# Can I introduce my rat to my new kitten?



## jessyyyissiqqq (Feb 7, 2011)

I'm not sure where this topic should go so move it if needed. My moms boyfriend's cat just had kittens and I'm getting one in a few weeks when it's weaned off it's mom, is it safe to introduce him/her to my rats? It's really small and tailless, and I know I've seen pics of peoples rats playing with their dogs or cats on here.. The one I'm getting is also the smallest one of the litter and the mom's also just really small. My rats cages are both in my room and they're the only animals I have right now. I'm just wondering if it'd be a bad idea, but also I know that my mom's boyfriend has a lot of dogs and other cats and he says that the dogs all protect the kittens and lick them like they're their own. So it's already gonna be used to other animals. Is it okay?


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## Snippet (Dec 30, 2010)

Don't introduce your kitten to your rats. Cats are predators, and rats are prey. It only takes seconds for your cat to seriously injure or kill your rat. I just don't think it's worth the risk.


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## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

As a young kitten, yes, you may and should introduce them under close supervision. The kitten needs to learn they are not playthings at a young age. Once it's bigger, they should never have out of cage contact. The cat should know never to touch them while they're in the cage and it is good if he knows that about them being out of it as well.

To teach the kitten, hold onto it at all times, scold when it tries to play with a rat, distract it, and if a rat seems agressive, allow it to be agressive to the cat. I've had my rats bite dogs and cats before, and the dogs/cats respect them now. It sounds cruel, but allowing them to hiss and jump and fluff and scare the cat is a good thing, because it will be wary of them as an adult and leave them be if one ever gets loose by accident.

Don't do this with adult cats, too easy for something to go wrong, but a just weaned kitten is at a learning age and is easy to control.


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## ratfan06 (Dec 31, 2010)

I do not agree with that at ALL! You want the kitten to accept the rat, not be afraid of it. I know what a rat bite can do and a tiny kitten doesn't need to be bitten by an aggressive rat. If the rat is trying to attack the kitten, you separate them. I had a rat who bit my mother's finger down to the bone. Years later, you can still see the indentation. Can you imagine if that had been a kitten's toe or face? 

Introductions can be done, but must be done carefully. I always started by holding the rat in one hand and the kitten in the other. Let them sniff each other, but not close enough to make contact and see how they do. Is the kitten TOO interested? Is the rat showing nervousness or aggression? If either of these are the case, I stop for the moment. If they're both calm and relaxed, you can continue. They may be good right away or it may take time, but it can be done successfully. Good luck if you try.


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## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

I've only ever had my rats near other animals by accident and agression/fear saved thier lives. 

I didn't mean to let the rat bite the cat by any means, but to show agression, I am okay with, because in the end a bit of wariness can save the rat..you don't know how the cat will act as an adult. One of mine is fearful, and the other is prey driven and will hunt anything, even rats, and has killed my pets before, even opening a cage to release the contents and kill it. She stuck a paw by my rat cage and they jumped the bars and frightened her, and she no longer tries to put her paws inside the cage. She sits by it, but keeps body parts out of biting rage, and that's what I want from her. I have also been badly bitten by my own rats, because I tried to set one on my bed, where my cat was sleeping. I didn't know it until the rat flipped out..so if you try to intro them how ratfan said, wear gloves.

That way is probably "better" but I don't want my pets to be willing to risk nearness to the rats, or to the chickens, etc, at all. I've lost rats to my dog and she acts as if she would destroy a chicken given the chance, and we do not want to give her that chance. Fear is the only way for us to keep the cats away, and to keep the dog away from the rats. That's the one place she refuses to listen and if something happened and we werent there..it would be instant death.

Respect is better but don't EVER trust the cat around the rats.


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## jessyyyissiqqq (Feb 7, 2011)

Ratfan- yeah that's what I was going to do. I mean just to see their reactions, and if it seems to go well I'll keep doing it and eventually put them both down in front of me on my bed, when they already know eachother and just see how it goes,of course they're always going to be supervised even if I trusted them completely and they were licking eachother or something, just because it's not worth the risk and plus my rats only have supervised playtime on my bed anyway. Or unsupervised in my closed closet, it's like a little rat room in there for them haha. So either way they'll never be alone together no matter what. And also I'm getting the kitten in a few weeks, right after it's weaned, and where it lives now it's with a bunch of different animals. If it diesn;t work out I can always arrange something different with my rat cages so that they won't be in contact with the kitten and when they have playtime I'll just shut my door. But it's worth a try anyway!


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