Attacking my rats...

katthevamp

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My one cat isn't a problem. I had to get harsh with him a few times (Don'tt know any other way) and he leaves them alone.

My other cat, however, is not working. This little stinker will still jump up oin the cage, even when we're right there. Picking him up, spanking him, and throwing him out isn't working, and is ruining the relationship. So, I need something else, and have no idea of what else to do. I don't want to continue to do it, but the rats deserve to to be hassled.
 

goldenkitty45

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Rats are prey animals. Cats are hunters. Some cats have very strong hunting instincts. The only solution is to keep the rats in one room where the cats cannot go.

IMO its wrong to discipline a cat for doing natural things.
 
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katthevamp

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Rats are prey animals. Cats are hunters. Some cats have very strong hunting instincts. The only solution is to keep the rats in one room where the cats cannot go.

IMO its wrong to discipline a cat for doing natural things.
Which is why I don't want to do it. If I had another room, I'd put the rats in there. I don't thow. It's A. the basement, wich has no door, my sister's room, who is the problem cat's person, my room, wich is connected to my sister's room and has no door, the living/dining room, the bathroom, or my mom's room, and she couldn't stand them in there.

*Sigh* If only the cats could be more like my dog: I wil chase an outside cat if I get the chance, but these cats live here and I can't chase them.
 

white cat lover

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Spanking, yelling, etc at the cat does nothing, but make the cat hate you (which causes other issues - like inappropriate elimination, attacking people, etc).

Can you find a more "cat safe" housing solution for the rats, such as a tank with a lid?

I have a gerbil - I also have 8 cats - most of which survived outdoors on their own (no humans feeding them) for years. My cats would LOVE to eat my gerbil, however, they are unable to get in the tank.
 
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katthevamp

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Originally Posted by white cat lover

Spanking, yelling, etc at the cat does nothing, but make the cat hate you (which causes other issues - like inappropriate elimination, attacking people, etc).

Can you find a more "cat safe" housing solution for the rats, such as a tank with a lid?

I have a gerbil - I also have 8 cats - most of which survived outdoors on their own (no humans feeding them) for years. My cats would LOVE to eat my gerbil, however, they are unable to get in the tank.
They've got wire mesh covering thier cages and blankets for at night. The rats are safe, but i'd still prefer if they weren't scared out of thier little minds on a daily bais, or my cats scared out of his little mind by P'Oed family memebers.
 

white cat lover

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There's not much you can do. Cats are predatory animals. You just live with the fact.
 

carolina

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Originally Posted by katthevamp

My one cat isn't a problem. I had to get harsh with him a few times (Don'tt know any other way) and he leaves them alone.

My other cat, however, is not working. This little stinker will still jump up oin the cage, even when we're right there. Picking him up, spanking him, and throwing him out isn't working, and is ruining the relationship. So, I need something else, and have no idea of what else to do. I don't want to continue to do it, but the rats deserve to to be hassled.
Please please do not spank and throw your cat anymore - you are afraid of your rats being scared of the cats, and they can't even touch them... Can you just think how you are scaring your cat by actually spanking him? It doesn't work, and yes, it will ruin your relationship with the cat; I must say, rightly so...
 

cococat

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My cat would love to get my reptiles. So I have to keep them in another room.
Perhaps you can build a shelf to put the rat cage in which the cats cannot have any way to get on it?
Or make a small hole to place the rat cage in perfectly so they cannot get to it. Or build a sizable enclosure around the rat cage so the rats don't feel threatened. Or cover the rat cage completely with a flannel sheet and clamp the lid on tight so there is no way for cats to get it open.
 

ut0pia

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I'd just put the rats in a room where the cat doesn't go and keep it closed..
 

tweetykiss

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Originally Posted by cococat

My cat would love to get my reptiles. So I have to keep them in another room.
Perhaps you can build a shelf to put the rat cage in which the cats cannot have any way to get on it?
Or make a small hole to place the rat cage in perfectly so they cannot get to it. Or build a sizable enclosure around the rat cage so the rats don't feel threatened. Or cover the rat cage completely with a flannel sheet and clamp the lid on tight so there is no way for cats to get it open.
Not to get off topic here, but what reptiles do you have?
 

forensic

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Quite honestly my cat was more at risk from the rats than the other way around.

After they figured out the cat couldn't get them they'd siddle up to the bars and nip the cat's paws or nose and then dart back to safety.

