Wanting to get a cat.

[Fchamel]

Hello Everyone!

My family and I are thinking about getting a cat dependent on what my dad says.

I feel like it's a big risk because of Carly. She is pretty high up off the ground, but I have a table that could go higher.

Do Any of you guys have cats with no problems? What do you do?

I may just make sure the cat won't get into the room Carly is in because it does have a door.

*Btw this is an old photo and the enclosure has since been updated*

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

All animals are individuals, and very often you don't know what's going to happen until... it happens.
Having a separate room with a door is a good idea. IDK that raising the enclosure will do much good; cats can climb screens at least as well as chameleons, and the cat we had could jump to the top of the refrigerator from the floor. Cats are excellent problem solvers; just think about all the ways Sylvester found to reach Tweety's cage!

Personally, in my mind it's an either/or—cat or chameleon. We went through this when we were younger trying to have a cat along with guinea pigs. The GPs became stressed, would not come out of their hide, and eventually had to be rehomed. The absurdity of the situation was the same cat would sit there and watch mice run back & forth, and never caught a single one.

 

[Fchamel]

I appreciate your feedback @Klyde O'Scope

 

[jamest0o0]

If it's in a separate room, sure get a cat. I have 2 and one of them is a large 17lb beast. I just keep the door shut. They don't bother him when I'm around, but of course I don't trust those sociopaths. I think it's ridiculous to say don't get one if you have another room and really want a cat. If you had a glass cage, secured to the wall along with secured lighting you could probably get away with having the cats around it even. not that I'd suggest that, but as a last resort.

Oh and btw cats are good for your immune system and pets reduce stress

 

[Highway61]

My cham's enclosure sits about 3' on a stand and is not in a room that has doors. I also have a a very chill cat that has no interest or curiosity about the enclosure and is clueless if anything lives inside it. By that's just me, YMMV.

 

[Mountain Dragon]

I have a dog and she’s really chill and she goes in the same room as the Cham and she does perfectly fine but a dog is not a cat. dogs are better thooooo

 

[Crossingtami]

I have dogs, cats, guinnea pigs, birds, and 2 chams. (Chams have their own bedroom). My cats do not bother or pay any attention to any of the cages/enclosures. I NEVER have the chams, piggies, or birds out of their cages if the cat is hanging out. A cat is a cat and it only takes a split second for a disaster to happen.

 

[Beman]

Yes, it can be done... Just do not trust the cat too much. Especially if you are getting a kitten. They are naturally going to get into everything and prey drive is normally quite a bit higher the younger they are. You have a separate room so that the cat can never get to the cham when your not home. I think this is key.

 

[dinomom]

All animals are individuals, and very often you don't know what's going to happen until... it happens.
Having a separate room with a door is a good idea. IDK that raising the enclosure will do much good; cats can climb screens at least as well as chameleons, and the cat we had could jump to the top of the refrigerator from the floor. Cats are excellent problem solvers; just think about all the ways Sylvester found to reach Tweety's cage!

Personally, in my mind it's an either/or—cat or chameleon. We went through this when we were younger trying to have a cat along with guinea pigs. The GPs became stressed, would not come out of their hide, and eventually had to be rehomed. The absurdity of the situation was the same cat would sit there and watch mice run back & forth, and never caught a single one.

A g pig is different, as it squeaks and runs around. My cat, who is a Bengal and will leap straight up four feet to snag a fly/stalk a spider for hours/go mental when our resident skunk goes by the door, completely ignores the chams. (that said...I only feed flies when cat is asleep in the other room)

Why is this...because chams are excellent at avoiding predation by freezing. Once or twice in the beginning, cat looked up at it, and then looked at me to see if she was going crazy when there was no further movement . Has never looked there again. Basically, if a cat can't chase it, it does not compute.

Is the cham nevertheless stressed by seeing a cat walking around the room? I honestly don't think so. Initially he would follow her with his eyes, now he does not bother.

My cat is an energetic, hunting breed and it works. If you want to feel more comfortable, you could get a breed that is known to be a lump. I used to have himalayans and they would have just sat there if a mouse ran over their backs. Or, adopt an adult as they are more reasonable about exercise LOL.

My cat would probably go crazy with a young bearded dragon for example that runs back and forth. But a cham is honestly the perfect small pet since it does not move.

