Stability and quench behavior against transient perturbation expected during operation of a fast cycling energy storage magnet is an important issue for its design and safe operation. Understanding of thermal stability in terms of minimum quench energy (MQE) of a superconducting cable under specific operating scenario is of primary importance for its magnet application. Process of current redistribution from quench strand to adjacent strands depends on inductive coupling and has influence on quench development in the cable. The electrodynamic and thermal behavior of a ten-strand Rutherford-type cable for SMES program in the centre is studied numerically in the framework of discrete network modeling. Influence of several parameters such as uncertainties of inter-strand transverse and adjacent resistance, cooling conditions with liquid helium, etc. on MQE and quench behavior of Rutherford cable is discussed in this paper. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.