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Any suggestions for keeping the cat off the viv?

ahzryn

ahzryn

New member
Any of you happen to have both fur and scale babies and have any tips for keeping the former from napping on the screen top of the latter's viv?

It hadn't been an issue, but now one of the cats has decided it's a fabulous spot to nap. The snake is, of course, not so enthused. Aside from the stress to the reptile, the cat is fat, so screen integrity is also a concern. :(

Shutting the door to the snake's room is, of course, an option, but I really would prefer it be a last resort. Closing the room off is going to make temperature regulation difficult. :(
 
Nope, no idea what you're talking about. ;)


Seriously though, unless you truly think the cat is stressing the snake, I would just reinforce the lid with a rigid Zilla screen cover (just put it over whatever is on there) and let the cat go to town. My snakes love my cat as much as vice versa, and now that they're grown up they stretch up to smell her and seem to enjoy it. (this is a new snake who hasn't noticed her yet - the adults have bigger vivs)

If you absolutely need to keep the cat off, tape aluminum foil over most of the screen but leave enough open for ventilation. Cats won't walk on foil willingly.
 
One of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Zilla-11513-F...&qid=1405043344&sr=8-1&keywords=zilla+critter

We have a Zilla Critter Cage, and the sliding screen top on it isn't quite up to the stress I don't think. I don't want to give up the security of the critter cage though! If the other top can sit over the top to reinforce, that just may do it.

I just kinda assumed it would stress the snake, but he doesn't really hide more or stop eating, so you may have a point there too. Sides, botht eh cat and the snake are pink, match made in heaven. :p
 
Yes, that one exactly! It comes in all standard sizes. They seem to fit about 1/2" extra big so you should be able to put it right over the sliding screen.

(your cat is pink??)
 
We don't have a snake yet, we got a critter cage with the slide in top, and another stiffer wire top to fit on top of the whole viv. Both from petco, the additional top fits really well. Funny thing is, one of our cat was sitting on the cage before we took it out of it's packaging, but once we took it out and put on the screen top, the cats pretty much ignored it ...
 
Metal cooling racks (the type you use for baking, to cool your pies, cookies, etc. after you take them out of the oven), work wonderfully. You can get them in various sizes, too, and the professional ones are quite heavy duty. Be sure to get them large enough so that they are fully supported by and preferably overhang the viv frame. Turn them upside down so that their little "feet" point up, so they don't poke at your screen top. You'll need more than one to cover the top of all but the tiniest viv, but the racks can do double duty for both cat-viv protection and baking!
 
I have one viv and 3 cats, but only 1 tries to get on top of the viv. I can hear her try so as soon as i hear her, i squirt her in the butt with a water bottle. Believe me it work, i also firmly say no. She now uses her cat tree, like the good cats do.
 
I have 2 house cats and then my 2 corns are kept in my bedroom. It was impossible to keep them away as they like to sleep in the same room as us. What I did was get a wooden sculpture of a snake and place it over the glass panel on the top of my stack. Now the cats can't get comfy sat on top and it's a nice piece of decor.
 
ZiggysMom said:
Loops of tape on the viv top can work. Cats don't like sticky surfaces.
Click to expand...

Yup, this works and I also "litter" the top of the lower vivs with stuff like rocks, small boxes, bottles on their sides, things that don't interest the cats and aren't worth their time or energy to maneuver around.

Oh, and the squirt bottles are actually the best, and the label you put on them is "Attitude Adjuster".
 
smigon said:
Yup, this works and I also "litter" the top of the lower vivs with stuff like rocks, small boxes, bottles on their sides, things that don't interest the cats and aren't worth their time or energy to maneuver around.

Oh, and the squirt bottles are actually the best, and the label you put on them is "Attitude Adjuster".
Click to expand...
All that will do is breed resentment between you and the cat. Cats can't be trained like dogs with punishment. They can't understand that you don't want them to do something.

Way, way easier to place objects on top of the viv so the cat can't jump up there. Better than placing tape or any other metaphorical barbed wire.

I use a snake statue. Maybe buy a tablecloth if the top of the viv is glass? So many less aggressive options.
 
ladymagpie said:
All that will do is breed resentment between you and the cat. Cats can't be trained like dogs with punishment. They can't understand that you don't want them to do something.

Way, way easier to place objects on top of the viv so the cat can't jump up there. Better than placing tape or any other metaphorical barbed wire.

I use a snake statue. Maybe buy a tablecloth if the top of the viv is glass? So many less aggressive options.
Click to expand...

"Breed resentment"??? The only thing that has ever caused resentment to our furbabies is when my husband just got home and one of them barfed in his new shoes. But I laughed, he pretended he found it not so funny.

Punishment? If they see clutter on the lid (didn't I say that is what I do?), they aren't going to have to go to psychological treatment because they believe we are "being aggressive" and putting "metaphorical barbed wire" on it, they will just think we are lazy and messy, think nothing of it and go find a toy mouse to bat around or another shoe to hork up a hairball in.

Is this a serious post or am I being punk'd? :shrugs:
 
smigon said:
"Breed resentment"??? The only thing that has ever caused resentment to our furbabies is when my husband just got home and one of them barfed in his new shoes. But I laughed, he pretended he found it not so funny

If they see clutter on the lid (wire mesh so they can breathe), they aren't going to have to go to psychological treatment because they believe we are putting "metaphorical barbed wire" on it, they will just think we are lazy and messy, think nothing of it and go find a toy mouse to bat around.

Is this a serious post or am I being punk'd? :shrugs:
Click to expand...
I'm not talking about the clutter but spraying your cats with water.
 
Oh, they know EXACTLY what they are doing wrong when hit with a stream of water. I haven't had to use it in years, after doing it twice all you need to do is shake the bottle and off they go. And 2 minutes later they are cuddling with me like it never happened.

Loosen up a little, no need to be so serious!
 
I don't use a water bottle, but my kitty definitely knows when she's doing something wrong. When she gets on the table, I either tell her no or I make a 'psst' noise. She now knows that if she doesn't get off when I do that, that she'll get a little tap on the head or bottom and be physically forced off the table. Cats aren't dogs, but they can certainly be trained.
 
My cats jump away from near the viv if I see them there. They also know not to stand on my laptop as I say psst or pick them up and place them on the floor.

I never said cats can't be trained. Read my post: it says cats can't be trained with punishment such as hitting or spraying. They just wonder why you did that.

However, removing them from an area and rewarding them or responding in a way they understand unphysically (hissing) is good without breeding any fear of you. You have to make them think they want to do it, rather than please you.
 
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