# Cats and tortoises/turtles



## Yvonne G (Jan 15, 2015)

My sister, Maggie, is having trouble getting on the Forum (I'm sure it's her laptop), so she asked me to post this for her:

I have answered a lot of questions on TFO, some 700+ I'm sure. I always say it's MY experience and MY opinion. I'm pretty firm in how I feel about things...but I sure was wrong on this one. I have 2 older cats who couldn't give a darn about the chelonia in the house. So I have always said that cats don't bother turtles. Boy, was I wrong!

Yesterday morning I went to gather my 3 new turtles, 2 Eastern hatchlings and a 3-toed yearling. The one hatchling is missing his bottom jaw, but that's another thread.....and I couldn't find the yearling.I dug thru that dirt with a sinking feeling in my stomach. Nope, the one hatchling was there, the yearling was gone. Impossible for him to have escaped....
Back track...also over Christmas I inherited a 3 month old female terror kitty named "Willow", (of all things). In my house her name has changed from Willow, to Mischief, and now to Trouble. I have had cats all my life and I have NEVER had one as ornery, nosy, bad, inquisitive and playful as this one. She's so bad, she has to be crated if I leave the house and at night.
So I'm looking for this baby turtle, starting to freak out and I'm NOT paying attention to the hellcat behind me playing with a stuffed mouse....except that it wasn't a stuffed mouse, it was a yearling 3-toed box turtle! He's fine, no wounds, but what an eye opener for me...
-- So, mainly this is an open heartfelt apology to any noobie I told their cat wouldn't hurt their new baby turtle. I am sorry.
Every situation is different, but some beasts you just can't trust.
I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.......and thanks to my sis for posting this, my computer still won't do some stuff....

Maggie and Bob the tortoise


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## stinax182 (Jan 15, 2015)

I am sorry to hear this ): thank you for posting this though. My cats love to watch any animal and that alone is enough for me to not trust them. They get that look in their eye and they just can't look away. I bet if it took you longer to discover the turtle, the cat would have started to knaw on him eventually. They like to play with their food first, as I've discovered with many of my cats.....


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## WithLisa (Jan 15, 2015)

I'm absolutely sure my cat would eat my baby hermanns, he always jumps like crazy at the enclosure when he sees one of them. I guess that's pretty normal, cats are predators after all. 

But why do you crate your cat when you leave the house?


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## KTyne (Jan 15, 2015)

That's scary! Glad your little one was ok.

I know for a fact that my cats would eat any of my reptiles, if they had the chance. That's why all of my guys are kept in their own room with the door firmly closed between them and the cats.

Whenever my cats see one of my reptiles move, they immediately go in to hunting mode and get the crazy cat eyes and try to get to them.


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## Prairie Mom (Jan 15, 2015)

Great post, Maggie. What incredible photos! I love the face poking out of the substrate. Maggie and @WithLisa , I also have a cat who has needed to be crated. This very likeable and pain-in-the-neck "hell cat" would chew threw electrical wires, get into cabinets, swallow small toys, and just cause HAVOC during the night bugging the other animals and knocking things down. -Amazingly, she's alive, well, and snuggled often. She calmed down a bit as she grew, but she still gets into trouble and has to be closely watched. Glad your turtle is safe!!!


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## Jacqui (Jan 15, 2015)

Glad yours is safe, but any thing that moves is considered a toy.Sounds like you got a real lively kitten for Christmas. Glad with my hordes of cats, I only have to worry about lights setting cats on fire.  Only tortoises with open enclosures are the big animals and adults. I myself worry more about my one big sulcata, whom I saw go for a cat with I am positive the thought the kitten would make a fine snack.


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## Maggie Cummings (Jan 15, 2015)

WithLisa said:


> I'm absolutely sure my cat would eat my baby hermanns, he always jumps like crazy at the enclosure when he sees one of them. I guess that's pretty normal, cats are predators after all.
> 
> But why do you crate your cat when you leave the house?


Because she cannot be trusted with the baby turtles and my birds or my old lady kitty. So Trouble is crated so she stays out of 'trouble' and no animals get hurt....


