of their other cage and now he's trying to reach through the bars of their current home. He's wakes me in the mornings by smacking the bars, making Cassius run back and forth through the cage -even though Cassius isn't afraid of him at all.

All of my cats have been different with the boys and I'm sure yours will be too. You will know when too much is too much, but if you feel uncomfortable at all, you should go on that instinct and act on it.

It's my personal opinion that you should never allow your rats to free range with an active cat in the room, let alone two. Supervised or not. Taj was allowed minimal contact with my boys because I knew him. This was a cat who was breeched at birth who I helped deliver, who opened his eyes at two days old and knew his name by six weeks. I knew him well enough to trust him with their lives. I would NEVER, not under ANY circumstances, allow Draevyn access to my boys. 
When free ranging, you should keep the cats away, securely. Block any and all access to between them and the rats. When in their cage, you should supervise the cats, keep a close eye on them for the first few weeks, just to be sure your girls don't try any funny business. 

Hopefully, after a while they will grow to accept them being in the home and not as a snack and you can feel at ease with them around the cage. I still wouldn't recommend them free ranging together.


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## NJHeart2Heart

Thanks all for your thorough replies. In thinking about this, and the fact that rats need nice clear air (not conducive with kitty litter), if I do get rats, hubby himself (who's not all "in" at the thought of pet rats at this point) suggested putting their littler box in basment (with open door access), and then keeping rats in spare room. Spare room is small with a door, so could house them there with closed door, and when the time comes, we could even use that as their "free time" space, while cats are outside the door.....
Thanks all!
Dawn in NJ


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## meekosan

I have been fortunate enough with my 3 cats they never really bothered the rats now or previously. The oldest gets curious to check out and peek into the cage, but after a few minutes she gets bored and walks away. Even when I'm walking around with one or both on my shoulders she can't be bothered by them.

The two younger cats (also rescues) STARE. It's like a tennis match, the heads going back and forth, back and forth repeatedly. They haven't braved trying to get closer because the first (and last) time they did try something I smacked their behinds and they never tried again.

But as said before, each cat is different and reacts differently.


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## moonkissed

I have 3 cats, 2 parakeets and 2 rats lol. I think you kindof have to judge your cat. Some cats are just much more attack oriented and will stop at nothing. if you have a cat like that then it is probably a really bad idea. 

But I think the majority of cats are fine. I've kept cats and parakeets together for over 10 years now. My cats ignore them. They know they are not allowed and just don't even notice the cage anymore. The birds are boring lol. But I do have one cat keeba who loves them. I don't think he would ever purposefully hurt them but cats are instinctual and it just takes a moment of the bird moving and a smack from a paw even if he wasn't trying to be hurtful. So I always make sure they are not out of the cage together. They are let loose for exercise daily in a room with the cats locked out. But Keeba still loves them he will sit under the dresser they are on and meow to ask to be picked up and shown them. It is very cute. But he is very polite and well behaved about it. He used to even lay by their cage sometimes.

The birds are not smart and love the cats too much. They will call to them and if a cat is near the cage will eat their fur lol. So if your small animal is not wary it can be worse lol

I've only had the rats a week now but it is the same. They were super interested at first. But you just have to be firm- NO when they get too close to the cage. A water bottle also helps. As it is only been a week they are already bored, the rats are not new anymore and nothing cool is going on so they don't care lol. They will sit and watch every now and then but that is it. My Keeba will stare for hours same as with the birds lol but still far enough away to make me feel comfortable. 


During the day while I am home the birds on a high dresser that the cats will not jump on. The rats are in the main room I will be in and I keep close attention to where everyone is lol. At night my birds go into a different room and the rats are on top of the dresser in the bedroom. I just do not trust the cats yet plus I think the tails flip out of the cage bars might seem too irresistible for curious kitties. I would definitely lock them in a room alone if you are not home or at night though. Atleast for a while until you can be sure how your cats will act.

I am always against them being free around each other no matter how nice or calm the cat is. It is just their instinct to swat or pounce on things. Not even in a mean attack way but just to play even. And it just takes one moment for a big possibly deadly accident to happen.


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## A.ngelF.eathers

NJHeart2Heart said:


> ...if I do get rats, hubby himself (who's not all "in" at the thought of pet rats at this point) suggested putting their littler box in basment (with open door access), and then keeping rats in spare room. Spare room is small with a door, so could house them there with closed door, and when the time comes, we could even use that as their "free time" space, while cats are outside the door.....
> Dawn in NJ


Sounds like a good idea. Plus, moving the litter box away will be better for the people in the house. As clean as I kept my litter box, I didn't know what clean air was until I put it out of my room.



moonkissed said:


> I have 3 cats, 2 parakeets and 2 rats lol.


Don't know if you've ever had rats before but from what I understand, they more or less think birds are a snack. Just a heads-up, just in case.


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