The cat eventually left them alone.
 

zane's pal

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The whole reason why humans first invited cats into their homes in the first place was to keep the human's homes rodent-free. You are messing with the natural order of things.
 

goldenkitty45

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Growing up I had cats, dogs, birds, fish, rabbits, hamsters, lizards, and turtles. BUT never at the same time. The cats and dogs were not around the small prey animals. The hamsters/lizards were owned when there was no cats/dogs in the house.

Our house was pretty peaceful and never had to worry about some pet being eaten by a predator.

I'd love to have a hamster or lizard again, but not with 3 cats who would stop at nothing to have them for lunch!
 

GoldyCat

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You might try putting something on the rat cage that kitty doesn't like, e.g. bitter apple spray. You'd need to do some research first, though. I don't know how that would affect the rats.
 

forensic

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Bitter apple has the same effect on rats as cats. (icky taste) But I see NO problem with keeping rats and cats at the same time. We've messed with the natural order of things to the point where cats and rats can learn to tolerate each other...
 

sheena13

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This sounds more like sibling rivalry than anything else.
Please remember that the cat is an innocent bystander with a natural desire to kill small furry things. The cat is NOT your sister. Don't take it out on the cat. Don't hit the cat! It's abuse. Are either of you old enough to move out yet?
 

emmylou

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We haven't altered the order of things... for cats, rodents are food. The instances where cats and rodents get along are exceptions (usually due to them being raised together as babies, or having an individual cat with a low prey drive), not the norm.

So, yes, you'll have to separate them in different rooms (or homes) to achieve peace. The cat is doing what he's supposed to do and shouldn't be punished for it. Basically, what you're asking of him is akin to asking me to be friends with a hamburger.
 

satai

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Originally Posted by carolinalima

Please please do not spank and throw your cat anymore - you are afraid of your rats being scared of the cats, and they can't even touch them... Can you just think how you are scaring your cat by actually spanking him? It doesn't work, and yes, it will ruin your relationship with the cat; I must say, rightly so...
Originally Posted by white cat lover

Spanking, yelling, etc at the cat does nothing, but make the cat hate you (which causes other issues - like inappropriate elimination, attacking people, etc).
This!

Hitting your cat will NOT deter the cat, and may well cause additional behavioral problems.

Cats are not dogs, they are not humans; there is no ambigity there - hitting them will not cause them to alter their behavior, it will only cause them to see you as a threat to them.

If you cannot find some way of establishing some kind of neutrality, or a isolated place for the rats, then the responsible thing to do would be consider rehoming either the rats or the cat/s.

Creating harmony is likely impossible for reasons other members have pointed out. Rats and cats don't co-exist naturally, and cats and rats getting along in a household is more the exception than the rule. You can't make your cat not hassle the rats; you may be able to try to train them to ignore them, but it's not something I know how to do or would expect to have a high degree of success.
 

zane's pal

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Originally Posted by Satai

Creating harmony is likely impossible for reasons other members have pointed out. Rats and cats don't co-exist naturally, and cats and rats getting along in a household is more the exception than the rule. You can't make your cat not hassle the rats; you may be able to try to train them to ignore them, but it's not something I know how to do or would expect to have a high degree of success.
Cats eat rats. That is how God made them. Get used to it.
 

spudsmom

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Originally Posted by emmylou

We haven't altered the order of things... for cats, rodents are food. The instances where cats and rodents get along are exceptions (usually due to them being raised together as babies, or having an individual cat with a low prey drive), not the norm.

So, yes, you'll have to separate them in different rooms (or homes) to achieve peace. The cat is doing what he's supposed to do and shouldn't be punished for it. Basically, what you're asking of him is akin to asking me to be friends with a hamburger.
So true! My son and his girlfriend have an awesome rat. have never been a fan, but this rat has changed my mind....she is soooo sweet.
I gave them a kitten several months ago and that cat and rat are best friends. They have an older cat (who also doesn't bother the rat) but doesn't want to play with the kitten. So the kitten and the rat have become playmates. I would never have beleived it without seeing it myself. I do know not it's not the norm, but it's possible.

BUT....throwing, hitting the kitty...that will solve nothing but make the cat scared and mistrustful of you. Maybe a squirt bottle, but you might never elimainate the danger of kitty wanting to do what it pre-programmed to do.

gOOD LUCK!
 
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