Same reason a cat will mercilessly stalk a flighty canary, and totally ignore a parrot that just walks along calmly.

Everyone needs a cat

 

[dinomom]

Hello Everyone!

My family and I are thinking about getting a cat dependent on what my dad says.

I feel like it's a big risk because of Carly. She is pretty high up off the ground, but I have a table that could go higher.

Do Any of you guys have cats with no problems? What do you do?

I may just make sure the cat won't get into the room Carly is in because it does have a door.

*Btw this is an old photo and the enclosure has since been updated*
View attachment 305643

See comments below. I think you need a lower table, because cats love to jump on tables, particularly if there are enticing cords going across it. I think that will be more interesting that the actual cham.

 

[terrahm]

I have two cats and both can't even see my cham in the enclosure. Good camoflauge You just have to know the personality of your cat.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

A g pig is different, as it squeaks and runs around. My cat, who is a Bengal and will leap straight up four feet to snag a fly/stalk a spider for hours/go mental when our resident skunk goes by the door, completely ignores the chams. (that said...I only feed flies when cat is asleep in the other room)

Why is this...because chams are excellent at avoiding predation by freezing. Once or twice in the beginning, cat looked up at it, and then looked at me to see if she was going crazy when there was no further movement . Has never looked there again. Basically, if a cat can't chase it, it does not compute.

Is the cham nevertheless stressed by seeing a cat walking around the room? I honestly don't think so. Initially he would follow her with his eyes, now he does not bother.

My cat is an energetic, hunting breed and it works. If you want to feel more comfortable, you could get a breed that is known to be a lump. I used to have himalayans and they would have just sat there if a mouse ran over their backs. Or, adopt an adult as they are more reasonable about exercise LOL.

My cat would probably go crazy with a young bearded dragon for example that runs back and forth. But a cham is honestly the perfect small pet since it does not move.

Same reason a cat will mercilessly stalk a flighty canary, and totally ignore a parrot that just walks along calmly.

Everyone needs a cat

I'm sorry, but you missed the key phrase:

All animals are individuals, and very often you don't know what's going to happen until... it happens.

You may be one of the lucky ones. But not every cat is going to be like yours.
This isn't a sleight against cats; it's acknowledgment of their nature.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I have two cats and both can't even see my cham in the enclosure. Good camoflauge You just have to know the personality of your cat.

How do you do that with a new cat?

A cat is a cat and it only takes a split second for a disaster to happen.

Well said.

 

[dinomom]

I'm sorry, but you missed the key phrase:

You may be one of the lucky ones. But not every cat is going to be like yours.
This isn't a sleight against cats; it's acknowledgment of their nature.

Of course you are right! I was just trying to make the point of what is different about chams, in relation to how interesting or not their movements would be to MOST cats.

I think climbing the screen to get on top and jumping on tables would be of more interest to most naughty cats-but of course that would stress the poor cham.

A curtain-climber type would indeed be problematic

 

[AmandaS]

I have a cat, 2 dogs, a parakeet, 2 rats, a hamster, a bearded dragon, and my chameleons....
My cat stalks the bird, but he is safely on the top of a book case, and he stalks the dogs but they are much larger than him. He stalks the rats, but they have a huge cage that he cannot get into and the rats get a kick out of teasing him through the bars. He doesnt notice the beardy at all, nor the hamster in his large glass tank. He used to watch the chameleons, but since they have 3 solid walls now he never even looks their way.
1 time I left the window open and a mouse came in...it climbed up the screen of the enclosure and my cat, Baxter, also climbed the screen to get the mouse (thank goodness for the aluminum screen). Only time I have ever had an issue with him bothering my chameleons, and it was unintentional.
The chameleons do not seem bothered by the cat anymore either.

I do agree, your experience will vary from everyone else's. But there is no reason to not have the pets you want to have. You just have to be responsible when keeping them. Like said, close the door to the chameleon's room and when the cat is able to be around, make sure you are there to watch what is happening.

