EEK? Intro to another animal? Or are they sick?

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M

Molly&Binx'sMum

Active Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2007
Messages
29
Location
Kent, Ohio, USA
I know I only come on here when I'm stressed out about a question, so: Sorry! I do like the site and everyone here, I swear! :heart:

So here's the big ol' complicated deal.

About three weeks back I noticed Binx was squeaking a little when she sniffed. I worried it might be something respiratory, so we went to the vet. Vet said it didn't sound like much, but gave me anti-biotics for both of them just in case. Forced the meds (that was fun) for the full ten days. Molly never showed any symptoms, and Binx's squeak never went away. They've been eating and playing normally, so I thought maybe the noise is just 'cuz Binx is a fattie.

Here's where it gets complicated.

Last night when my husband came home from work, a little black cat came tearing in the door with him. We fed her some tuna and scritched her a bit, and I told him to take her back out. I went to the living room and she darted in before me and jumped up on the couch. (The rattie play couch, mind you.) We put her out with a blanket & some food and she proceeded to cry on the porch all night.

I came in, changed clothes, washed up, and gave the ratties their dinner. We always play after dinner, but they would NOT come out of the cage. I didn't force them, but tried again this morning. I took them out against their will since they NEED their free-range time usually (they've NEVER turned it down before). They hit the couch and scattered. Binx hid behind the cushion and Molly would NOT come out from behind the couch. She's never run from me like that before.

What's more, when I just went to feed her, she did this weird jerky up & down movement with her head. Almost like she was yelling at me, but I might be projecting.

So: Do they smell the cat (even though they've never met another animal in their entire lives) and fear it? Or is this a symptom of whatever illness they've been coming down with? Can I keep the cat in the basement until I can get her to the vet and hope the rats get used to her smells?

WHAT IS GOING ON AND WHAT DO I DO!?!?!?!?!?! :yikes:

I want to help this kitty, but not if she's making my rats psycho. Or are they sick and all three of them (cat and rats) need the vet? HELP!

p.s. Anyone ever successfully introduce a cat to rats? Just wondering.
 
Hi!!
No worries about coming here only when you need help, heck, that means all is well with your sweeties and that makes me happy.

Your girls are indeed smelling the cat. They will need to get used to the smell and realize there's no danger when they are out. There are plenty of people that have cats and rats. I don't recommend socializing the two species, especially not with a kitten but both cat and rats will soon learn their place in the home and should be happy again.
 
Thanks. I'm torn with such guilt! :no:
I don't want my girls to be upset, but I feel so bad for that kitty. Maybe the landlord will suddenly say "No cats!" :rant3: :lol6: :rant2: and I won't have a choice. Away she'll have to go....

If not, anyone have an estimate on how long acclimation might take? Anyone have rats bounce back in a day? That'd be great..... I'm guessing we're talking weeks though, huh?
 
I did this although with me the kitten stayed in the bathroom all night. My girls totally knew there was something strange there and didn't know what to make of it and were on edge all night even after she left. They will get through it, just comfort them, give them some space let them settle down.
 
I've had some rats come out of it in a day, but never more than a week.
I try and keep my cats away from rats but once in a while one will sneak in the dining room, it doesn't take long for the rats to "forget" about the intruder.
 
I have two cats that are allowed in the same room as my girls' cage. When my rats first come to me, they're pretty freaked out by the cats and their noises and smells. After a while, though, they relax, and even taunt the cats, since they know the cats can't get to their cage. My newest girls have been with me since September, and for the most part they're used to the cats. Every once in a while, when I have their cage door open and a cat comes by to do figure eights around my ankles the rats will get a bit edgy.

If your rats have never seen or smelled a cat before, their instincts would be sounding some big alarms that there's a predator around. As Jo said, they should be perfectly fine soon.
 
Don't feel guilty! The cat can't help being a cat any more than the rats can help being rats. They're all there for the same reason, you want to protect them and give them lives.

I only have one cat-rat situation to speak of. I'd had my cat (and she was an only 'kid' too) for years when my 1st rats came. I would sit on the couch with the ratties and she would sit on the floor close to the couch and I would let them get close but with my hand poised over the cat and watching her tail. I'd hiss and yell 'NO' anytime she moved to touch noses and of course she's back off right away. After a few sessions she showed more interest in getting my attention and pats away from them. So she got them. She became uninterested in them unless they got too close then she was just uncomfortable.
Then I had open rattie cages for years and she never showed any interest in them even when they were out of cage in play space, and 1st time someone fell on the floor and came looking for me she was behind them - protectively, not a danger.
I've heard that cats do understand the difference between family & prey.

