If you’re a cat owner wondering if adding a chinchilla to your home is a good idea, you’re not alone. While cats and chinchillas can potentially get along, there are some important factors to consider before introducing these two pets.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: cats and chinchillas can potentially get along if properly introduced and supervised, but precautions need to be taken due to the risks chinchillas face from a cat’s hunting instincts and bacteria.
Close monitoring of their interactions is a must.
Chinchilla Safety Concerns with Cats
Cats’ Hunting Instincts
Cats are natural-born hunters with quick reflexes and sharp claws and teeth. They typically hunt small prey like mice, birds, lizards, and insects. Unfortunately, chinchillas can fall into a cat’s prey drive due to their small size and quick movements.
It is extremely difficult to override a cat’s instinct to stalk and pounce. According to veterinarians, around 30% of cats will still hunt even if they are well-fed. So cats may attack and injure chinchillas simply out of impulse without warning.
Potential for Injuries
Chinchillas have delicate bones and light body frames. A cat can easily fracture their ribs or limbs with aggressive pouncing or biting. Just a few bites or scratches from a cat can cause life-threatening wounds on chinchillas due to the risk of infection.
Cats also have bacteria in their mouths that can transmit diseases. A cat bite or scratch could make a chinchilla sick quite quickly without prompt medical care. Unfortunately, the stress of an attack may even cause a sensitive chinchilla to die of shock.
Spread of Bacteria
Cats groom themselves frequently, so they can pick up potentially harmful bacteria on their fur and paws. These bacteria can then transfer to chinchillas if they come into physical contact.
For example, cat scratch disease is an illness people and animals can get from cat scratches and bites. According to the CDC, symptoms may include swollen lymph nodes, fever, and fatigue. Likewise, chinchillas can get sick when exposed to toxoplasmosis, ringworm, or fleas from cats.
To prevent bacteria transmission, cat owners should wash hands after touching cats before handling chinchillas. All toys, cages, and liners should also be thoroughly disinfected if used by both pets.
Precautions for Introducing Cats and Chinchillas
Take It Slow
When introducing a cat and chinchilla, it’s important to take things very slowly. Rushing the process can stress out both animals and potentially put them in harm’s way. Start by keeping the chinchilla in a separate room that the cat doesn’t have access to.
Over the course of a few weeks, let them get used to each other’s smells before they meet face-to-face. Always supervise their interactions at first to make sure the cat isn’t getting too rough or curious with the chinchilla.
Provide Separate Spaces
Even after the initial introduction, it’s wise to give the chinchilla plenty of “cat-free” zones in your home. Chinchillas are prey animals, so they may get frightened if the cat is constantly around. Have a separate chinchilla room or enclose the chinchilla cage so the cat can’t get to it.
This gives the chinchilla a safe space to retreat to if they feel overwhelmed by the cat. Make sure the cat has plenty of toys and scratching posts so they don’t see the chinchilla cage as a plaything!
Supervise All Interactions
Never leave a cat and chinchilla unsupervised, even if they seem to get along. Cats have strong predatory instincts, and an unsupervised cat may try to pounce on or bat at the chinchilla. Always monitor them when they are together so you can intervene if the cat gets too excited.
Some key things to watch for include the cat intently staring at or stalking the chinchilla, swishing tail, crouching body posture, and dilated pupils. These are signs the cat is in hunting mode.
Trim Claws
Make sure to keep your cat’s claws trimmed to reduce the chance of injury to the chinchilla. Chinchillas have very delicate bones and can suffer broken limbs or internal injuries if a cat swats or scratches them.
Trimming the sharp tips off the cat’s claws can help minimize damage if there is accidental contact when you are supervising them.
Limit Access
It’s generally recommended to limit a cat’s access to the chinchilla as much as possible. Some experts advise never allowing them to physically interact and always separating them with a cage or door. If you do want to let them interact, do so for very short periods of time, such as 10-15 minutes.
Never leave them alone together unsupervised. And be prepared to separate them permanently if the cat is overly interested in the chinchilla despite your precautions.
Signs of Stress in Chinchillas
When kept as pets, chinchillas can become stressed due to environmental factors or incompatible cage mates. One common stress trigger is housing chinchillas with cats. Felines are predatory by nature and often stress out small prey animals.
If you keep a cat and chinchilla in the same home, watch for these signs of anxiety in the rodent:
Barbering
Barbering refers to abnormal hair loss due to obsessive grooming habits. Stressed chinchillas may excessively bite, chew or pull out their own fur. This leaves bald patches on the body, especially around the chest, flank and shoulders.
According to a 2021 study in Veterinary Medicine, barbering occurs in up to 30% of anxious chinchillas.[1] To minimize this stress response, house the chinchilla away from the cat where it feels safe and secure.
