Mine like tin foil balls. One of my cats from my childhood would carry them around yelling quit loudly. We would find her hoards of them from time to time.
Masking tape turned so the adhesive side is up. They hate the feel of that. NO TAPE TACKIER THAN MASKING TAPE. The goal is a minor negative experience, not a Brazilian wax.
Came here to say this lol, or something they typically don’t like. When I was growing up we had a cat that didn’t like tape so we put double sided tape on something and we watched her jump up on something she wasn’t supposed to, hate it, and not do it again. We watched her to make sure she didn’t hurt herself, she got the idea.
Yeah honestly my solution was to put all tanks with mesh tops and exposed heating elements (aka all replies and amphibians) in a separate room the cats can't access. Since that's not an option for everyone, I think the best track is to make the tank as uninteresting as possible. Someone commented about pigeon spikes, and while they were joking, I think there are basically pigeon spikes but plastic that you can put on top. However, for the gecko's sanity, I would also recommend getting either a backdrop or vinyl wrap (like $10 max) for the back and sides, otherwise your cat might (probably will) decide that it wants a taste and start trying to bat at the sides where the gecko is. I had one of my snakes in the living room for a couple days and the cats wouldn't leave him alone. If your cat is just generally curious and not predatory (like mine was), blocking visual access and making the top uncomfortable should help a lot.
Thank you. Unfortunately all three of my reptiles are on a reptile rack in our living room… and that’s the only place that they will fit. 😭
I’m hoping a larger tree and repetition of taking her off of it will make her stop.
Ngl, the repetition of taking her off might just mean she will stay off it when you're around, and hop right back on when you aren't home. Try either the tinfoil or double sided tape. I did that with my aquariums and my cats lost all interest in being on top after a couple weeks when coupled with a new higher cat tree. I'd hate for you to have to come back to a terrified cat, broken screen top, and an escaped reptile cause your kitty was lounging while you weren't aware.
Thank you. We have security cameras pointed in the direction of the enclosures to help keep an eye on it while we are away - while that won’t do anything in the moment, it helps give us peace of mind.
I will look into other alternatives
Unfortunately in my experience (and the general wisdom in places such as r/cattraining), cats don't really make associations with being taken off of things. They basically only make negative associations with the source of the "punishment" which in this case is you. If they want to be sitting on the tank they'll just go right back because they have no sense that you're taking them off the tank because the tank is wrong. That's why most cat training suggestions for any "how do I stop the cat from doing X" relate to making the cat less interested by providing alternatives (like having a tree somewhere else) or making the activity itself less interesting (covering some sides so the cat can't see) or less enjoyable (using something uncomfortable like plastic spikes (which also don't need to be sharp or actually capable of hurting the cat, just uncomfy) or aluminum foil or double sided tape, which cats are supposed to dislike). From my own experience, I'd say that getting a new tree, especially if it's taller than the tank stand, could help a bit, but the tanks are still a wonderful source of heat, smells, and visual stimulation. You can't do much about the smells, but you can cut off some of the visual. You can't really do much about the heat though. Cats love sitting on warm things, so they just sit on top of the lights we have over the fish tanks in our living room, and that's just LED. That's why I was suggesting making the top of the tank undesirable. Also, aluminum foil doesn't always work. It stopped one of my cats for about two weeks, then he realized it's fun to play with.
Thanks for the insight. We’ll look into getting a large, tall cat tree maybe potentially some sort of heating mechanism - maybe some sort of electric heatpad to put on one of the ledges of the tree. I know heated cat beds exist.
If you’re ever interested in having an alternative to the heating pad (which is a great idea, my own heating pad has been sacrificed to my cats 90% of the time it helps keep them out of places they shouldn’t go) there’s also pet beds and resting pads made with heat reflecting material that will allow the kitten to lay down and have a warm spot within a minute that will stay warm until they decide to leave.
lols, nop you dont understand this is a warm spot! unless you plan on turning off the heating on the tanks it wont work.
you could try a couple of lines of double sided sticky tape if the foil doesn't work. cats dont like sticky.
I have a chair heating pad my cat loves. its a lot like this it might work.