That's just my Sierra. I've seen photos & heard stories of cats & rats actually becoming friends & even snuggle-buddies. It happens, part personality & part teaching I would think.
You'd have to be perched ready to protect (not just the rattie but the kitty too as rattie could make the the 1st strike) when they are together, and not trust too soon.
Your kids might even get over their fear of the strange smell sooner if they saw where it came from. Sometimes it's 'the devil you know versus the devil you don't'
But I admit none of my ratties ever showed fear of the cat-scent like that....
 
I would say that the cat buddying up with the rats is very unusual, and I would never take it for granted. Cats are just waaay too instinctual and even a friendly slap of a paw at a quick movement could seriously hurt a rat. :(

Give your rats time, do not let them Meet tho. Cat goes in the bathroom when the rats come out, etc.

I helped a girl on another forum, whose formerly friendly girls started hiding and acting incredibly frightened. After a lot of questions I realized she had just moved and even though the rats were used to the cats smell, covering the blanket on the bed that the rats/cats normally are on, made the difference. The move put them back into uncertain territory, which made the cats predators again. :(

I had a sweet black stray here as well, but I rehomed him because the rats were here first and they were absolutely petrified. :(
 
I would never suggest that someone allow any predatory animal anywhere near your rats. Things happen entirely too quickly and you can't always get between them in time. Yes, there are a few stories of people having animals coexist with supposedly no problem, but all it takes in one moment when you're not paying full attention. I hear far more stories of horrible accidents occurring with other household pets than not.

Getting your animals acclimated to each other is one thing. Having the rats not worry about the cat, and the cat not be so interested in the rats, is good. Trying to get them to be friends is extremely dangerous.
 
Just an update:

Took the cat to the vet today and he's perfectly healthy. (Oh, yeah, apparently I can't sex cats. It's totally a boy!) Looks like he may have had fleas, so we gave him a flea/heartworm treatment, de-worming pill, rabies shot, and his first round of vaccines. He's back in the basement tonight and tomorrow I'll give him a bath. I'm looking for a good home for him (so if anyone knows someone looking for an incredibly sweet year old kitty, gimme a ring!). Hopefully I'll find one in the next few days. I'm even offering to go halvsies with whoever takes him on the rest of his shots and neutering.

Another bright note is that Molly happily came out to play today. She's my alpha right now so I think Binx was waiting for a report before venturing out. (Or she was just waiting to see if Molly would get eaten! :twisted: ) Molly scoped out the whole living room and then started her daily dry noodle-hide which is her favorite food game ever. So I think she's gonna be ok. And Binx does whatever Molly does, but slower, so.... YAY!

I'm hoping that if I can't find a home for Mr. Cat that I'll be able to work out a system for keeping him in the house but away from the girls. Barbed wire maybe? :wink: So far he's been really mellow so it might just work.

Thanks for all the advice and support guys! You kept me in my head when I was freakin' out about my babies! :urock: :thanks:
 
Aw, shucks! I've just learned so much about animals in need this last year (especially from people like Vanessa on myspace!) that it hurts me to see how often they're neglected. Not to mention the MASSIVE overpopulation from strays left to their own devices. This kitty fell into our lives for a reason and I want to make sure that even if he goes back out, we're both better for it, 'ya know?
Here endeth the after-school special.

P.S. :eek:fftopic: (I couldn't end a message without at least one emoticon.)
 
That's what my husband does to the ratties! He thinks it's so funny to say "I'm gonna eat you! mwarm mwarm" by their cage. Then they run over and groom his face- I mean "attack back." It's adorable- in a very manly and rough way, of course. :wink2:
 
Cats and rats... i don't trust my cat around my rats at all. My 2 older boys are not afraid of any dogs or people but they run for the hills when they see the cat - i'm sure it's very instinctual. They get very anxious if the cat is in the rat room when they are out on the counters and will hind.
Just my experiences...
 
Make sure you watch your rats for fleas or mites. When that cat came into my house I am pretty sure that's how my rats got mites (I knew the cat had fleas and a larger white bug).
 
Most parasites are species specific, and generally mites are microscopic and generally species specific. Lice, on the other hand, are visible, but again are species specific. Fleas can be a concern if the other animal is heavily infested and allowed access to the same areas as the rats.
 

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