Will a 3 month old kitten get along with small pets?

emilyasweetie

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I am getting a 3 month old kitten very soon, do you think it is a good idea to also get a small pet like hamster, guinnie pig or chinchinlla at the same time?

I think the kitten might be bored when no one's home, so i want to get a small pet to keep him entertained when he is alone...I am not planning to get another kitten at this time, but i might in the future... please give me some opinion

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goldenkitty45

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Well it may work out at first, but sooner or later the kitten's natural instinct will kick in and the little friend may wind up as lunch.

Ling was from barn cats - she was brought into the house at 5 weeks old (before mom taught her about hunting). However, I would never trust her with a small prey animal - as a kitten or adult. She WOULD kill it - her instinct is very strong
 
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emilyasweetie

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I am getting a 3 month old kitten very soon, do you think it is a good idea to also get a small pet like hamster, guinnie pig or chinchinlla at the same time? I will keep the small pet in the cage when i am not around...

I think the kitten might be bored when no one's home, so i want to get a small pet to keep him entertained when he is alone...I am not planning to get another kitten at this time, but i might in the future... please give me some opinion

THanks
 

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When we brought Kit home, we already had a hamster, Pumpkin. We kept them on separate floors at first, but once Kit figured out how to get up and down the stairs, there was really no keeping them separate.

I don't know that I would call them "friends," but we really haven't had the issues that I was expecting. Kit likes to watch Pumpkin; he'll sit by the cage for hours if we let him (at least, before we acquired the Christmas tree; now that's way more interesting to him!
) Pumpkin has absolutely NO fear of the cat. He'll come right to where Kit is sitting and climb the bars to say hi. Kit was actually afraid of HIM at first, backing away and arching up, doing his little backwards kitten-hop. It was quite amusing!

Kit will occasionally paw at the cage, but mostly he likes to watch. I don't feel as uneasy now as I did in the beginning. As long as Pumpkin is in his cage, I think he's safe, and Kit just likes to watch him.

I know a lot of people say DON'T DO IT, as far as having small pets and cats. But I think it can be done safely. I think it may depend largely on the personality of the animals, so I'm not sure if it's a gamble you'd want to take. But if you do it, I wish you luck
 

nekochan

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I would be a little nervous with a young kitten and something smaller, because kittens tend to play rough... However something like a ferret could work out. I know many people whose ferrets and cats are great friends, and it really helps if they are introduced at a young age (under supervision, of course.)
Hamsters and similar sized critters can be rather fragile and sharp kitten teeth/claws could hurt them...
 

strange_wings

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Cats are predators and hamsters, guinea pigs, and chinchillas are prey animals. The chance of a cat being any small prey animal's friend is unlikely.

This doesn't mean you can't have them, but you need a very secure cage and at best a room you can shut the door to keep the cat out of. Don't let any of these small animals down on the floor in the same room as a cat, a cat is much faster than you and can run right over and attack.
Try to discourage or prevent that cat from laying on or around cages, the smell can overly stress some small animals.

Read up on chinchillas before getting one - being a small exotic, their care is more involved than a hamster or guinea pig.
 
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emilyasweetie

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Thanks for all your reply..

My cat is a persian btw, will that make any differences?
I thought it could work if i introduce them at a very young age, i dont think he has learned hunting from his mother yet, maybe he would consdier a guinea pig as his friend or something...
 
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emilyasweetie

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Originally Posted by strange_wings

Cats are predators and hamsters, guinea pigs, and chinchillas are prey animals. The chance of a cat being any small prey animal's friend is unlikely.

This doesn't mean you can't have them, but you need a very secure cage and at best a room you can shut the door to keep the cat out of. Don't let any of these small animals down on the floor in the same room as a cat, a cat is much faster than you and can run right over and attack.
Try to discourage or prevent that cat from laying on or around cages, the smell can overly stress some small animals.

Read up on chinchillas before getting one - being a small exotic, their care is more involved than a hamster or guinea pig.
i agree with u, chinchilla would be the last choice, because i know they are not the easiest to maintian...i am considering guinea pigs...
 

white cat lover

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It's a natural instinct to kill small things.

I have kittens & a gerbil. They were born in a cage....and they still try to eat him. In fact, the semi-feral who literally had to fight for 3 years to live is less likely to try to eat the Gerbil than the kittens who've never had to fight for a meal.

I could see perhaps a rabbit or maybe a ferret getting along with a kitten, but if you do not want the kitten to be lonely, get another kitten. Hamsters, gerbil, or mice are too much like lunch for a kitten to be friends with & I wouldn't risk it, IMO.
 

strange_wings

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Originally Posted by emilyasweetie

My cat is a persian btw, will that make any differences?
Just because breeding has changed the physical appearance, it doesn't make your cat less of a cat. Though persians are supposed to be more laid back.

