Since cats are natural hunters, there is a fairly high risk that a cat could harm your bearded dragon, if they are kept in the same space. An active feline can also stress out the reptile. This can be prevented by keeping the animals apart, or always supervising them when they are together.
Will my cat attack my bearded dragon?
Cats have a natural instinct to hunt and attack smaller animals. Even though domestic cats don’t need to hunt as a food source, they enjoy the thrill of catching prey.
Cats are pack animals, and feel as though they must teach others about the skill of hunting. This is why your cat may bring a dead mouse or bird into the house. They consider you their family, and their instincts are telling them that they must pass their knowledge onto you. They may also consider the prey as a gift.
Because of this, there is a fairly high risk that your cat could attack your bearded dragon. Since cats are much stronger, and may already be well-experienced in hunting, they can easily inflict harmful and even fatal injuries.
Captive-bred lizards are at a higher risk, since they have never been in the company of larger animals. Since they see humans as harmless, they won’t run away or hide at the sight of a cat either.
Even if your cat is docile and doesn’t at all seem interested by smaller animals, it could still pose a threat to your bearded dragon’s safety. The warmth of the reptile’s enclosure could be very attractive to your cat. Cats love to sit or lay on warm spaces, and may find comfort on the lid of their tank. These aren’t made to take the weight of a cat, so may break and harm the bearded dragon. If the lid is displaced by the cat, the dragon could escape, which could be very dangerous.
Do cats stress out bearded dragons?
Bearded dragons are mild and tolerant, so the average adult cat will not stress them out. Cats also easily get bored with toys and prey that aren’t very active, so will likely only be interested in the enclosure when the animals are first introduced, especially if the cat is older.
If your cat is quite persistent however, they can startle the dragon. Being on high alert for a cat which is constantly protting and pacing around their enclosure, the bearded dragon can easily become stressed.
How can I keep my bearded dragon safe from other pets?
Since cats have the instinct to attack, the safest approach is to prevent your cat from seeing your bearded dragon. Always keep the door closed, using a room the cat is never allowed to enter. However, this is pretty difficult to maintain with a house cat. The next best method is to only allow the animals in the same room when they are supervised. Ideally, keep your bearded dragon in a space you spend most of your time in. This will allow the cat to move freely, but also allow you to make sure your dragon is always safe.
You should also keep a tight lid on your bearded dragon enclosure. If the lid is easily removable or could be left ajar, you could also have a layer of mesh covering the top.
Animal–Club provides animal parties or animal handling workshop where your will be able to see, learn and interact with the reptiles and other wonderful animals with the help of our presenters. Our mobile zoo has many friendly animals such as rabbits, tarantulas, geckos, vinegaroons and more that will be perfect for an animal party. We can also come over to your school for an animal school visit or arrange for an animal workshop with us where the children can learn about animals and have fun too.