New cat afraid of my snakes ☹️

I got my cat in October. My snakes are both in T8S with a lock on it and they are in a separate room. My boyfriend and I'm computer is in that room as well so I would like to keep the door open while we are home/in the office. My only concern is that the cat is pretty terrified of the snakes. She will get fairly close but she is very jumpy afterwards. Since she was a new cat I decided to just put a sheet over their cages and that relieved some of the stress. I'm wondering if anyone else has a cat that was afraid and eventually got used to it or if they have any other suggestions. I would like to take the sheet off but at the same time I don't want to stress her out.

Taking the side of the snakes here, I'd be glad your cat is afraid of the snakes & hope she stays that way. Most cats are FAR more interested in preying upon
your snakes & will injure or kill them given any opportunity. When a cat is afraid of something, they generally avoid it...are you sure you aren't misreading her?

Getting close to them of her own volition sounds like she is curious & NOT afraid. It would be best for all if the cat was kept out of the room where the snakes
are, to preclude a bad outcome.

It’s not good for the cat or snake. I have a cat and two pugs. They don’t ever get to go in my room where I keep my snakes. If I own something that I keep in a cage it’s my responsibility to make it the best place for them. They can’t ask me to move them or tell me to get rid of the cat

We have several cats, and I'd much rather they be afraid of our snakes than show the degree of interest that they do.

Cats and snakes don't mix, period. It's best to keep the cat away from the snakes and enclosures. My cat isn't allowed in my snake room. And when the snakes are out the cat is in a different room.

Honestly it's a good thing your cat is being cautious rather than expressing immediate interest, which I would be way more concerned about.

I also keep my snakes in different rooms away from my cats. One of my cats has zero interest in my snakes but I still would never trust him around my snakes, since cats my nature are curious and unpredictable. My youngest one I especially don't trust lol.

And when they do decide to be unpredictable, they are FAST. You will have no chance to stop an accident happening if a cat decides to tap into predator mode.

I once had my youngest outside on the front porch with me with her harness and leash (yes I walk my cats lol). We usually sit by the steps together. There are shrubs beside the porch and suddenly I see my cat staring into the bush, thinking oh she sees a bug. The usual.

Suddenly she lunges forward and rears back with a little bird in her mouth. Not even three seconds and the bird is unquestionably, completely DEAD before I could even register what was happening.

Keep in mind this all happened right in front of me with her on a harness AND leash. She was just too fast for me to react. I didn't even know there was a bird in there!

Anyways your cat will eventually adapt and either not care, or become more bold and curious. So I really don't think the blanket is necessary and I doubt she's as stressed as you think she is, especially if she's going in the room on her own accord.

Either way I wouldn't worry about kitty. She'll be fine :)

maaaan I'm envious of your problem! I wish my cat had that response instead of wanting to eat my BP. However, I understand how stressful it is for your new cat. I hope that you, your cat, and your reptiles can eventually cohabitate and everyone can be safe and calm. :)

Also you can't post about a kitty in the cats thread without posting a picture of the kitty! Show us the kitty! :P

I'm not too concerned about her hurting the snakes. Their cages are locked and whenever I need to open the cage/get them out we close the door. She does seem curious but she is definitely afraid of them. She generally doesn't hide but she will if she sees the snakes. Like I said. She's seen the cage only once or twice and she normally gets freaked out for a while after. I also don't want her to have full access to that room anyways. There are a lot of wires that I wouldn't her to get a hold of (not that she does that). I just wanted her to be able to go in there when we play computer games because we often spend hours doing that and I don't want to shut the cat out or have to constantly cover the snake cages. Mainly just wondering if someone had a cat who was scared but eventually got used to it or if I should just keep doing what I'm doing.

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Originally Posted by Medli

I'm not too concerned about her hurting the snakes. Their cages are locked and whenever I need to open the cage/get them out we close the door. She does seem curious but she is definitely afraid of them. She generally doesn't hide but she will if she sees the snakes. Like I said. She's seen the cage only once or twice and she normally gets freaked out for a while after. I also don't want her to have full access to that room anyways. There are a lot of wires that I wouldn't her to get a hold of (not that she does that). I just wanted her to be able to go in there when we play computer games because we often spend hours doing that and I don't want to shut the cat out or have to constantly cover the snake cages. Mainly just wondering if someone had a cat who was scared but eventually got used to it or if I should just keep doing what I'm doing.