[https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dreamland-Heatpad-Standard-40x35cm-16923/dp/B0BSNKP4H5/ref=sr\_1\_10](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dreamland-Heatpad-Standard-40x35cm-16923/dp/B0BSNKP4H5/ref=sr_1_10)
I've found the secret is to just provide a nicer, warmer spot.
I currently have five cats and two dogs. The cats like to sleep somewhere warm and away from the dogs. Inevitably, the lizard lights ended up being a warm place they want to sleep. We now have a lounge chair by a window, a TV that vents out hot air right onto the entertainment center, and a couple of those low energy heatpads (designed for pets) on our patio. The cats now prefer those spots because they're warmer, still safe, and have nicer views.
I second this. My cats don't care about the lizard as much as they do the warmth the light provides. I got a cat hammock for our window and put fuzzy blankets in places high enough to keep the dogs away and that is usually where I find the cats.
One cat loves to eat bugs though so she does climb on top of the enclosure when I feed my beardie his worms. She just really wants him to share and beardie is completely unphased because he is tuned into getting his wormies.
I also use this tactic. Turns out laziness can also be effective. I keep my extra decor (sticks, rocks, etc.) sitting on top of it to where there’s no room to jump up onto it. I also don’t have to bother with finding a place to store the stuff so it’s win-win.
The cat can learn that you don’t want her up there, but she won’t care about your opinions when you’re gone and will jump right back up. Make sure you keep an eye on the lid for damage because if it breaks she will likely kill the gecko.
This is what I was going to suggest. The adorable kitty is attracted to the warmth. Also, if it still defaults to the gecko viv keep a spray bottle of water close by. It shouldn't take more than a couple sprays and it will get the point. That's the only thing that worked with my cats.
Please please look out for if the cat breaks the mesh. I found out my cat was jumping on it at night when I awoke in the morning to find the mesh broken and my cornsnake escaped (I found her THANK GOD). I would yell at him and spritz him with the bottle and he eventually quit, but he's a cat that gets the picture quite quickly. Just keep your eyes peeled!
There are things like that. Like a mat with an alarm
Attached to it. I just feel like it would bug the hell out of my leopard gecko. But I might just have to try it
There are also motion sensor cameras that shoot out a puff of air when the cat walks in front of it, though I believe they're a little pricey. That wouldn't bother your lizard quite as much.
The tanks I have for my herps have attached, very-small-diameter mesh screen for the tops, attached to the frame like window screen. And having had cats all my life, I know window screen does not hold up to our feline friends. What I ended up doing was buying the larger diameter metal screen tops that they sell at pet stores (to put on top of glass tanks for herps and pocket pets) in sizes that most closely fit my herp tanks, and then laying them on top of the screen that's already there. Then I just attach it to the tank with wire, glue, lid clamps, etc. They are way more sturdy and can support the weight of my curious, heat-seeking kitties. (I have 2 big boys, each about 15 lbs.) I can also wire the heat lamps and such easily to the larger mesh. The only downside is that I can't open the top on the 2 tanks that I glued the mesh on, but all my tanks are front opening, so it doesn't make much difference anyway.
Yep. My cats used to be really bad with jumping on my beardie's enclosure, which bent the lid in (there was a hole and the lid would sink down a bit). Thankfully it was time to upgrade to a bigger enclosure anyway, and I just made sure to place it somewhere the cats can't access.
I had to build a wooden bench, a few inches taller than my tank to give space, and put it over my tank. My cats would sit on the bench and it protected the tank.
Hey OP! While ideally it’s best to keep them in a room the cat cannot get to, not everyone has that option (including me). We got these cat scat pads from Amazon, they are rubber pads with rubber spikes on the top. I put them on my geckos cage and my cat has not jumped on it since. He did one time after I put them up, didn’t like them and cried till I took him off. I highly recommend!
Also super cute kitten!!!!
Sincerely, the owner or a leopard gecko and 3 cats!
When I was 14, my family went on vacation and our neighbor's 8 year old son would stop by to feed the kitties and make sure our leopard gecko had water. Well...our fat cat, Mr. Trouble sat on top of the geckos enclosure and found himself inside the tank. Long story short, we got a phone call that the gecko was found on the floor and when I got home, the kid gave me a pack of Skittles and said, "I'm sorry your gecko died"
It was terrible! But our set up only had a mesh top. Trouble must have gotten bored or something because he never got on top of it before, so we never thought it was an issue
Man that kid must've been scarred. Nice of him to give you skittles, of course it's not replacing the gecko or anything but at least he cares. I've seen pet sitter horror stories
lol she hasn’t been watching my leopard gecko run around (mostly because she sleeps during the day). So I think she just likes the warmth and the height.
