Question about Rats and Cats

[Fireside_Hindu]

Hello!

I have a question about keeping rats and cats in the same house. I know that it is possible and people do it all the time but here is my question, because we already have two cats and I'm thinking of getting rats.

Even if I keep the rats in a separate room, I assume they will always be able to smell the cats. Is this going to cause them to live in absolute terror? I don't want to torture the poor things.

 

[Islington]

Hello Fireside, I have a friend, my old flatemate, who keeps both rats and snakes. Now, this isn't the same type of predators but maybe it'll help?
The rats weren't scared at all of the snakes, in fact they were pretty curious of them. That is because she was always careful of the rats not getting any "misadventure" with her snakes. Rats are curious creatures, that enjoy exploration, stimulation, playing, but they also need their moment of peace and a space where they know they won't be bothered.

With your cats, it depends mostly on their personality -whether they're more hunter or couch potatoes. If they seem pretty uninterested by the rats, they should live pretty peacefully. However, if your cats are more the type to stalk them all day long, and try to get them through the cage, I would advice against getting rats.

 

[buddhist]

Depends on the cats and the rats ...

 

[Madhuri]

I don't know if there will be a problem if they are kept apart but there probably will be if they are exposed to each other. I know that some pets can get along but in the case of cats and rats, they would most likely have to have been brought up together otherwise the likely scenario is that the cats will kill them.

 

[satyaroop]

unless you get some bandicoot rats (called the lesser bandicoot rat), then your cats will think twice about messing around with them , no I'm just fooling around, you can't keep these as pets!
a blurry childhood memory of mine, I chased and cornered one, it then growled or grunted at me, I took off quickly and i don't think I chased them anymore

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

Thanks everyone for the response so far.

To clarify, our two cats have a pretty strong prey drive so my intention was always to keep them in a separate room. I doubt I could even monitor them closely enough if they were in the same room. So my main concern was just whether the smell of the cats on me or in the house in general would freak them out.

I've had a few responses from people who say that as long as the rats are raised with cats, they are accustomed to their smell and it won't alarm them later. So the key would be to get rats from a breeder that socializes them with cats rather than a pet store rat. However anyone else with input on this please comment as I"m still researching.

 

[ShivaFan]

Sometimes if the environment of Hindu Spirit and Spiritualism is ALIVE in the presence of your realm then the most amazing commingling can occur. I once lived in a place where other Hindus would come to my home, over time little mice became residence. These mice would come out and line up before some idol or God Picture as we would sing bhajans, I would play my guitar and we would sing, the little mice would come from some place and literally line up and watch. We would all laugh!

There were examples later when then birds would gather - and then FLY INTO THE OPEN DOOR. Come inside for a bit and then leave. We would be AMAZED!

It seems it is possible even though these are not cats and rats examples.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

Sometimes if the environment of Hindu Spirit and Spiritualism is ALIVE in the presence of your realm then the most amazing commingling can occur. I once lived in a place where other Hindus would come to my home, over time little mice became residence. These mice would come out and line up before some idol or God Picture as we would sing bhajans, I would play my guitar and we would sing, the little mice would come from some place and literally line up and watch. We would all laugh!

There were examples later when then birds would gather - and then FLY INTO THE OPEN DOOR. Come inside for a bit and then leave. We would be AMAZED!

It seems it is possible even though these are not cats and rats examples.

That's amazing, Shivafan ji! Sounds like you a regular Snow White! Or Sita Maa for that matter - always communing with the animals like it's second nature. =)