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## Tom (Jan 15, 2015)

Jacqui said:


> I myself worry more about my one big sulcata, whom I saw go for a cat with I am positive the thought the kitten would make a fine snack.



This interests me. I have read and seen a few things over the years that make me wonder. I'm really curious about what his intentions were and what he would have done if he had caught the cat.

When you get your camera situation all sorted out, may I please see pics of your big boy?


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## Tom (Jan 15, 2015)

Maggie, While any cat might want to make a play toy of of a small turtle or tortoise, I share your experience and opinion that they usually don't mess with bigger ones. Sure anything is physically possible, its just not likely, as opposed to a dog which is VERY likely to go for any tortoise.

Thanks for the pics and a good warning.


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## WithLisa (Jan 15, 2015)

Prairie Mom said:


> This very likeable and pain-in-the-neck "hell cat" would chew threw electrical wires, get into cabinets, swallow small toys, and just cause HAVOC during the night bugging the other animals and knocking things down.


Sounds pretty normal to me.  Child safety locks and cable protection tubes can be quite helpful. 



maggie3fan said:


> Because she cannot be trusted with the baby turtles and my birds or my old lady kitty. So Trouble is crated so she stays out of 'trouble' and no animals get hurt....


Are you not afraid to keep them all together? I would not like to have my cat in the same room as my birds and other pets. Cats can attack very fast, a small animal could get hurt or killed even while I'm around, that's why I keep my budgies in a separate room.


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## Prairie Mom (Jan 15, 2015)

WithLisa said:


> Sounds pretty normal to me.  Child safety locks and cable protection tubes can be quite helpful.
> .


Don't have the cable protectors--thanks for the suggestion! But the cabinet locks are all in place!


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## Heather H (Jan 15, 2015)

Thank you for posting. My cat hopped into Tuxy's. Enclosure today. I was in the room. She laid down under the heat lamp. But I don't trust her. The door is closed unless someone is in there. Oh I did take her right out. Checked for any loose fur so Tuxy does not eat.


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## smarch (Jan 15, 2015)

My cat has differing oppinions when it comes to Franklin, who's a Russian so he fits under smaller tort category. Outside, when the cat was still outdoor he's stank Franklin and bat at his shell (which I would stop by picking him up and moving him). Inside he wants nothing to do with Franklin, or he'll stare sniff... and then pee in his temporary container any chance given... jealous butt! so I keep them apart always.


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## newCH (Jan 15, 2015)

Good advice, glad your tort is ok.
I am not a cat person.


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## kathyth (Jan 15, 2015)

I guess it just shows, that we never really know, when it comes to other animals.
Thanks for the info!!
Great pictures!


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## Maggie Cummings (Jan 15, 2015)

WithLisa said:


> Sounds pretty normal to me.  Child safety locks and cable protection tubes can be quite helpful.
> 
> 
> Are you not afraid to keep them all together? I would not like to have my cat in the same room as my birds and other pets. Cats can attack very fast, a small animal could get hurt or killed even while I'm around, that's why I keep my budgies in a separate room.


I have 2 cages of parakeets that Trouble wants to eat and numerous open topped winter containers with turtles. Look at the first picture, she is in with an adult Eastern box turtle who bites the damn cat. Cat doesn't care tho...Trouble is being taught that all the animals live together without hassling me...She'll learn, in the mean time I got my eye on her....


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## weldorNate (Jan 15, 2015)

I hope ur kitten settles down my sisters kitten she got is finally starting to settle down one trick that help us was to play with her every chance we got.


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## bouaboua (Jan 15, 2015)

One more conformation that no dog or cat in my house.


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## smarch (Jan 16, 2015)

Jacqui said:


> Glad yours is safe, but any thing that moves is considered a toy.Sounds like you got a real lively kitten for Christmas. Glad with my hordes of cats, I only have to worry about lights setting cats on fire.  Only tortoises with open enclosures are the big animals and adults. I myself worry more about my one big sulcata, whom I saw go for a cat with I am positive the thought the kitten would make a fine snack.


