Cats/Kittens and Bearded Dragons

Due to family circumstances, I have to take in my parent's kitten (2 and a half months old) and I am worried about it living with my bearded dragon (3 years old).

Before I am bombarded with 'DO NOT's or NEVER's', I am fully aware of the dangers and negatives of having cats living with bearded dragons such as:

- Cat breaking into enclosure

- Cat saliva having deadly bacteria that can kill a lizard

- Cat attacking and/or killing and torturing the lizard

But due to my circumstances I have no choice in the matter so I have to make do.

I live in a small open plan studio so I cant seperate the kitten and the bearded dragon, however the enclosure is sitting on-top of a 130cm tall chest of drawers. As the enclosure is quite big, it covers the whole top face of the chest of drawers so the kitten would have to jump another 60 cm to get on-top of the cage (which it wont be able to for a while as it is only 2 and a half months old).

The enclosure is a Reptile One Enclosure (120cm x 60cm x 60cm) made out of timber. It is very heavy too, with sliding glass doors and a mesh roof vent (Which i will be covering with a metal mesh).

Currently there is no danger of the cat breaking into the enclosure as it is only a kitten, however as it gets older I will be fortifying the enclosure with a metal grate to cover the top mesh (this will be drilled down into the enclosure. The enclosure has a metal lock on it which i keep on and locked at all times (only unlocked when needed) incase the kitten somehow manages to slide it open.

I only let the lizard walk freely in the garden complex (heavily supervised) or in the studio (I put the kitten in its carrier).

The lizard is very relaxed around my family's other cats and doesn't seem to pay attention to them at all, but these other cats were very uninterested and did not seem to have the 'hunting instinct' that kittens seem to have.

The kitten is very playful and I am not sure if it will have the same temperament as my family's other cats.

I was just wondering if you guys had any tips on how I should go about making these two (the kitten and the lizard) live safely together?

Should I be letting the kitten see and be near the lizard (heavily supervised and restrained) so that it grows up familiar with the lizard being around? Or should I be keeping it strictly segregated?

For any cat & bearded dragon owners, how do you manage having the two living together?

I know cats have a hunting instinct and i also know some people have never had bad experiences with a cat and lizard, but i also know many have had terrible experiences with cats and lizards.

As I have no choice, I would just like to know what safe practices/tips can I use to maintain a safe environment for my bearded dragon?

Also if you have any tips on making an enclosure more secure please share.

Thanks

Just make sure you supervise the cat when the dragon is out - the tank looks pretty safe - the cat is going to be curious so I would let the kitten sniff the dragon to get used to the smell - and of course he may decide that he wants to play w/ the dragon of which is normal but I would just tell the cat no and move him away from the dragon -- it may take a few times before the cat gets it and of course you can always distract the cat away from the dragon too --- I have 5 cats in my house none of them bother my dragons but I am always there when they are out - mine however are older and dont mess w/ them except to sniff and then walk away -- eventually the dragons will get old and will loose interest in them but since he is young it may take awhile
Karrie

I think your plan is fine, and you are taking all the precautions you need to.

I don't really think you need a lock on the tank, but it wouldn't hurt.
And putting reinforcement on the lid will definitely keep the dragon safe.

The setup is perfectly fine imo, the only thing you need to be cautious of is when you have your dragon out.

Personally, when I first got into dragons almost 20 years ago, we had a lot of cats in the house, and there was never an issue. But like you've seen, there is always a possibility for an issue. So best to be proactive if you can.

-Brandon

Claudiusx":3ou6wvp7 said:

I think your plan is fine, and you are taking all the precautions you need to.

I don't really think you need a lock on the tank, but it wouldn't hurt.
And putting reinforcement on the lid will definitely keep the dragon safe.

The setup is perfectly fine imo, the only thing you need to be cautious of is when you have your dragon out.

Personally, when I first got into dragons almost 20 years ago, we had a lot of cats in the house, and there was never an issue. But like you've seen, there is always a possibility for an issue. So best to be proactive if you can.

-Brandon

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Hi Brandon

Thanks for the reassurance.

Do you think it's worth letting them get used to each other?

