Weight for Detolf lid

[Kukuru]

Originally Posted by AmityvilleHams

Cats and hamsters should never be in the same room together, regardless of how secure a cage is. It isn't fair to either animal and can be incredibly stressful for everyone involved. Hamsters in particular would be likely to get ill or would at least be far more prone to becoming ill due to this extremely unnecessary stress, so no matter what you always need to keep predatory species like cats and dogs outside of the room a hamster lives in!

What is this based on? Is there a study or even any anecdotal evidence of this?

I can for sure say it is not stressful for cats to be in in the same room with a hamster cage. Assuming the cat also gets to play out the catch and kill part of their primal instincts with toys... well, then it's just a great cat tv.

The hamster cage obviously needs to be secure, so the hamster can't escape and the cat can't get in. And if the cage is set up properly, there should be enough hides and coverage for the hamster to feel safe in all parts of the cage.

My hamsters have always lived in the living room. Which of course both my cat and my dog have access to. The dog doesn't care about the hamster, but my cat likes to watch the hamster and often sits on top of the cage. My hamster reacts to this the same way she reacts when I'm near the cage. She's curious and looks for treats. If there's no treats, she'll go on with her business.

None of my hamsters have shown any signs of stress related behaviours or illness. Obviously I can't measure their hormone levels or blood pressure etc. But by all the measures I have in my use, my hamsters are not and have never been stressed about cats in the same room and/or near the cage.