 I definitely remember reading somewhere about how little torts you need to watch other animals around them, but when sulcata's get big you have to watch out for the other animals safety since a good ramming would not end well for them. 
I have no idea how that video of the cat riding the sulcata came to be


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## Yellow Turtle01 (Jan 16, 2015)

Thanks 
I'm a little surprised! I know dogs will not hesitate to chomp a tort, but this just goes to show about how not every animal is the same?
The cats really couldn't care less, even for the smaller turtles.


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## Cowboy_Ken (Jan 16, 2015)

I have met this kitten. Pure terror! Very skilled in the art of “I'm so sweet, you can totally trust me!" Only to go after thing once your guard is lowered.


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## Jacqui (Jan 16, 2015)

Tom said:


> This interests me. I have read and seen a few things over the years that make me wonder. I'm really curious about what his intentions were and what he would have done if he had caught the cat.
> 
> When you get your camera situation all sorted out, may I please see pics of your big boy?



I have some summer pictures in my photobucket acct and those I can post using the library's computers (I just can't download new ones through there).
This is Grumpy, the one who went after the kitten.










From his actions, I am sure he thought of the kitten as a food source. I can't recall him going after any of the older cats, but then I also can't recall seeing a cat in their enclosure, except when I am with them. Grumpy tends to go into his burrow, if he spots a human, so they would be safe then. Smiley (the other big one) is a polar opposite of him.


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## Jacqui (Jan 16, 2015)

smarch said:


> I definitely remember reading somewhere about how little torts you need to watch other animals around them, but when sulcata's get big you have to watch out for the other animals safety since a good ramming would not end well for them.
> I have no idea how that video of the cat riding the sulcata came to be



I could see my other big sulcata allowing the cats to ride on him. He has a completely different personality.


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## Anyfoot (Jan 16, 2015)

I have 2 cats


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## Anyfoot (Jan 16, 2015)

Sorry. I hate this computer 

I have 2 cats, both bring dead birds,mice,rats and voles to my doorstep, and both fend off other cats. My oldest cat once chased a dog out of our garden in my old house, and I've seen a guy walking his 3 dogs have to cross over the road to go around my cat because it was going to attack the 3 dogs. I've also seen my cat fend off and chase a dog off of my next door neighbours garden. But yet she is petrified of my adult redfoots. I mean she is really spooked out by them and keeps away from them. I've seen 1 of my torts try to bite her leg when she was laying down, maybe that's why.


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## Cowboy_Ken (Jan 16, 2015)

We've lots of field rodents and birds out here. My cats have never paid any mind to my tortoises. But they've never had access to the babies either. That, I'm sure would be about the same as what Maggie witnessed. 
On a side note, one of our cats that has bonded very tight with me, and I with him, had gone to bed when I did. He just crashed out on the bed next to me. When Karen came to bed, 15 minutes latter, he started growling at her! Karen and I thought it funny, not so sure about him though!


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## Moozillion (Jan 16, 2015)

WOW!!! If I was a kitten, I would NOT want to look up and see Grumpy looking down at me!!!!


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## Maggie Cummings (Jan 16, 2015)

WithLisa said:


> Sounds pretty normal to me.  Child safety locks and cable protection tubes can be quite helpful.
> 
> 
> Are you not afraid to keep them all together? I would not like to have my cat in the same room as my birds and other pets. Cats can attack very fast, a small animal could get hurt or killed even while I'm around, that's why I keep my budgies in a separate room.



I live in a 3 bed 2 bath house and the only rooms that don't have habitats are the bathrooms and my bedroom. I have animals in every room in my house. Trouble must learn that the other animals are untouchable. The adult cats don't care about any of the other animals, but this kitten is VERY close to going to see what kitty jail is like. A few minutes ago I found her on top of one of the birds cages. So now my hand is scratched and bloody and she's hiding from me. She's likely to end up at the pound if I continue to feel she's a danger to my resident animals. She going to grow to be an exceptional cat no doubt. But before that, what kind of damage is she going to cause???