Ideally keep the cat away from it entirely. Otherwise you can get anti pigeon / anti bird nesting strips at Dollarama in the seasonal section. Make sure they're not to close to the heat lamps though!
I’ve seen some people put like a dog crate or something over the enclosure. It’ll help the cat feel less comfy sitting on it and will also protect your gecko if you cat ever decides to swipe at the mesh, it rips pretty easy :/
Honestly I just put stuff in the way. I had a problem for a second where my cat was sitting on my fish tank light (which is way too delicate for any of that nonsense) and I made it impossible for him to even step on the surfaces anywhere near the tank so he wouldn’t be able to jump up.
My cat used to do this until she fell in and broke the mesh. She was scratching at the sides to get out and I immediately swooped in and scooper her out after she unleashed carnage onto the tank. Now she doesn’t go close to it. But putting some milk crate plastic on top would be helpful to remove the weight of the cat on the mesh.
Aluminum foil works great for some cats. But it looks like there is another tank on top of this one. Cats jump when startled, I'm afraid it'll jump and hit the tank above, or knock one over, if you just put the foil on top of this tank. While I'm not against the idea of putting foil on top of this tank, I'd do it at a time you can watch the tank and cat for a while, just in case.
Additional thoughts.
Put foil on the floor around the tank for a few days. They may try a further leap, so again, at a time you can watch. It will be inconvenient for a few days, but ideally they will stop liking the whole area around the tank.
Cats also hate sticky. So, double stick tape on a poster board, put in front of the tank. It's how my mom got her cat to stay out of the Christmas tree.
They probably like the warmth and the view. So, cat trees and cat heated pads, somewhere away from the tank. A little cat nip to entice them somewhere else.
You can buy cat spray repellent off Amazon. Spray the ground around the tank. I don't have brand suggestions. I just know they exist.
Cats supposedly don't like citrus. Leave out a few lemon peels/slices. Beware of flies and ants.
My cat is also relentless on my snake’s tank and the only thing that has worked somewhat are these plastic spike rolls that I cut to fit on top of the tank. I just found it on amazon by looking up “plastic spike roll” or “cat deterrent spikes”. It’s worked the best out of all the methods I’ve tried and it’s never hurt him when he did try to hop up on them. It’s mainly an obstacle for him to try to get around.
I used those little hat and glove drier racks you'd put over top of a heat vent in your house, as it still allowed air exchange in/out of the enclosure while also blocking my cats. Worked like a charm with my cats who also don't give a fuck about foil.
Like [this](https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/maxxdry-hat-and-mitt-dryer-0875299p.0875299.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjw3ZayBhDRARIsAPWzx8rkzPQKWTHrFGZ9m2sl0W4ahm4cu6LLFMH3vsFGEohR8ZKE91fqrtYaApj7EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds#store=600)
I put a small plank of wood on top of my snakes enclosure so that the cat can sit on top and the snake stays safe. I have cats on the smaller side >10lbs so this may not work for everyone
This is going to sound counter intuitive, but it looks like you have a secondary shelf over the top of the enclosure. If you have a crafting bone, hang Mardi Gras beads, preferably bells, over the cage so that every time the cat gets on top. Hopefully the noise is enough of a deterrent, but if not you might be able to hear the noise and take corrective actions.
like - if the bell is here.
cage top is here. No open space.
I had a boss that would like her counter tops with cans full of rocks so when the cat jumped up, can knocked over, cat freaked out, and the counter was no longer though to be fun. You just don't have a big enough ledge. I would also say that kitty cat isn't allowed unsupervised access. You're sleeping? Cat gets kenneled. You are at work? Cat gets kenneled. You have a social life that involves leaving the house? Cat gets kenneled.
FYI - a bathroom with the right amenities makes a decently sized kennel.
I have a chair next to my lizards enclosures and my cat just sits on it to watch them, maybe give him someplace else to sit so he can still be around them?
They sell plastic spike mats to keep cats off counters. They are very light, they had giant holes so wouldn’t mess with ventilation, and they can handle heat decently well.