 

[MissSkittles]

My 2 cats pretty much ignore my chams, but one is a senior and the other is really fat and lazy. However, when I had a kitten around in the past year, I didn’t trust her one bit. She climbed on top of my beardie’s enclosure almost daily and as the leopard geckos were low enough, she was very interested in watching them. I’m not sure if she noticed the chameleons or if it was just that there was no way for her to reach them. If a wild anole, spider or stray escaped isopod is wandering thru the house, it is as good as dead if I can’t get to it before the cats…even my old and fat cats.
With my chams being in my bedroom, where the cats and dog often hang out on my bed, it hasn’t seemed to bother the chams the slightest. I will feel much better though when I finally get all of my reptiles moved into the only room that I can ban the cats from entering.

 

[Fchamel]

If it's in a separate room, sure get a cat. I have 2 and one of them is a large 17lb beast. I just keep the door shut. They don't bother him when I'm around, but of course I don't trust those sociopaths. I think it's ridiculous to say don't get one if you have another room and really want a cat. If you had a glass cage, secured to the wall along with secured lighting you could probably get away with having the cats around it even. not that I'd suggest that, but as a last resort.

Oh and btw cats are good for your immune system and pets reduce stress

I appreciate your feedback! That's great that cats benefit your immune and stress systems!

My cham's enclosure sits about 3' on a stand and is not in a room that has doors. I also have a a very chill cat that has no interest or curiosity about the enclosure and is clueless if anything lives inside it. By that's just me, YMMV.

Thank you for your feedback! It helps!

I have a dog and she’s really chill and she goes in the same room as the Cham and she does perfectly fine but a dog is not a cat. dogs are better thooooo

Thank you!

I have dogs, cats, guinnea pigs, birds, and 2 chams. (Chams have their own bedroom). My cats do not bother or pay any attention to any of the cages/enclosures. I NEVER have the chams, piggies, or birds out of their cages if the cat is hanging out. A cat is a cat and it only takes a split second for a disaster to happen.

That's great! I appreciate it!

Yes, it can be done... Just do not trust the cat too much. Especially if you are getting a kitten. They are naturally going to get into everything and prey drive is normally quite a bit higher the younger they are. You have a separate room so that the cat can never get to the cham when your not home. I think this is key.

I am planning on getting a cat around a year old. Thank you for your input!

A g pig is different, as it squeaks and runs around. My cat, who is a Bengal and will leap straight up four feet to snag a fly/stalk a spider for hours/go mental when our resident skunk goes by the door, completely ignores the chams. (that said...I only feed flies when cat is asleep in the other room)

Why is this...because chams are excellent at avoiding predation by freezing. Once or twice in the beginning, cat looked up at it, and then looked at me to see if she was going crazy when there was no further movement . Has never looked there again. Basically, if a cat can't chase it, it does not compute.

Is the cham nevertheless stressed by seeing a cat walking around the room? I honestly don't think so. Initially he would follow her with his eyes, now he does not bother.

My cat is an energetic, hunting breed and it works. If you want to feel more comfortable, you could get a breed that is known to be a lump. I used to have himalayans and they would have just sat there if a mouse ran over their backs. Or, adopt an adult as they are more reasonable about exercise LOL.

My cat would probably go crazy with a young bearded dragon for example that runs back and forth. But a cham is honestly the perfect small pet since it does not move.

Same reason a cat will mercilessly stalk a flighty canary, and totally ignore a parrot that just walks along calmly.

Everyone needs a cat

Wow! Awesome input! I am wanting to get a grey cat around a year old. Russian blue, British shorthair. Chameleons do disguise well! What you shared helps me so much and I have hope that it should be okay. Thanks!

I have two cats and both can't even see my cham in the enclosure. Good camoflauge You just have to know the personality of your cat.

Yes, definitely!

I have a cat, 2 dogs, a parakeet, 2 rats, a hamster, a bearded dragon, and my chameleons....
My cat stalks the bird, but he is safely on the top of a book case, and he stalks the dogs but they are much larger than him. He stalks the rats, but they have a huge cage that he cannot get into and the rats get a kick out of teasing him through the bars. He doesnt notice the beardy at all, nor the hamster in his large glass tank. He used to watch the chameleons, but since they have 3 solid walls now he never even looks their way.
1 time I left the window open and a mouse came in...it climbed up the screen of the enclosure and my cat, Baxter, also climbed the screen to get the mouse (thank goodness for the aluminum screen). Only time I have ever had an issue with him bothering my chameleons, and it was unintentional.
The chameleons do not seem bothered by the cat anymore either.