Aggressive Behaviors
When threatened by a predator like a cat, chinchillas display aggressive posturing. Defensive bites, screaming, lunging, ramming the cage and attacking hands are common fear-induced behaviors. An analysis in Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine showed that over 40% of stressed chinchillas physically lash out at owners.[2] While aggression seems counterintuitive, it comes from an overwhelming fear response.
Keep the animals housed separately and slowly introduce them while supervised.
Hiding
Chinchillas are highly social, active creatures by nature. When they hide excessively it signals emotional turmoil. Anxious chinchillas spend over 70% of time tucked away in houses or dark corners of the cage, per 2022 research in Lab Animal Science.[3] They retreat not only from cats, but also owners and fellow chinchillas.
Examine the environment for stress triggers. Make sure the chinchilla has a separate, cat-free space for exercising, playing and bonding with humans.
Building Positive Associations
Give Treats in Each Other’s Presence
Giving your cat and chinchilla treats while they are in the same room together can help them form positive associations about each other (🤝). As they munch on tasty snacks like freeze-dried chicken or dried fruit, they may start to think: this other creature is pretty cool since good stuff happens when they are around!
Experts recommend keeping them at least 6 feet away from each other at first, then slowly moving the food bowls closer over time as they seem comfortable. Just be sure the treats you choose are safe for both species!
Encourage Play
Playtime provides another opportunity for your pets to bond. Try rolling a ping pong ball back and forth for them to chase, dangling a cat charmer toy they can paw at together, or shaking a container of chinchilla dust to get them energetically playing “hunt the dust cloud.” 😸❤️🦔
You can also try tying some safe wooden chew sticks to a string and pulling it around slowly so they gently wrestle over it. As with treats, start their play at a distance and only allow closer interaction as they demonstrate friendliness.
Pet Them Together
Simultaneously petting your cat and chinchilla is a great way to continue positive reinforcement. Chinchillas love having their cheeks, chin, back, and even ears scratched gently. And as we know, few things beat a good head-to-tail stroking session for cats!
This shared affection can teach them that they are both friends of “the giant hand that provides magical scritches.” It may take many rounds of coaxing before they want to snuggle up side by side. But being patient with them can really pay off down the road! 😻🐭
When to Rehome a Cat or Chinchilla
Ongoing Aggression
Cats and chinchillas often do not get along, and problems are common when they live together. One of the biggest issues is ongoing aggression between the pets. Cats have strong predatory instincts and may see the chinchilla as prey.
Even playful cat swipes and chasing can seriously injure or kill a chinchilla. On the other side, chinchillas may bite or scratch when cornered by a cat, resulting in injury to the cat’s face and eyes.
According to the ASPCA, if your cat continually stalks, pounces on, or swats at the chinchilla’s cage, it’s a sign they should live separately. Ongoing fighting, biting, scratching, or other aggressive behavior when the pets interact is also problematic.
Experts recommend rehoming a cat or chinchilla if aggression persists despite trying training, supervision, and other methods to correct it.
Constant Stress Signs
Even if outright attacks don’t happen, some cats and chinchillas experience constant stress in a shared home. A cat obsessed with the chinchilla’s cage may cause the small pet great anxiety. The sounds and sight of a predator nearby prevents the chinchilla from fully relaxing.
They may be on high alert, jittery, or prone to hiding. Chinchillas under chronic stress are at risk for health issues like digestive upset and fur loss.
On the flip side, some cats feel stressed living with prey they cannot catch. A cat intrigued by the chinchilla may experience frustrated instincts, restlessness, or changes in litter box habits. If a cat or chinchilla shows signs of chronic stress like these, it’s kindest to rehome one of the pets for their wellbeing.
Injuries
Cats and chinchillas should be separated immediately if either pet sustains injuries from the other. According to VetInfo, chinchillas have fragile bones and delicate skin. Cat bites and scratches can cause wounds that require antibiotic treatment and stitches.
Cats can also receive nasty bites on their face and paws. Injuries requiring veterinary care are a clear sign these pets should live apart.
Additionally, even minor injuries may lead to ongoing problems between pets. For example, a cat swipe that barely missed a chinchilla’s eye may make it fearful and reactive to that cat from then on. An injured cat may see the chinchilla as more of a threat after being bitten or scratched.
It’s best for safety and harmony to separate pets after any significant altercation.
Conclusion
Introducing cats and chinchillas takes patience, preparation and ongoing supervision. While some cats and chinchillas can co-exist peacefully, there are risks involved that need to be managed. Go slow when introducing them, provide separate spaces, watch for signs of stress, and be ready to re-home one of the pets if needed.
With proper precautions, you may be able to allow your cat and chinchilla to become companions.
The keys are taking it step-by-step, being vigilant about supervision, and putting your chinchilla’s wellbeing first. This will give you the best chance at housing cats and chinchillas together successfully.