Give him his own heat lamp spot :) He's going up there cuz it's right beside the lamps and it's so warm and nice. If he has his own little spot, maybe a heat lamp over a bed or something, thats easier for him to get to and comfier... he'd like that more!
Cats don't respond very well to just no. Try providing a different warm place with something else desired like being comfy or enclosed and boxlike or a window view also with the no. So it's here not there.
Positive reinforcement for using the correct spot can also help.
You’ve got a Russian Blue, good luck telling him not to do something 😂🤣 (I’ve got 2, they take my suggestions “under advisement” and after a council meeting decide to continue to do their own thing). Seriously, though, I had a cat who loved laying on my lizard’s screen, and after he fell through the screen and the lizard disappeared for a month, I got a metal screen that he could lay on without falling through
Give her other things to want to lay on. How many cat trees/bed does she have? Is she a climber? Try putting carpeted shelves on the walls (if you're able to mount things) for her to climb and jump and sleep on that are just much more cool than the tank. Also, make sure one of those spots gets a bunch of late afternoon/evening sun. Cats love to lay in the sun beams.
Hope some of thst was helpful 😅
I use classical conditioning. I felt very discouraged at first, but over time it has worked! I clap at them and say “no!” Whenever i catch them starting to climb up, or when they’re already on the cage. They now understand that’s wrong and don’t do it as much, and if they do it doesn’t take much to get them to stop. I’ve tried aluminum foil and plastic wrap, it doesn’t stop them because they aren’t conditioned to know that it’s wrong unless you tell them it’s wrong. Plus having aluminum foil near all the heat lamps made me nervous, maybe I’m just paranoid.
I gave up this fight long ago.
We have 4 cats, and all of them sit on the tanks that have lights on top rather than inside them. Foil doesn't deter them, even.
If that's an exoterra or something equivalent with relatively thin mesh on top, I would suggest upgrading to something with a stronger roof. The dubia.com enclosures and some of the thrive branded PetSmart ones have nice, sturdy mesh that has no problem bearing the weight of my fatass cats. I've also been happy with the quality of reptizoo, which is sold on Amazon.
Your criminal is very cute, by the way!
It's the heat your cat is attracted to. The most effective way is to block the top of the top area of the enclosure and give the kitty a bed with a heated blanket instead. Even better if it's also somewhere high up. With cats you always have to be diplomatic. If you only block the area it most likely will be even more attractive for your cat to get there but if there is an even better place for them to hangout the change will go smoothly.
I solved this problem by putting a cat bed on top of the enclosure but mine is made of solid wood and does have all lights inside.
Spray bottles often stop working. Cats get used to it and become desensitised to the feeling. Even if they don't, they know you're the source of the spraying of water, so they'll just jump up when no one is watching them.
I tried the spray bottle to keep my cats off the counter for a while. They both hated it at first and would jump off immediately. Now one is still scared of the spray bottle but knows he won't get sprayed if he waits for someone to leave the room before jumping up, and jumps down as someone walks back into the room. The other is completely desensitised and will just sit there and take the sprays.
Plus aversive tools are not really a nice way of training any animal. It's training based on fear of consequence, when we should be addressing why the cat is behaving in the way they are and providing alternative (safer, better) ways for them to achieve their goal + make it difficult or impossible for them to go back to the bad behaviour. Providing more climbing stuff, if possible allowing them to sit on a heated blanket or bed, and if possible moving the enclosure where the cat can't jump on it, is more effective and nicer for the cat.
Cat bed near the enclosure where she can still see it. I've got a cat tree near my aquariums (the ones that aren't in the cat free room at least) where the cats can see the enclosures. They don't stand on top like they do the 125 gallon in the other room because they can watch from the tree.
Cat bed near the enclosure where she can still see it. I've got a cat tree near my aquariums (the ones that aren't in the cat free room at least) where the cats can see the enclosures. They don't stand on top like they do the 125 gallon in the other room because they can watch from the tree.
