How to Keep a Hamster and a Cat

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posted on 7 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Hamsters and cats are both wonderful pets, but keeping both of them in the same house can pose some risks. Your cat naturally considers your hamster potential prey, so it’s important to keep your small friend away from your cat as much as possible. By getting your hamster a secure cage and keeping it in a room separate from your cat, you will give both of your pets their best chance of living together safely and happily.

Steps

Separating Your Pets

Get your hamster a secure habitat. Your cat’s instinct will be to treat your hamster as prey. To keep your cat away from your hamster, you will need a secure cage. Look for a habitat that is completely closed off with no open tops. The bars should also be too small for your cat to get their paws between them. Some hamster habitats have removable play features attached to the top. These can be easy for cats to knock off. Instead, look for a larger cage that can fit play features like tunnels and wheels inside of it. Make sure the cage has a latch that your cat can’t unfasten.

Keep your hamster in a room away from your cat. Even if your cat can’t physically reach your hamster, the sight of it around the cage could cause stress for your tiny friend. Think about setting up your hamster’s habitat in an area where your cat does not go frequently. You may choose to put your hamster behind closed doors in a bedroom or an office area that has doors you can close when you’re not there to keep your cat away.

Place the cage in a corner. Even if your cat is blocked off from your hamster most of the time, you want to make sure that the cage is in a place where it can’t be pushed. Place the cage in a corner on a stable surface such as a desk or heavy table. This way, if your cat does get near your hamster, it can’t get behind the cage and knock it down. Consider securing the cage to the wall or to a piece of furniture so that the cat can't knock it over.

Bringing your Hamster out of the Cage

Pet-proof the room. Before you take your hamster out of its cage, make sure the room is pet-proof. This should include putting something like a towel or blanket against the bottom of the door to keep your hamster from getting out, and prevent cat paws from coming under. Make sure to close off all doors and windows, and check for vents in the floor. Cover anything that your hamster could get into or fall down.

Set up a playpen. To help keep your hamster from escaping and getting near your cat, restrict out-of-cage time to a playpen. Many pet stores sell small pet playpens that will allow your hamster to get out and stretch without having access to escapable areas like doors and windows.

Spend time alone with your hamster. Hamsters bond with their people, so it’s important for them to get some alone time with you. Hold your hamster or let them climb on you. This will help reduce stress and let them know that they matter to you as much as your cat. Try to give your hamster at least an hour a day broken up into 15 or 20 minute increments throughout the day.

Using an Exercise Ball

Pick a ball with a secure lid. If you want to let your hamster out around your cat, you will need an exercise ball with a secure lid. Test out the lids before you buy a ball. Pull on them and turn them upside down to make sure the lid stays secure.

Put the hamster in the ball away from the cat. Having your hamster loose in front of your cat, even for a short amount of time, can be dangerous. Put your hamster in the ball in a closed room away from your cat. If you must let the cat in, don’t let it enter until the lid is securely on the ball. Your cat should ideally stay out of the room entirely while the hamster is in its ball. Only let the cat in the room if the cat shows no interest in the hamster. If the cat watches or chases the hamster, remove the cat immediately. Keeping the cat in the room or letting the cat interact with the hamster may be stressful for your hamster.

Limit time in the ball. In general, your hamster should spend no more than 15 to 20 minutes in its exercise ball. Your hamster should only be put in the exercise ball once a day, and all use should only be on a carpeted floor or restricted to a large rug.

Watch your cat closely. If your cat is stalking the exercise ball or if they start batting at it, they need to be separated from the hamster. Move the ball into a room where the cat can’t get to it, or block the cat from the area where your hamster is playing. Try not to put your hamster back in its cage, though. You don’t want to punish it for your cat’s actions.