The Student Room Group

Kitten going after my Hamster

So I adopted a kitten the other day and at the moment I'm having to keep it in my room along with my hamster. The kitten seems very interested in the hamster so I'm really worried about leaving them along together. I've heard that if I spray the kitten with water when he goes near the cage (without him seeing me) that he'll stop. Will this actually work and does anyone have any tips/tricks? Thank you :biggrin:

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Reply 1
Cats going for rodents is something built in deep. I've never attempted to stop a cat going for a rodent, but it might work, I suppose. You may as well give it a go, but I doubt it'll ever stop being interested in the hamster.
rodents , birds up to pigeon size and fish are natural prey for Felis Catus and other small felinae therefore said kitten is going to be interested, you may be able to socialise him away from the place where the hamster cage is ...
It's dinner! You can get it to stay away while you're there but cats aren't obedient by nature, they'll do whatever the hell they want. Good luck anyway.
Reply 4
Search the net for something (non-toxic!) cats don't like the smell/taste of and smear it on the cage bars?
Original post by Mm_Minty
Search the net for something (non-toxic!) cats don't like the smell/taste of and smear it on the cage bars?


Citronella oil or anything that smells orangey/lemoney.
Reply 6
Original post by whitepearlbaby
It's dinner! You can get it to stay away while you're there but cats aren't obedient by nature, they'll do whatever the hell they want. Good luck anyway.


I experienced the same. I hate my cat for being disobedient. She even does not care about my water pistol. She jumps on the table and steals food allthough she is getting enough and was never allowed to go on the table anyway. She is making me crazy.:mad:

I would put the hamster into another room or somewhere she can´t reach it. Otherwise she will play with it or kill it. I would never dare to put a hamster into the same room as my cat.

I don´t know if it makes any difference with a kitten but I would doubt that. Cats are beasts and resistent to learning what you might tell them. :wink:
My cats kept going after our guinea-pigs so in the end we put the cage on top of some drawers and we spread a towel over the top so that they couldn't see in. They left them alone when they realised they couldn't get onto the drawers and couldn't see them due to the towel :proud:

This should work with your hamster
My cats were always interested in my hamster, and the one always used to sit on the top of her cage watching her...

...until little Button decided to fight back, bit her paw through the bars, and she never sat there again :biggrin:

Cats are gits, though, as much as I love them. All you can do is fool them, rather than try and train them!
Reply 9
Original post by Willum Infanta
My cats kept going after our guinea-pigs so in the end we put the cage on top of some drawers and we spread a towel over the top so that they couldn't see in. They left them alone when they realised they couldn't get onto the drawers and couldn't see them due to the towel :proud:

This should work with your hamster


Do you mean putting a towel over the cage so that the cat does not see them? Poor Guinea pigs being isolated and hidden due to a nasty cat.

I would keep the cat out of the room. cats cand move freely in the whole flat but poor guinea pigs don´t. They are mostly locked in their cage because you never could let them run with the cat . The cat would go after them.
Original post by Cynthi007
Do you mean putting a towel over the cage so that the cat does not see them? Poor Guinea pigs being isolated and hidden due to a nasty cat.

I would keep the cat out of the room. cats cand move freely in the whole flat but poor guinea pigs don´t. They are mostly locked in their cage because you never could let them run with the cat . The cat would go after them.


Well there was a gap round the sides because we intentionally picked a smallish towel so the piggies could see some light, but it was at the top because although it was a pretty big height for a cat, they could still jump up...but there being a towel in place they couldn't exactly try and jab at them through the bars.
Some of the responses lead me to believe that people genuinely think cats are supposed to be 'toys' that aren't supposed to have natural predatory instincts :facepalm:

Anyway, I would simply apply some lemon juice to the area around the cage or move it into another room. Besides that, there's not a huge amount you can do, although I personally don't see much point in keeping a hamster.
(edited 13 years ago)
Reply 12
Original post by jumpingjesusholycow
Some of the responses lead me to believe that people genuinely think cats are supposed to be 'toys' that aren't supposed to have natural predatory instincts :facepalm:

Anyway, I would simply apply some lemon juice to the area around the cage or move it into another room. Besides that, there's not a huge amount you can do, although I personally don't see much point in keeping a hamster.


