Cats love to pounce on small animals, such as Guinea pigs.
Although they may be aggressive at times, your guinea pig isn’t defenseless. If your cat tries to eat your guinea pig, it’s essential to know what he’ll do.
So, do cats eat guinea pigs?
Many people wonder whether cats eat guinea pigs.
Although cats and guinea pigs are related, they are actually very different animals. Unlike cats, guinea pigs are herbivores, so they only eat meat occasionally.
Also, unlike cats, guinea pigs are social animals who live in groups called pods. Furthermore, guinea pigs have sharp teeth, so they can’t eat many types of food that cats can, such as meat.
However, guinea pigs and cats can be friends if they meet. In fact, some cats prefer to eat guinea pigs instead of other prey like mice or birds.
Do Cats Eat Guinea Pigs?
Cats do consume the pet rodents known as Guinea pigs from time to time.
Cats and guinea pigs who get along well can be great friends if they meet when they are young and are carefully watched while they play.
Creating safe zones may assist in safeguarding both pets from danger.
Do Cats and Guinea Pigs Get Along?
Cats are natural hunters that seek small prey such as mice and birds for food.
A cat will always have a kitten hunt for mice or birds.
Cats can occasionally find a guinea pig to eat when playtime threatens the pet rodent’s life. Many cat owners find that their companion pets like to feel safe and protected when their guinea pig is nearby.
That being said, cats and guinea pigs may not always get along. While cats being at ease with a guinea pig may be a sign that the pet rodent is safe in its cage at night, it may also mean trouble for the little guy, especially if your cat is young and still learning to hunt.
As a consequence, if your cat encounters a guinea pig it may find attractive for a snack while it’s out hunting during the day, it may attempt to catch and eat your pet, potentially leading to severe injury or even death for your little guy.
This is also why, even if they do get along well during play time, you should always supervise any interaction between a cat and a guinea pig to ensure that no accidents occur.
It is also important that you make sure your cat can’t access its food supply when it’s unsupervised.
Your cat is not permitted to snack on fresh fruit and vegetables — this may cause diarrhea — but canned cat food is usually fine to leave out overnight provided the lid is closed properly and no spills occur.
Are Cats Good With Guinea Pigs?
Yes, cats may be friendly to guinea pigs, but getting along with them is not as simple as just leaving them alone together to see what happens.
Cats may easily become friends with certain types of other household pets, such as dogs or rabbits, but that doesn’t mean they’re always good with other animals.
Your cat may see your guinea pig as a threat and try to attack it or even kill it outright, depending on the situation.
However, there is a potential that your cat may become friends with your furry little friend if introduced to it at a young age and if they are given plenty of playtime together under the supervision of an adult family member or caretaker.
Even if they are tamed, you should be aware that some cats can still injure or even kill small animals such as your guinea pig if their predatory instincts kick in at any time.
Will My Cat Kill My Guinea Pig?
Guinea pigs are prey to cats, so your feline companion will always try to hunt them given the opportunity.
The terrible reality of owning a cat and keeping a guinea pig is that sometimes this can lead to the death of one of them if your cat’s hunting instincts become too powerful for the pet rodent to handle.
How Can I Keep My Guinea Pigs Safe From My Cat?
Never Ever Leave Them Alone
The most important thing to remember is that if you want to keep both your guinea pig and cat safe, then you should never leave them by themselves together without any adult supervision.
This is because cats and guinea pigs are natural competitors, and trying to feed and exercise themselves at the same time can be stressful for both animals and lead to potentially deadly accidents.
When supervised, cats and guinea pigs can make good buddies if they are raised together and given plenty of exercise and play time with each other.
Cats are predators, and being clever, they quickly learn that playing with their toys can give them a better chance of survival in the wild.
Build A Strong Cage
You may buy a small cage for your guinea pig and set it in an area where your cat can keep an eye on it, but the best way to keep your furry friend safe is to make sure it has a secure cage to live in.
As previously indicated, cats feel threatened by guinea pigs, which tend to be smaller and easier to catch than mice or other rodents that are also considered prey.
Keeping this in mind, you should ensure that its cage is as secure as possible so it can’t jump out or get chewed through by your pet.
They wouldn’t have a problem jumping over a standard-sized child’s crib, so it’s very important to make sure that the cage is tall enough to prevent this.
It’s possible that taking the bars off the sides of the enclosure would be enough, but if the cat does get out, this could also hurt your pet seriously.
Separate Them
Keep your cat and Guinea pig apart as much as you can until they become good friends.
Place the guinea pig in a closed room by itself until your cat grows accustomed to it and doesn’t try to hunt it.
Because primal impulses never fully die, having a hungry predator in the house will almost always mean that at some point in time, your animal is going to try and catch its prey.
Keeping them as far away as possible from each other is the only way to prevent this and keep both pets safe.
Separate your guinea pigs from your other animals as well, if your cat tends to go after them.
Also Read: Can Cats Eat Gelatin?
Final Words
Remember that cats devour guinea pigs, and they don’t usually just eat them and then move on, like they do with mice and other small rodents.
As a result, it’s critical to keep your cat away from your small pet until you’re absolutely sure that the animals are going to get along well.
Above all, it’s your duty to protect your animals from harm, even if you’re not sure how they’ll react together at first.