If you want a small animal as a pet, get it for yourself. It's your pet.... and you're your cat's pet?

As I mentioned already, your kitten may not hurt a smaller animal but the smell of a predator/natural enemy isn't good for a small animal.

I have several pet geckos...no way am I ever going to trust my cats, not even my big lazy one.
 

calicoprincess

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I have found that my cats get along really well with my rabbits. I know that a lot of people will say that cats are predators and rabbits are prey and therfore they should not be trusted together but I have not had a problem at all with my cats being agressive towards the rabbits. If anything, they were a little scared of them at first. They play together and cuddle together now though.

I think a few people have already said this and I am going to agree with them. the best playmate for a kitten is really another kitten. If you don't mind my asking, why are you willing to get your kitten a small animal friend but not a second kitten?
 
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emilyasweetie

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Originally Posted by CalicoPrincess

I have found that my cats get along really well with my rabbits. I know that a lot of people will say that cats are predators and rabbits are prey and therfore they should not be trusted together but I have not had a problem at all with my cats being agressive towards the rabbits. If anything, they were a little scared of them at first. They play together and cuddle together now though.

I think a few people have already said this and I am going to agree with them. the best playmate for a kitten is really another kitten. If you don't mind my asking, why are you willing to get your kitten a small animal friend but not a second kitten?
two cats are a bit too much for me right now as a first time cat owner, and i think it would be a bit crowded for having another cat where i am living right now.. having two cats would also mean twice the work, such as grooming, bathing...

I might get another one of the same kind next fall depending on how it goes with my current one...but not right now...

So i think small pets that are easy to maintain and dont require much space would be nice if they do get along with my kitten...


THanks!
 

harlowquin

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Get another kitten! I just got two. One is 3 months and the other is 4 months old. It was the best decision I ever made. They play together all day long and each wants to spend time with me in the evening. There is no difference in care with one or two. We have had no problems with scratching furniture or ripping things apart. They keep each other very busy.
 

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I don't think that would be fair for the smaller animal you would get. How would you like being stared at or messed with all day? Even when raised around smaller pets it is still not a good idea to trust a cat with them...sooner or later something bad will happen. Plus kittens grow fast so while the cat may be small now....don't count on it being that small for too long.
 

calicoprincess

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Originally Posted by emilyasweetie

two cats are a bit too much for me right now as a first time cat owner, and i think it would be a bit crowded for having another cat where i am living right now.. having two cats would also mean twice the work, such as grooming, bathing...

So i think small pets that are easy to maintain and dont require much space would be nice if they do get along with my kitten...


THanks!
Trinity was my first cat and about a month after I got her, Bentley showed up at my door. his showing up was actually the best thing that could have happened though. As soon as he came into the picture, Trinity became a little princess. Before he came around, she was a little terror. Two kittens really aren't much more work then one. Before Bentley, Trinity would latch herself onto my arms and legs trying to play. Bentley taught her what was too rough when it came to playtime. They also kept eachother company and out of trouble when I wasn't home.

If you do decide to go with another small pet, just be careful and be sure to do plenty of research before you get one. Some small pets are exoctics and because of that, they actually require more work and cost more to properly care for then a cat does.
 
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emilyasweetie

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Originally Posted by Kaylacat

I don't think that would be fair for the smaller animal you would get. How would you like being stared at or messed with all day? Even when raised around smaller pets it is still not a good idea to trust a cat with them...sooner or later something bad will happen. Plus kittens grow fast so while the cat may be small now....don't count on it being that small for too long.
Thanks for your advices....I havent decided wheather to get a small pet or not, it was just a thought, I wouldnt put another animal's life in danger just to entertain my cat...
 

pennyri

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i'm definitely new to cats, but if a persian is high maintenance groom-wise, maybe chosing a kitten that doesn't require as much combing and bathing would lessen the burden of having a second cat?
 

sharky

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two are not twice the work more like 1.25 times the work and sometimes less than one...

NO SMALL animals and CATS are not playmates... unless your thinking GIANT rabbit or small dog
 

forensic

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My cat sits and watches my rats, but I'd never consider the rats the cat's entertainment... If one of them ever got out, or Hennessy figured out how to get into the cage... Well...
 

addiebee

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Beating the same drum here.... two kittens are better than one, especially if you are gone all day. They will knock the bejeebers out of each other rather than one kitten saving up ALL its energy and unleashing it on YOU!!! Pouncing on you, biting your toes. etc.

AB
 
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