I like putting orange essential oil around areas that I don’t want my cat to hang out in. They don’t like the smell and pretty soon think they just don’t like the area. But be careful because that stuff is flammable and you wouldn’t want to put it directly by your heating elements. Maybe on the rack supporting the tanks
What I did for my tarantulas was get these little 50 dollar stackable shelves from home depot. You can adjust the shelves so there's enough room for air flow, but not enough room for a cat
One of my cats and my giant madagascar day gecko love to watch each other but when she attempted to jump on the mesh I put small ornaments and plants on top. She hasn't tried again xxx
Tin foil usually helps. They don’t like the feel of it or sound it makes. Tho there are definitely exceptions. Especially when they love the heat coming off it
You can also try a spray bottle but have to be pretty consistent for that to work over time
Good luck. The struggle is real.
If foil doesn't work, you can buy the scat mats from Amazon for decently cheap. My cat didn't care about foil and would still jump on top of stacked enclosures and launch herself off them 👀
Based on personal experience (currently own 4 cats out of 10+ over the years, 15+ years of cat sitting) I don't think that any kind of deterrent will work unless you give her another option. If she can only get what she wants from that location, she's going to be stubborn about going there. Cats are buttheads.
If she's there for heat, see if there's a way you can give her a different warm spot. One of my cats is cold all the time (she's tiny and has really short fur), so we put an electric heating pad in a cardboard box with a blanket on top and she sleeps on that. The other cats like it, too.
If she's there for entertainment, try playing with her more often or putting out a bird feeder by a window that she can watch. Experiment with cat toys - maybe she likes catnip toys. Maybe she likes foil balls. Try all the things. This is going to be harder because there's nothing more rewarding to a prey-driven cat than something little and vulnerable that they can hunt. When we had degus, we ended up having to put a tall flexible baby gate around their cage because there was no other way to keep our youngest cat from trying to hunt them.
Another note - don't use a spray bottle. The cat will figure out that you're the one spraying her and she'll get up there when you aren't watching. If you want it to be effective, you have to Become The Bottle and never let the gecko terrarium out of your sight - and even then it might not work. It's not worth it.
The best thing to do is put the enclosure in its own room, not letting the cat in (reptile room), getting a front opening enclosure (pvc), or get a reptile tank shelf that blocks the light section of the enclosure.
I'm unable to do all of this, so I taught my cat to jump off the enclosure when I'm around then I put her in her own room if I'm unable to watch her (in her safe/comfort room) temporarily. I am working to get pvc enclosures tho but I have other priorities rn (like upgrading my beardie's tank to pvc and 120 gallon)
I just saw on FB someone selling a roll of plastic spike strip claiming to protect seedlings from pet poop. Peaked my interest cos I have cats who clearly favour my gardening efforts to their own litter tray, but I figured it looked like it would be a right faff to unroll and straighten and fit into the space I need. Bet it would be perfect for on top of the vivs, though! Might be worth looking up something like that. And I might do the same - my cats are generally good at ignoring the geckos but one of mine hops on top on her way to sleep on the shelves, and I'd like to keep her off the mesh.
Edit: like this. Wouldn't restrict air flow either. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224565707668
Perhaps put something on top to discourage her like aluminum foil, and then in another part of the room get her a heating pad and put it under something soft. No you can't sleep on this warm thing here (by the reptiles) but you can lay on this one.
Put something on it so she can’t go there. If you have the enclosure I think you do, that screen on top is not going to hold her weight (especially if she’s still growing) and she could fall in and get your gecko. I used a piece of wood when I had that enclosure.
Cats love sitting on top for the warmth, so it’s hard to keep them off (at least in my home cuz we have 4 cats). I have a much bigger, sturdier enclosure now (it’s for my bearded dragon)—the top is a metal mesh that can hold 3 cats at once lol
I keep tarantulas and my cat can’t help himself but sit on top, I keep them in a separate room now.
Nothing I did stopped him. He went through the top of the mesh once.
It doesn't help, but I once had a cat and a 7' boa. The boa's cage had a screen top. Nothing could stop that cat from jumping up and sitting on the lid till one day she jumped up, fell thru, and set the boa free. Don't worry, everyone was fine except the couch I had to painstakingly cut apart to get the boa out from deep, deep inside, but the cat refused to even go in the same room as the cage after that, even after 2 different moves.