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## WithLisa (Jan 16, 2015)

maggie3fan said:


> Trouble must learn that the other animals are untouchable.


Cats are controlled by predatory instincts. You can teach them to be too scared to do it while you are around, but they'll still follow their instincts at every possible opportunity.

I don't want to take a risk, but rather build predator proof cages and enclosures when there are predators (cats) around.


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## jeffjeff (Jan 17, 2015)

sorry to hear about your tort/turtles, i hope their all ok.


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## johnsonnboswell (Jan 17, 2015)

Use a spray bottle of water to get the kitten off cages or places you don't want it to be. 

I've had to cover my habitats because my cat thinks they're wonderful litter boxes. I lost a clutch of eggs that way before I realized it.


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## Yvonne G (Jan 17, 2015)

I was going to suggest the spray bottle of water too. It has been a godsend with my dog and cat.


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## Jacqui (Jan 17, 2015)

Moozillion said:


> WOW!!! If I was a kitten, I would NOT want to look up and see Grumpy looking down at me!!!!



He ran (as much as they can run) from one end of his enclosure over to the kitten. I saw his aim and I ran between them. Grumpy almost knocked me over to get to the kitten, whom I got picked up with just a few seconds to spare. It was a new kitten somebody had just dumped out the night before and I felt so guilty for it following me and getting into danger. The kitten had no idea what was going on.


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## Yvonne G (Jan 17, 2015)

Poor Jacqui. I'm sure there must be a sign around the outside of your house, somewhere that you haven't been able to find...that says, "Dump your unwanted felines here!"


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## Odin's Gma (Jan 17, 2015)

We have 3 cats and all three have different feelings about Odin. Our Big Jim, an orange tabby, adores him and snuggles up with him every chance he gets. Our youngest, a female calico, doesn't seem to have any real interest in him, she doesn't mind him traipsing over her paws or getting in her business, she just..ignores him. But our trouble maker, a long haired black cat named Dibo, is a colossal pain in the shell! He doesn't hunt him, but he cannot be near him without pawing him, trying to stick his nose in his shell even trying to drag him toward him and tip him over! He's not a biter and he doesn't use his claws, but he is relentless in his pestering! (such a jerk!)

As a rule, you always monitor animals closely for months after introducing a new one into the mix, even like animals, and gradually work up to leaving them alone together. They all have their own personalities and some just don't get along.


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## Maggie Cummings (Feb 4, 2018)

WithLisa said:


> Sounds pretty normal to me.  Child safety locks and cable protection tubes can be quite helpful.
> 
> 
> Are you not afraid to keep them all together? I would not like to have my cat in the same room as my birds and other pets. Cats can attack very fast, a small animal could get hurt or killed even while I'm around, that's why I keep my budgies in a separate room.




All my animals are in seperated pens and kept away from each other. I, sometimes bring a tort out and follow him around the house. Trying to domestic them, I guess. The smaller Sulcata are wild as hell, and the biggest one, (big Sam) rams and bites. They are all up for adoption, except Big Sam, Knobby is the cutest, but you can guess why he's named what he is. I'm keeping him. He has a great fun personality. My cats are old and one is 30 pounds now. He's a beautiful tuxedo. I'll try to put together some pix of those aftwer church...


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## jakskillz (Feb 5, 2018)

I had to move my pets to my gfs apartment due to my house not being a safe environment for them. Everyone has secure lids except the box turtles who are all in temporary plastic totes with no lid. My gf has 3 cats and while 2 of them would definitely cause injury to any small animal the one dumb male cat causes the most issues. He doesn’t attack, he doesn’t bite, he doesn’t have claws because of his previous owner. He likes to go into the turtle room and look at everyone. The turtles don’t like him and I’ve caught him twice sitting in one of the turtle setups just standing there while the turtles hissed at him because he was next to their food. They hiss at him when he peers over to see them. He just likes to be around things and has tripped me a few times by standing behind me. I’m glad he’s not aggressive but goddamn he needs friends so he leaves my turtles alone.


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