INTRODUCTION

Many times we have seen pictures or videos of cats interacting amicably with small rodents, especially hamsters. This can be very cute and many people believe that animals are how you raise them and do not believe in the nature of each animal (nor the genetic selection behind each breed) which leads to neglect.

CAN CATS GET ALONG WITH OTHER PETS?

First of all we have to be clear that cats are sociable and very nice animals in their great majority, being able to create bonds of friendship and love with their humans and other animals of the same or other species, but we cannot forget that cats are predators (and strict carnivores) and many times we can fall into ‘Disney’ or ‘idealised’ mentalities.

CATS ARE PREDATORS, RODENTS ARE PREY.

If you have decided to have cats and rodents together in your home, it is essential to be realistic. Extraordinary friendships between different species of animals are wonderful and they do exist, but they are very rare.
However, don't assume either that your cat will welcome small prey as family members or that your rodents will not be afraid of the predatory feline. For, although domestic cats have lived with humans for centuries, that's exactly what they are: predators.

Rodents of all sizes are prey, and hamsters, gerbils and mice in particular are especially vulnerable. As for small domestic rodents that have grown up with us from babies at home and have seen our cats from the beginning, if the cat has seen them through the enclosure in which they live (no contact, just watching them and not being aggressive towards them) our hamsters will be even more vulnerable, because they have grown up thinking that this large and ‘dangerous’ animal is harmless, has never done anything to them and will not run away at first because they do not know that they have to run away.

BE RESPONSIBLE

Leaving aside the last ‘idealised’ thoughts that animals are all beings of light that will always be just as you teach them, we have to be responsible and know what we can and cannot trust our pet for. The most responsible thing to do with our hamster is not to allow our cat to have contact with him, our hamster is small and fragile, he depends on us for everything and that includes his safety.

We should never put him together with them, never let him loose together for a second: not for a photo, not to show how good our cat is, not for anything. Not only can the cat seriously injure the hamster, but the hamster can suffer great stress and become ill as a result.

CONCLUSION

Cats and hamsters can live together in the same house, of course, having one does not preclude having the other but we have to be very responsible and do everything possible to ensure the welfare of the little hamster; not only do we have to provide quality food, a large and clean house and lots of love, but also make sure that other members of the family will not harm him. The cat will not do this maliciously, it is in its nature as a predator, but on the part of the owner it would be negligent, even if it is an (unintentional) accident.