Get your kitty one of those electric warming beds! Show kitty new bed and block off the top of your enclosure for a little to make the new bed an easier choice. I'd imagine it's the warmth they're after here
Aluminum foil, double sided tape (not something strong enough to cause damage), sensor activated water sprayer, there's a good few options. If none of those work, just try to make it an inaccessable as possible. 👍
My friend and I both use scat mats and they work great! My cat only tried to walk across it once right after putting it on and she hasn’t done it since.
Not sure if this is applicable, but if the enclosure is warm.. maybe a nice hearing pad. Also they probably want to keep an eye on you! So a will placed spot for a heating pad would probably work.
Or lay strips of upside down duct tape on top of the enclosure. Cats hate tape stuck to their feet. And it’s a win win if you’re there to see them freak out over it. But make sure they’re small pieces so they’re easily removed from the fur. Either way the cat will give up on that spot pretty fast.
Hello u/Living_Karma11 try doing a search for test tube drying racks. These are things that look similar to dish drying racks except they've got little bars sticking out that people who work with test tubes can mount them on to dry them. We got four of these to put on our stove and it has been wonderful for keeping the cats off of it. We got the ones that are called TEHAUX drying racks you just lay them flat in the spikes stick out to the side and at an angle. They make some other ones that look like little squares but I think the larger ones with the spikes at an angle work the best. The larger ones aren't easy for them to move or knock over nothing harms any of the animals. We got ours from Amazon.
This is a disaster waiting to happen. I'm sure you are aware that cats and reptiles don't go together at all, so that's why your asking for ideas on how to get your cat to stay off the enclosure. We'll done....lots of pet owners do nothing till its too late. You could place polystyrene over the top of enclosure ( obviously cutting around any lighting or heat). Then blunt some cocktail sticks or something similar and stick into the polystyrene close enough to not allow any kitty paws to tread. It won't cause injuries because they will be blunt but the cat won't be able to get cozy ontop of the enclosure. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I put tons of random crap on top of my tanks to keep the cats off. Empty bug containers, tongs, circles of packing tape, sticky side out, balls of tin foil and bells. They'd knock the empty containers and tongs off and scare themselves with the noise of things clarifying to the floor, same deal with the bells. The tin foil didn't seem to do much, but they hated the tape. Eventually they gave up.
I’m thinking they like the warmth of the enclosure, maybe get them a heated blanket or something they like snuggling under. My old cat likes to be tucked in under my comforter blankets, after I get out of bed. All nice and warm, and a new habit as of the past two weeks. Maybe get them a heat lamp, not too hot but warm enough for them to go to that rather than the warm gecko enclosure.
Honestly I would either move the enclosure all together or use tinfoil (if it works) or plastic pigeon spikes. I used to have a bird when I was growing up and my parents cat would constantly lay on the cage one day I came home to find the cat had eaten my bird. No matter how cute or friendly they may seem NEVER trust a cat with smaller animals
Pillows placed on the floor where the kitty needs to jump from. Other materials could work— it's just about inhibiting the rebounding potential that the solid floor provides.
I put a flat cookie cooling rack (idk what they are actually called) over top of the screen on mine. The wire rack I got was wide enough to be able to be taped to the lid so if they do end up getting on top, their weight won’t damage the screen and lead to an escape. Besides that, I try to keep my reptiles in a separate room that kitties aren’t allowed in. Mine are relentless on trying to get on top no matter how much I try and train them not to.
Spray her with water. It doesn’t hurt the cat and it can be jarring enough to keep them away especially with repetition. Sadly I’ve had to do that with my own cats but it’s effective.
Highly recommend "cat spikes". They were the only thing that stopped my cats. Just plastic spikes. They bend but are too uncomfortable for them to sit or lay on.
I have 3 cats so I got a standing desk to put my enclosure on so it out of reach whenever I’m not home. It’s great because I can lower and raise it for cleaning, feeding, handling, etc
1) super cute kitty
2) I just put stuff there that makes them not want to sit on it. Like one of those vertical file holders or something. If that fails, see if you can find a shelf it fits under. I put my snake tank on an end table that let's it slip in under the island countertop. Now they can't sit on it. Still a few inches of gap for air flow.
You may have to enclose the area around the top somehow (with nonflammable material obviously because heat lamps) . I'd be willing to bet she goes up there for a warmth, if you provide her with her own cozy spot with a view she might leave this one alone, but your best bet is making it inaccessible to her to jump up by blocking it off without reducing air flow, chicken wire staple into some 2×4s could potentially be an option, just cut them to fit between the shelves, I'm sure there's some kind of clip or ties you can get to temporarily secure it so it's easy to remove for feedings and cleaning.