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I think you can start removing the covers, or half covering it so it's more of a gradual process but still offering some exposure. She's still new and getting used to her new home, so everything is still taking a while for her to adjust and get familiar with.

Eventually she will gain confidence in her new environment, including the existence of your snake. I've had cats get freaked at the weirdest things, maybe not snakes but something as strange as the fan or lamp or BOOTS. Or things like moving to a new apartment, guests visiting, dogs barking outside, ect. Every cat is different (I don't know what history yours has), but in my experience, cats will eventually gravitate to wherever you are and if that area has something that's scary, they will gradually make steps towards getting passed it, especially if there is some positive association reinforced with it (your attention or treats). I find if you act chill about it they will start picking up on that confidence and feel less guarded. It will just take time and done at their own pace. I have no doubt she will get used to things at some point, just keep being patient:)

I went ahead and took them down. She seems to be doing much better than the first time. I think it helps nhttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ur.com/Me6w1OJow that she's used to the apartment as well.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/UtaEbiI.jpg


https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/Me6w1OJ.jpg

Get rid of the cat.

Cats can take quite a while to adjust to a new environment, so that's perfectly normal. :) Glad to hear that she seems to be settling in. And I love that you adopted a black cat. I've been told by various rescue peeps that black kitties are more difficult to adopt. :( We have 3 black ones in our cat crew, one who used to look a lot like yours but has managed to double his weight in the 8 years we've had him, so now he's a giant beast. 😂

I agree...much of this was being new to your whole place, & new to you. I think that as she trusts you more & is used to being around you, it won't be an
issue at all for her to be in the room with you. Just don't let your guard down, I still don't think she'll STAY afraid of snakes once this becomes 'her' territory.

I have 2 dogs: bigger one I've had for 13 years (she was half-grown when I got her from a shelter). She has only known my house full of snakes, & she pays
no attention to them. She knows I hold them & care for them. I let her sniff their sheds...no big interest. But my other dog (a terrier mix) I got about 5 years
ago, & when he gets the scent of snake (like from a shed skin) he acts both afraid & a little too interested. I love him but I wouldn't trust him very far...;)

And they are both squirrel-chasers in the yard...my bigger dog has caught & killed several. :( I can't speak for cats, but my dogs respect me as their leader &
know that the snakes are 'mine'...it's different when we're not around though.

It's fine to love our dogs, cats (or kids for that matter), but unrealistic to think they are 100% perfect angels, lol. It's up to us to protect them from each other
as needed.

I actually got her because I used to volunteer at a shelter and the black cats would get stuck there so long. Her sister is still there and I think I'm going to sponser her adoption fee because I don't think I can handle another cat right now but I want her to find a good home in a timely manner. Their old owner went into hospice (she had like 11 cats).

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Originally Posted by Medli

I actually got her because I used to volunteer at a shelter and the black cats would get stuck there so long. Her sister is still there and I think I'm going to sponser her adoption fee because I don't think I can handle another cat right now but I want her to find a good home in a timely manner. Their old owner went into hospice (she had like 11 cats).

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I've been involved in our local Humane Society (as a volunteer in thrift store that supports the shelter, & as a board member for a while etc.) & ours won't adopt any
black cats out when it gets close to Halloween, as they are sometimes abused by sickos (-can happen any time but more likely @ Halloween).

Both my current dogs are black, & I never knew before that black dogs are least likely to be adopted. :confusd: (maybe they look more menacing? or their eyes are harder to
"read" their warmth?) I like all colors, but I think black dogs or cats are very handsome. Can't fit them all in here though...if only! :cool:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I've been involved in our local Humane Society (as a volunteer in thrift store that supports the shelter, & as a board member for a while etc.) & ours won't adopt any
black cats out when it gets close to Halloween, as they are sometimes abused by sickos (-can happen any time but more likely @ Halloween).

