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[Stacy]

I need to know what you think.

My little girl has wanted a cat for a long time. She knew we could not have one with all our dogs, but now everyone in out area has there dogs in pens. I had to give away my lab because he got so big I could not controle him. That left us with 2 dogs that are in pens. So she is really begging for one now. I know that some of you have cats and I need to know if I give in what is the safest way to keep a cat and chins.

[ChinchillAZ]

I had two of my cats already when I got my first chinchilla.  One of the cats was about four years old and the other was about eight years old.  The oldest cat lets me know when one of the female chinchillas has given birth.  She sits by the cage and just watches.  The other couldn't care less about the chinchillas.  He just wants love.  After having chinchillas for about six months, another cat came into our lives.  He is a trouble maker, but he tends to leave the chinchillas alone.  (He likes to eat their hay, though!)  Of course, I never let the chinchillas and the cats interact.  When the chins are out of the cage, the cats are put into a separate room.

If you got a kitten who you raised around the chinchillas, he or she might be more likely to leave the chinchillas alone.  However, I think it's critically important to remember that, if the cat tries to harm the chinchillas in any way, you cannot blame the cat.  It is acting on its natural instincts.

[Abby W.]

When I got my first chin I would let the cats near the playpen at playtime.  If the cats tried to claw or otherwise behave aggressively in the presence of the chin they would get sprayed with water and a firm "NO!"  Now, even if a chin gets loose in the house they don't pay any attention to them.  It seems to have been a very safe and effective way to train the cats on how to behave properly with the chins.

[Chins To Love]

I have had Snickers (an older cat) longer than I have had chins. Her favorite pastime is to sit in the chin room on the floor and keep watch. I have never had any problems. I have only had a few escapes (all from Picasso- our little Houdini) and she never touched him.

[Summer]

Same here they either don't know the chins there or just look at them.

[Jenova]

Cats kill more species of animal than any other feline in the world. However they tend to be very cautious of anything they don't know. I've had rabbits chase cats twice their size out of their 'territory'.

I guess the ideal option is a cat that doesn't seem interested by the chins but otherwise I don't see why it would be too hard to train a cat to leave them alone. The water idea is a good one. Just as long as you protect the chins... or protect the cat from pointy teeth defending their cage. 

[Jo Ann]

I got our cats as kittens, they grew up with the chins, never offered to try to catch, chase or hurt one ... as a matter of fact, one would run from a chin, the other was happy just to sit and watch them.

   BUT, had I known then, what I know now, I would have never gotten the kittens.  Distemper, feline pneumonia, is highly contagious ... if a chinchilla is exposed to it, they will usually die within 24 to 48 hours ... it can spread through your herd before you even know what is wrong. 

   When I went to pick-up some chins, one breeder (in it for over 35 years), told me if I touch the cat that was on the ground, I will not touch one of his chins.  He explained why, and that he knew of one breeder who lost 1/3 of all their chins, within 48 hours, because of a stray cat that was not even sick, but was a carrier.

   If you have a cat, make sure it stays up on all of it's shots, especially the distemper shot ... and make it an "inside only" cat ... If it goes outside and walks in an area a sick cat or carrier cat has been, it can pick it up and bring it inside ... when the chin plays where the cat has been, it gets the pneumonia and dies.

     Also, if a cat breaks the skin of a chin, with teeth or claws, especially during "the dog days of summer", it can, as humans can, get what use to be known as "cat-scratch fever" (blood poisoning) ... I know ... I did ... the only time a cat ever bit me, and it almost killed me. 

     For those who do not know what the dog days of summer are ... they are usually the hottest days of summer ... generally in July or August.  During this time, some cats and/or dogs will bite, when they normally will not.

     Our kittens grew into cats and stayed with us until they died, but I have not even thought of getting another one.   The odds are against anything going wrong ... but I will no longer take the chance.  We miss Snuggles and Lucky, but will not get another one.

      It has to be a question each of us has to ask themselves, when thinking of getting a cat, when you have chinchillas.  Remember, the odds are against anything happening, but if it does, then the odds, whatever they were, don't matter any more.

 
Jo Ann

[chinchillagrl06]

I had cats with my chins and never had any problems. I think it mostly depends on the personality of the cat. Some cats wont give chins a second thought, others will watch them, and some think chinnies look like lunch.
I think as long as your cages are secured where they can't be knocked over of opened any way, you'll be fine.
Younger cats can usually adjust to other pets pretty easily. You just need to teach them what is not acceptable from the begining.

[Abby W.]

I agree.  The right disposition and proper training can make all the difference.  But, just in case, I do have latches on my cages that can't be opened without opposable thumbs    I wouldn't want to find out the hard way that my cats had a mischievous day!

[Joyce]

This is such a controversial topic!  No one person give us the right answer it's something you are going to have to use your best judgement and go with.  I wish we all had the perfect answer!
 We have 4 cats right now, they all are OK with the chins and the chins with them.  Each one of our animals (cats & dogs) have all of their shots and are licensed. 
Having chins, I would never have any other animal in the house unless they were all healthy and up to date on their shots!!!  This can save a chinchilla.
I have some chins who have escaped from cages and actually chase the cats and scare them!  Another few female chins who spray a cat if it gets too close to the cage!  On occassion our youngest cat will try to chase an escaped chin but has never hurt any of them.  We are lucky though.
Recently I took in a very small adult chinchilla from a young woman who could no longer keep him.
Right after she got him he escaped from his cage and was attacked by their cat.  The poor chinchilla was in bad shape and taken to the emergency hospital for surgery.  The weeks to follow were not good, he was on antibiotics and developed an abcess. Anyway, the whole attack had a major impact on his life and ability to thrive.  He died recently.
We never let the chins out to run unless they are supervised at all times and in a expen!  We always keep our eyes out for the cats and sometimes put them in the bedroom when a chin is out playing in the pen because they will try to jump over the gate and in with the chins.  A no no!!!

Good luck with your decision, it is a tough one!

[Jo Ann]

There is no right or wrong answer ... every situation is different... 

It's best to know all the pros and cons, then you have to make your own decision.

One thing that has not been mentioned ...
don't even know if it has ever happened or not ... but ...
a chinchilla can inflict damage of it's own sometimes ... they have pretty sharp teeth.

Sometimes you don't know till you try ...

 
Jo Ann

[Jenova]

a chinchilla can inflict damage of it's own sometimes ... they have pretty sharp teeth.

Hehe. Someone brought their dog over and we had to keep him away from Cheech. Not because the dog was scaring him, but because Cheech kept on biting his nose every time he sniffed the cage.

[Joyce]

  They never stop amazing us now do they!!!!!!!!!!!

[Stacy]

I think we are going to wait awhile longer on the cat.

Jenova my little Roo will do the same thing. My aunt brought her little dog over with her one night and Roo went crazy on that poor little dog. After that the dog was scared to get out of my aunt's lap.

[FluffBall]

I have 2 Kitty's that just love my chins and they get along great they like to play cat and mouse of tag your it with each other sometimes the chins are the ones that initiate the games by nibbling on the cats tails it's great exercise for both the chins and the cats