I do agree, your experience will vary from everyone else's. But there is no reason to not have the pets you want to have. You just have to be responsible when keeping them. Like said, close the door to the chameleon's room and when the cat is able to be around, make sure you are there to watch what is happening.

Thank you so much! Will definitely be closing the door when I'm not around. I will also get to know my cat well before I trust it in there with me.

My 2 cats pretty much ignore my chams, but one is a senior and the other is really fat and lazy. However, when I had a kitten around in the past year, I didn’t trust her one bit. She climbed on top of my beardie’s enclosure almost daily and as the leopard geckos were low enough, she was very interested in watching them. I’m not sure if she noticed the chameleons or if it was just that there was no way for her to reach them. If a wild anole, spider or stray escaped isopod is wandering thru the house, it is as good as dead if I can’t get to it before the cats…even my old and fat cats.
With my chams being in my bedroom, where the cats and dog often hang out on my bed, it hasn’t seemed to bother the chams the slightest. I will feel much better though when I finally get all of my reptiles moved into the only room that I can ban the cats from entering.

I appreciate your input so much! I'm glad that your cats and dogs respect your chams! Carly is in the bonus room in our house so we are really only In there to watch tv and chill. There are also beds in there.




Thank you to everyone who shared experiences and opinions! I will be sure to share what our decision as a family is. I am going to keep the door closed untill I can trust Carly will be okay. She also has a bunch of green plants so half the time I can't even find her! . If the cat goes in there at some point in time, it will be supervised.

 

[absolutbill]

I've had cats longer than I've had chameleons and yes, every single one is different. My first cat tried climbing the screen cage, I sprayed her with water, clapped my hands and yelled, and she never bothered them again. My next cat had 3 legs, so no issue there . Currently I have a long-haired Russian Blue (so lucky to find her at a rescue!), and a DSH. The Russian Blue is short and dumpy-looking and couldn't care less about the chameleons. The DSH is 4 years old and very kitten-y. However he's pretty stupid. We have our chams in a separate reptile room and bought a baby gate that's about 3' high to put across the doorway. The cat doesn't realize he could jump over it at any time, so we get the benefit of seeing our chams without the worry. The biggest issue I've ever had was with cats trying to chew on the cords, but we love them, so just always try to figure out a way for us to have both types of animals. I would say though, that at a year old that cat will still be VERY kitten-y and will have to be watched extremely carefully. Good luck!

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

Hello Everyone!

My family and I are thinking about getting a cat dependent on what my dad says.

I feel like it's a big risk because of Carly. She is pretty high up off the ground, but I have a table that could go higher.

Do Any of you guys have cats with no problems? What do you do?

I may just make sure the cat won't get into the room Carly is in because it does have a door.

*Btw this is an old photo and the enclosure has since been updated*
View attachment 305643

We are fostering 2 kitties for a short while . We have 3 dragons , a wolf ( aka Siberian husky) 7 months ? 3 dragons , 5 charms , a gecko , and fish . We live in a very small apartment. It can be done even in this small space with eyes on everyone . Best of luck !.

 

[Fchamel]

I've had cats longer than I've had chameleons and yes, every single one is different. My first cat tried climbing the screen cage, I sprayed her with water, clapped my hands and yelled, and she never bothered them again. My next cat had 3 legs, so no issue there . Currently I have a long-haired Russian Blue (so lucky to find her at a rescue!), and a DSH. The Russian Blue is short and dumpy-looking and couldn't care less about the chameleons. The DSH is 4 years old and very kitten-y. However he's pretty stupid. We have our chams in a separate reptile room and bought a baby gate that's about 3' high to put across the doorway. The cat doesn't realize he could jump over it at any time, so we get the benefit of seeing our chams without the worry. The biggest issue I've ever had was with cats trying to chew on the cords, but we love them, so just always try to figure out a way for us to have both types of animals. I would say though, that at a year old that cat will still be VERY kitten-y and will have to be watched extremely carefully. Good luck!

Wow! That's great that it never messed with the chams again! That's awesome that your Russian blue does not care! Thank you so much for your feedback! The cat I'm looking at has been on Petfinder for 8 months, so I'm unsure if they have updated its age or not. Definitely lots of supervising and cat-proofing the cords.