Irrelevant

Ummm, just because you don't want your cat to attack your hamster doesn't mean you are treating it like a toy. I don't let my labradors attack cats or jump in the lake whenever they want. It may be instinctual to them but it's certainally not convenient. I think the OP and other posters realise that cats have natural instincts :facepalm: at your :facepalm:

Anyway, your cat is going to be interested in your hamster, so you'll just have to keep it out of reach and the cage secure.
Reply 13
Troll thread!
Original post by BritishRose
The kitten seems very interested in the hamster so I'm really worried about leaving them along together.


Ah, young animal love! Just make sure that the kitten is neutered and they should be fine...

Oh wait. Never mind.
Original post by Cinamon
Irrelevant

Ummm, just because you don't want your cat to attack your hamster doesn't mean you are treating it like a toy. I don't let my labradors attack cats or jump in the lake whenever they want. It may be instinctual to them but it's certainally not convenient. I think the OP and other posters realise that cats have natural instincts :facepalm: at your :facepalm:

Anyway, your cat is going to be interested in your hamster, so you'll just have to keep it out of reach and the cage secure.


I claimed that people seem to view cats as toys because people genuinely seem to be flabbergasted that cats just might have natural instincts. I wasn't telling the OP to unleash the cat on her hamster, I was putting out the message that all animals will naturally seek out prey if it is in their instinct to do so. The fact that they have this instinct does not mean that they are bad animals as I'm sure your aware, but some of the people on this thread seem resentful of the fact that cats have predatory instinct.

The reason I said 'I don't see the point in keeping a hamster' is because I don't see what enjoyment is to be had keeping an animal within a cage with only a small amount of room to run around in simply for the sake of picking it up once every while. I wouldn't do it to a dog, I don't see why a hamster's freedom is any less of a big deal.
(edited 13 years ago)
Reply 16
Original post by jumpingjesusholycow
I claimed that people seem to view cats as toys because people genuinely seem to be flabbergasted that cats just might have natural instincts. I wasn't telling the OP to unleash the cat on her hamster, I was putting out the message that all animals will naturally seek out prey if it is in their instinct to do so. The fact that they have this instinct does not mean that they are bad animals as I'm sure your aware, but some of the people on this thread seem resentful of the fact that cats have predatory instinct.

The reason I said 'I don't see the point in keeping a hamster' is because I don't see what enjoyment is to be had keeping an animal within a cage with only a small amount of room to run around in simply for the sake of picking it up once every while. I wouldn't do it to a dog, I don't see why a hamster's freedom is any less of a big deal.


Are people really flabbergasted?

They are mostly locked in their cage because you never could let them run with the cat . The cat would go after them.


My cats kept going after our guinea-pigs


Cats going for rodents is something built in deep


People are just describing ways to stop the cat from killing the hamster, not that they are bad animals for wanting to.

And just to add.... the size of a hamster cage is comparable to the size of the area a dog has to roam downstairs in relation to size, and hamster excersise balls are comparable to dog walks... just saying.
Get a dog?
Original post by Cinamon
Are people really flabbergasted?


Yes. Quote. "Cats are gits" Unquote.






And just to add.... the size of a hamster cage is comparable to the size of the area a dog has to roam downstairs in relation to size, and hamster excersise balls are comparable to dog walks... just saying.


Just to add, there's nothing particularly moral about keeping a dog contained within the parameters of a downstairs area either. Ironically, the biggest animal lovers are those who believe animals shouldn't be kept in captivity, regardless of how 'cute and fluffy' they are.
(edited 13 years ago)
Film it and post it after round 1:borat:

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