I have decades of experience with cold blooded pets,

but my girlfriend has just introduced a warm blooded pet to the house. His name is Simeon, and he is a very cute little grey tiger stripe kitten. Last night I was handling my ball python Delphi (24"). Simeon came over and sat on my lap, while Delphi sat in the collar of my flannel shirt. That is Delphi's favorite place. Delphi seldom wants to go back in her tank after an evening of sitting in the collar of my flannel.

Once in a while Simeon would get up and smell Delphi's tail. A few times he playfully batted at it. At one point Delphi tongue flicked Simeon a few times. That was the extent of the interaction.

Tonight is feeding night for the snakes, so I can't handle any of my cold blooded pets. As I type this Simeon is curled up in my lap. My Girlfriend is jealous since she really was the one who wanted a cat. Any way, I would like to have the cute little guy hang out with me while I am enjoying my smaller snakes. I am obviously not going to introduce Simeon to my BCI, since my BCI is large enough to eat Simeon, but my BP and BRB are both smaller (less than three feet). Obviously all interactions will have to be carefully monitored, but I am wondering, does any one have any experience with constrictors and cats? Do any of you let your animals interact? Has anyone ever had a bad experience?

David

Cats and snakes are a bad combination. Letting the two associate at all is just asking for an injury (most likely to the snake).

That will end with a REALLY pissed off girlfriend, a happy snake, no more cat and......you.

I have 2 dogs and a cat. None of them get to interact with my bp collection. Handling and weighing the snakes, the dogs go into their crates, and my cat gets put into the bathroom. Same holds true for feeding day.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

That will end with a REALLY pissed off girlfriend, a happy snake, no more cat and......you.

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:gj:

See I am minority. Both of my cats are well trained to recognize me as dominant so all I have to do is say their name a certain way and they will cease any "negative" behavior. They and my 2ft BP have sniffed each other, and I have had a snake around my neck and a kitty in my lap before. But mostly, my cats are weirded out by her and will leave if she touches them. I understand the dangers, I've just done behavior modification for cats for so long mine are unlikely to be a danger. However I am ALWAYS holding the snake if they interact at all. Anyone else's animals/children are not allowed anywhere near her, because no.

Sonni has about as much killer instinct as a turnip. She has no more interest in the snakes than to come over and sniff them if I'm holding them then ignores them entirely. Frodo, on the other hand, is my mouser, and a menace to the local bird population if he gets outside (we don't purposefully let him out, but he is a sneaky old bastard and will lurk for every opportunity of door not closing fast enough or new people not paying attention). He isn't allowed anywhere near the babies. Period, full stop. Neither of them get to go in the room, either.

I don't allow my cat near my ball python. He likes to sit on the lid of the tank when no one is looking. And he swats at my fish who is just above my snakes tank.. Fish, snakes and cats... They don't mix.

The lid of the tank wasn't as strong as I thought. I have since gotten a new lid, since being when he went through the lid and monty thought it was feeding time.

My cats kill the brahimi (spelled right ?) blind snakes that et into the house as well as the ring neck snakes. They don't seem I care about my ball pythons though and they both under two feet. They always watch the front of the rack and I shoo them away but when I allowed them to sniff my snakes up close they didn't care. Despite this, I would keep them separated. Kittens in specific love I use their claws and can't retract them at will like an adult cat so the whole thing would be a mess should the cat attack the snake or vice versa.


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In my experience, it really varies depending on the individual animal. Some cats have more hunting instincts and "prey drive" than others. That being said, the advantage in your situation is it should be easier for a younger animal to learn or be trained to avoid and ignore your cold blooded creatures.

I have an 11 year old black and gray tabby cat. I DO NOT allow him anywhere near my snakes because he has a very high prey drive. I don't even allow him in my room where I keep my snakes because he is just a really bad cat when it comes to slithering animals. He totally has a mind of his own. I have tried training him since he was a kitten and he just wants no part of it. Now, on the other hand I have a 10 year old beagle/boxer mix female mutt that just loves my snakes. She wags her tail when she sees that I have the snakes out and even licks them when I allow her to interact with them. She also likes being in the snake room when I am cleaning tubs.