Can Cats and Lizards Be Friends?

If you are considering adding a pet lizard to your family, you may be concerned about how they will get along with your current cat. While many people may assume that cats and lizards don’t get along, cohabitation is actually possible! Forging a positive relationship between your new lizard and cat will depend entirely on your pet’s personalities and how you go about introducing them.

Are you considering getting a lizard and are worried about your cat’s reaction? Keep reading to learn why it's totally possible for your cat and lizard to be friends…

What lizards get along with cats?

If you are hoping to introduce your lizard to your cat, the species of your lizard will have a major effect on the outcome.

Docile pet lizards like Bearded Dragons, Leopard Geckos, and Blue-Tongued Skinks are just a few species that are known to get along with other pets. These species are large enough to defend themselves if necessary and are known for being calm.

Cats are predators and fast-moving small animals can trigger their hunting instincts. For this reason, small lizards like Annoles and Fence Lizards should not be introduced to your cat. Having a larger lizard that moves slower and remains calm around cats will be less likely to trigger those hunting instincts.

In particular, Bearded Dragons are very well known for forming friendships with cats and there are a variety of pictures floating around the internet showing cats and Beardies cuddling.

Can cats live with lizards?

Cats can absolutely live with lizards. Interactions should always be monitored in case either party displays negative behavior. Cats are large predators compared to lizards and can hurt them either accidently or intentionally.

If your cat is chasing your lizard around, even if it's just playfully, this can be very stressful for your lizard and even physically dangerous in some cases. Lizards and cats can definitely get along, but you will need to make sure you are introducing them in a safe way.

Always introduce your pets slowly and if you see any negative behavior separate them immediately. If your cat doesn’t get along with your lizard, don’t lose hope as they can still live together successfully! In those cases, just keep your cat and lizard in separate rooms and they should still be able to live together successfully.

Are lizards dangerous to cats?

Lizards are not harmful to cats. Even large lizards like Bearded Dragons will likely not hurt your cat. They are easy-going lizards and if by chance they do end up biting your cat, they will not really do much damage other than scaring your cat. The only time a lizard can really harm your cat is if your cat consumes a wild lizard. In these cases, wild lizards are not poisonous but could be filled with parasites that could transfer to your cat. Pet lizards pose no threat to your cat and you should be able to keep both animals safe with proper introduction and supervision easily.        

Summary

Large, docile species are ideal lizard species for introducing to your cat. Because these large lizards are not normal prey items for cats, they can absolutely have positive interactions. Furthermore, having a lizard in your home is perfectly safe for your cat. Lizards pose little to no threat to your cat, and with the right conditions, your pets may even bond.

Do your cat and lizard get along? Let us know by tagging #YesFigoPet on social!

Lizz Caputo is a Content Strategist at Figo, animal enthusiast, and owner of a rescued senior American Bully. Her hobbies include checking out new restaurants in her area, boxing, and petting dogs of all shapes and sizes.