Keeping cats off my snakes tank?

Pogie · 05-30-15, 08:03 AM

Ok I have 4 cats, 2 of which will refuse to stay off the Tyrion's tank. I have a heavy piece of old fridge (wire) shelf setting on top of it. One of the cats will just lay up there, the other however tries to claw his way into the cage. No they are not declawed. I have a water bottle by me at all times and I've used the wide clear packing tape to no avail. I put so much tape on it one night when I got up the next morning the top of the tank looked like a living mammal on the top. The darn cats just walk on it like it's nothing lol. I'm running out of options and have no idea how to stop the lil sapsuckers from getting on the tank!

If they see me with the water bottle they run. But as soon as I put it down the race is on to see who gets back up there first rotfl.

SSSSnakes · 05-30-15, 08:29 AM

Keep the cats and the tanks in separate rooms.

Albert Clark · 05-30-15, 12:10 PM

Spray the outside of the door to the room with cat repellent .

**Minkness** · 05-30-15, 12:27 PM

I personally don't care if mine lay on the cages. I have sturdy screen tops and fairly small cats though. One is 5 pounds and one is 10. (Yes, the 5 pound cat is full grown lol).

Also, all my tanks are in my bedroom, which I keep the door closed and they aren't allowed in without supervision.

After having cats for years, I know that you either let them do what they want, or seperate them from the area you don't want them in. Can't train them like a dog sadly lol. I fond that to be part of theor charm though. XD

jossh27 · 05-30-15, 01:50 PM

Cats....enough said

Ballchris · 05-30-15, 02:24 PM

my cat does the same when i had glass tanks but since i switched to apcages i don't care if she lays on it she does it for the warmth, i think she thinks shes a snake and needs to thermoregulate

Jrich · 05-30-15, 06:04 PM

I have been fighting the same battle with my roommates stupid cats for a year now. It still really p*sses me off. I've tried everything: duct tape, spraying water on them, throwing them across the room(they land on all 4's), a spray can with a motion censor, etc. It's gotten to the point where they will not even get near the tanks when I'm present but I know they are all over the tanks when I'm not there or when I go to bed. The only thing that gives me some relief is that I placed metal screen tops on top of my cages that have the flimsy screen tops so even if the biggest devil hops up there I know it can hold all her filthy fatness. I wouldn't recommend duct tape on top of the tanks though incase your scaly critter escapes and gets entangled in it, then he's really cat food. I realize you can't quell the instincts of a cat so you just have to find ways to ensure that the whiskery demons can't reach your beloved scaly pet. A lady just a few days ago said that she places a 2 by 4 board on top of her tank(have to make sure it's as long as the tank too) and the cat just sits on that instead of the cage top because it's higher up. I wish you the best of luck on your endeavor to fight off demons...they have claws.

prairiepanda · 05-30-15, 07:17 PM

Some cats are deterred by tinfoil. It's cheap, so might as well try. Just put crumpled tinfoil on top of the cage. But if the tops are sturdy enough to hold the weight of your cat, then what's the problem? Unless you've got heat lamps which might hurt the cat... My cat prefers to sit next to the cages rather than on top so I let her do that. The animals don't seem bothered.

trailblazer295 · 05-30-15, 07:40 PM

I trained my cat to not go on the kitchen counter or table by spraying her with water every time. Eventually she knew the look of the sprayer. She had a look of "oh crap" eyes wide ears up then bolt.

Jrich · 05-30-15, 09:10 PM

I forgot to mention a funny way of keeping the cats off of things. Nerf guns. They obviously don't hurt the cat but the fact that something is flying towards them and hitting them and even the sound sends them scurrying. All I have to do now is just pretend that I'm loading up the Nerf gun and readying it to fire and the sound sends the cat into the other room. You don't even have to get up from your seat.

**Minkness** · 05-30-15, 09:20 PM

Lol omg I should try that with my arse of a cat!

prairiepanda · 05-31-15, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trailblazer295

I trained my cat to not go on the kitchen counter or table by spraying her with water every time. Eventually she knew the look of the sprayer. She had a look of "oh crap" eyes wide ears up then bolt.

Most cats are easy to train, but the problem is that often they'll only obey the rules if someone's around to enforce them. I trained my cat in a similar way to stay off my kitchen counters, but still found evidence that she had been up there with while I was away or sleeping. A better solution I found was to use an orange-scented cleaner on the counters. She hates the smell. Even if I put her on the counter myself, she makes a "yuck!" face and gets away ASAP.

trailblazer295 · 05-31-15, 10:32 AM

The only time she goes up on the table is if I leave chicken on it. That lures her up. Otherwise no.

Pogie · 06-01-15, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prairiepanda

Most cats are easy to train, but the problem is that often they'll only obey the rules if someone's around to enforce them. I trained my cat in a similar way to stay off my kitchen counters, but still found evidence that she had been up there with while I was away or sleeping. A better solution I found was to use an orange-scented cleaner on the counters. She hates the smell. Even if I put her on the counter myself, she makes a "yuck!" face and gets away ASAP.

Ok THIS I haven't tried

Will have to stop at the store in the morning on my way home from work and get some. I have the lemon scented maybe i'll give that a go first.

Thank you all for the replies, Other than what Prairiepanda posted I think I have tried most of these methods. And yes when my cat "sees" the spray bottle he will run, jump off..until he sees me put the bottle down lolol. Then right back up he goes. He reminds me of a little kid rotfl. I can't keep my doors closed because the only inside door I have it to my bathroom so that can't be done.

Pogie · 06-01-15, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prairiepanda

Some cats are deterred by tinfoil. It's cheap, so might as well try. Just put crumpled tinfoil on top of the cage. But if the tops are sturdy enough to hold the weight of your cat, then what's the problem? Unless you've got heat lamps which might hurt the cat... My cat prefers to sit next to the cages rather than on top so I let her do that. The animals don't seem bothered.

That's my problem my screen top isn't strong enough to hold them. I went out and got some very small squared rabbit wire. Am going to make a "false" top for it. Actually a frame to set over my cage so the cat can't lay directly on the screen or claw it. I'm still going to try the orange scented stuff too lol.
One of the cats that likes to get up there is a year old about 13 to 14 lb cat. So yea he tends to put a dent in it