I was thinking putting a lead on the kitten and tieing it to something and letting the lizard run around the room (with supervision of course). Is this a good idea to help the kitten grow to realise that its part of the family?

Or should I just keep it seperate at all times?

How did you manage your lizards and cats and their needs?

KarrieRee":1j2zxzfe said:

Just make sure you supervise the cat when the dragon is out - the tank looks pretty safe - the cat is going to be curious so I would let the kitten sniff the dragon to get used to the smell - and of course he may decide that he wants to play w/ the dragon of which is normal but I would just tell the cat no and move him away from the dragon -- it may take a few times before the cat gets it and of course you can always distract the cat away from the dragon too --- I have 5 cats in my house none of them bother my dragons but I am always there when they are out - mine however are older and dont mess w/ them except to sniff and then walk away -- eventually the dragons will get old and will loose interest in them but since he is young it may take awhile
Karrie

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Hey Karrie

Thanks for that

I've been reading up about the deadly bacteria from saliva that cats have on their claws as a result of them licking their paws, and I am very anxious to let the cat scratch the lizard (even if its just playing) because of this. So would having the cat on a lead tied to something while the lizard runs around (under supervision) be a good idea?

I don't have cats anymore (haven't for a long time) but if I were to have them again, I don't think I would try to get them used to eachother. Only for concern that the cat would think that the dragon relates to play time, or something like that.
Back then, the cats in my house basically ignored the lizards. Occasionally I would come in and see a cat lying on top of the tank sleeping (where it's nice and warm) and I'd shoo the cat away, but for the most part, the cats of our house really didn't give a care in the world for the dragons.

It's really hard actually to decide what to do, because you are trying to anticipate a creatures thought process that you have no clue of or control over really. I could see it going both ways, either the kitten learns the dragon is part of the family, or the kitten associates the dragon with play time.

If there is one thing I've learned over the years here and with keeping creatures, is that they are all different. While one cat might be scared of dragons, another might want to hunt. While one might not care at all, another might want to "play" Just like dragons having their own personalities, I don't think you'll really know, until you know. If that makes sense.

Just go with the flow and use your best judgement, I think you'll be fine

-Brandon

Hi!

Cat and Beardie lover here... I think the advice you've gotten from Karrie and Brandon is spot-on. I've got an indoor-outdoor cat with hunting instinct myself, and he's never given my dragon a glance since the tank went in. Cats and dragons CAN live together well, though as you've noted, kittens have more energy.

You've asked about tethering the kitten on a lead and letting the dragon roam... I'm no cat behavior expert, but personally, I'd lean away from this. Unless the kitten is already used to harness and leash, you'd have the kitten focused on the new sensation of both, and the unpleasant sensation of being tethered. It wouldn't help the kitten to get used to your dragon at all; at worst, the kitten wouldn't understand the restraints and would be fighting to get the harness off. At best, if the kitten did quickly adapt to the harness and lead, you're making a correlation between the harnessing (unpleasant) and the dragon (enticing), resulting in frustration when the kitten can't get to the dragon. Still, this is just my perception - I know that some cats can be successfully harness trained for walks, but I've never personally known any of them... you may be more of an expert than me!

Instead, I'd try to make introducing the dragon a positive experience. Start by holding and petting the kitten in front of the dragon habitat, talking soothingly and not restraining the kitten from stretching forward to get a better look. In fact, follow the kitten's body language to help ease the curiosity. Do this in short, frequent sessions, and perhaps end with a treat as the kitten is released.

Work up to holding the kitten on your lap while a nearby friend or family member holds the dragon on their lap. Again, talk soothingly and follow the kitten's body language cues... s/he will likely be curious rather than predatory. When the dragon goes away, kitty gets a treat. You're building a correlation between dragon time ending and the kitten getting something pleasurable.

As the kitten grows, his or her energy will taper off from that wild kittenhood to a more stable adult. And as the kitten settles in, s/he will likely treat the dragon as just part of the household furnishings- not as a potential playmate.

That's my take, anyway. You're not planning on letting the dragon freerange while the cats are out anyway, so all you really want is for the kitten to get used to the tank and dragon as part of the scenery. Good luck!