Both my current dogs are black, & I never knew before that black dogs are least likely to be adopted. :confusd: (maybe they look more menacing? or their eyes are harder to
"read" their warmth?) I like all colors, but I think black dogs or cats are very handsome. Can't fit them all in here though...if only! :cool:

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I think part of it is that a lot of shelters have grey flooring/cages which allow the brighter colored animals to stick out more while the black cats and dogs blend in. The shelter I volunteer has brightly colored kennels to help the black cats/dogs to stand out. It seems to help.

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Originally Posted by MR Snakes

Get rid of the cat.

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just jealous of the cutie, I get it

Allowing the cat in there is only asking for trouble. As the cat gains more confidence in her surroundings her curiosity will grow.
Your snakes don't need to be stressed out by what they only perceive as a predator.

Plain and simple: cats and snakes don't mix.

I would keep an eye on the snakes to see if they start acting any different. If they do seem stressed, then consider keeping the cat out of the room or moving the snakes into a room with less foot traffic that you can keep the cat out of. The enclosure that you have them in won't be a problem with the cat (I'd be more worried if you had a thin screen top or had them on a rack that would easily fall if the cat jumped on it). The cat will be fine though, mine don't even notice the snakes anymore unless they're extremely active... Then again, I have mice as well and they pay quite a bit of attention to them, so that might help some. I would definitely keep the cat in another room when handling the snakes though, for the safety of the snakes rather than the cat. If a mouse or rat can injure and potentially kill a snake, imagine the damage a cat could do. It's never been a problem for me though, just take precautions when handling and you'll be perfectly fine.
Gorgeous baby, by the way!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Medli

I got my cat in October. My snakes are both in T8S with a lock on it and they are in a separate room. My boyfriend and I'm computer is in that room as well so I would like to keep the door open while we are home/in the office. My only concern is that the cat is pretty terrified of the snakes. She will get fairly close but she is very jumpy afterwards. Since she was a new cat I decided to just put a sheet over their cages and that relieved some of the stress. I'm wondering if anyone else has a cat that was afraid and eventually got used to it or if they have any other suggestions. I would like to take the sheet off but at the same time I don't want to stress her out.

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It's probably their natural instinct to LIVE kicking in : )


I know that zoo keepers take the big cats dung home to put on their gardens to keep cats and dogs off them ..

I do the same and it works a treat :)


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Hmm, I have the opposite experience. My snakes are uncomfortably interested in my cats. I only let one of our cats in the room with me when I am doing certain tasks in the room. He goes and lays down in front of the olive python cage and just watches the olive python try to get closer to him.

They will NEVER meet face-to-face, though.

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Originally Posted by MissterDog

I think you can start removing the covers, or half covering it so it's more of a gradual process but still offering some exposure. She's still new and getting used to her new home, so everything is still taking a while for her to adjust and get familiar with.

Eventually she will gain confidence in her new environment, including the existence of your snake. I've had cats get freaked at the weirdest things, maybe not snakes but something as strange as the fan or lamp or BOOTS. Or things like moving to a new apartment, guests visiting, dogs barking outside, ect. Every cat is different (I don't know what history yours has), but in my experience, cats will eventually gravitate to wherever you are and if that area has something that's scary, they will gradually make steps towards getting passed it, especially if there is some positive association reinforced with it (your attention or treats). I find if you act chill about it they will start picking up on that confidence and feel less guarded. It will just take time and done at their own pace. I have no doubt she will get used to things at some point, just keep being patient:)

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There's a famous video clip on YouTube showing someone place a BANANA on a kitchen surface behind their cat who was sitting on the table top and when the cat looks around and notices the banana it jumps into the air [emoji4]


Sadly this isn't the clip but it gives an idea :)

https://youtu.be/9TdRQ9wTjG4
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I'd much prefer that my cat was afraid of my snakes...cats are predators that typically try to "play" with small animals and often DO kill them, even if not for food.

You always need to protect any pet snakes, no matter how big, from other pets you may have. It just doesn't end well, especially for the snakes. Cats have effective
(& very germy) claws & teeth, even just a scratch can kill your snakes via unresponsive infections. I have dogs, it's pretty much the same thing...they're cautious of my
snakes even though I've had them the whole time, & it's just fine with me. They are never allowed together.