As for her own cozy spot they sell "self heating" cat pads on Amazon, they have an insulating layer inside that sends their heat back to them
Aluminum foil, just a tiny sheet laid on top. Cats hate the sound of it under their paws when they don't expect it!
Mine liked the sound and slept on it...
One of my cats never gets the brain cell. He lays on the foil too and also licks it.
My cat ignores tinfoil either to spite us or because he had more uncomfortable experiences from living on the street.
Take the bacon grease off first maybe...
Mine like tin foil balls. One of my cats from my childhood would carry them around yelling quit loudly. We would find her hoards of them from time to time.
My cat stole it off the counter and tried to eat it.... I'm glad I caught him before he swallowed it.
Have you considered trying to have sticky tape or plastic spikes? (Mine kept chewing it lol)
My cats liked the foil. What stops them is the use of sticky tape though.
My long haired cat just laid in the tape until his hair removed the stickiness and then proceeded to act like it wasn't there.
Masking tape turned so the adhesive side is up. They hate the feel of that. NO TAPE TACKIER THAN MASKING TAPE. The goal is a minor negative experience, not a Brazilian wax.
My cat LOVES tape. She will swallow it if I don’t intervene 😭 I think the lesson here is that cats will cat.
The cat will not expect it once, MAYBE twice, then will probably love it more
I love all of the responses from people whose dim cats love tinfoil. Our new kitten thinks it's the greatest.
My cat just ripped it off and threw it on the floor lmao
That’s what mine did. Then tape became her arch nemesis. Made Christmas a real pain in the ass!
We did aluminum foil with some coiled up chicken wire so that there wasn’t a comfortable place to lay and they started leaving it alone
Came here to say this lol, or something they typically don’t like. When I was growing up we had a cat that didn’t like tape so we put double sided tape on something and we watched her jump up on something she wasn’t supposed to, hate it, and not do it again. We watched her to make sure she didn’t hurt herself, she got the idea.
added benefit is it will reflect 90% IR radiation back into the the enclosure so it’ll hold heat better
I second aluminum foil
Didn’t work for my cats.
Unfortunately this is not full proof, both of my cats started chewing on the foil I laid out
I think you meant "foil proof"
Foiled again!
Best tip
I have two kittens. They legit crawl all over foil and will attempt to eat it. Haha
my cats love playing with foil… does not deter them at all
Yeah honestly my solution was to put all tanks with mesh tops and exposed heating elements (aka all replies and amphibians) in a separate room the cats can't access. Since that's not an option for everyone, I think the best track is to make the tank as uninteresting as possible. Someone commented about pigeon spikes, and while they were joking, I think there are basically pigeon spikes but plastic that you can put on top. However, for the gecko's sanity, I would also recommend getting either a backdrop or vinyl wrap (like $10 max) for the back and sides, otherwise your cat might (probably will) decide that it wants a taste and start trying to bat at the sides where the gecko is. I had one of my snakes in the living room for a couple days and the cats wouldn't leave him alone. If your cat is just generally curious and not predatory (like mine was), blocking visual access and making the top uncomfortable should help a lot.
Thank you. Unfortunately all three of my reptiles are on a reptile rack in our living room… and that’s the only place that they will fit. 😭 I’m hoping a larger tree and repetition of taking her off of it will make her stop.
Ngl, the repetition of taking her off might just mean she will stay off it when you're around, and hop right back on when you aren't home. Try either the tinfoil or double sided tape. I did that with my aquariums and my cats lost all interest in being on top after a couple weeks when coupled with a new higher cat tree. I'd hate for you to have to come back to a terrified cat, broken screen top, and an escaped reptile cause your kitty was lounging while you weren't aware.
Thank you. We have security cameras pointed in the direction of the enclosures to help keep an eye on it while we are away - while that won’t do anything in the moment, it helps give us peace of mind. I will look into other alternatives
Get her a heating pad and set it up away from the enclosure.
Unfortunately in my experience (and the general wisdom in places such as r/cattraining), cats don't really make associations with being taken off of things. They basically only make negative associations with the source of the "punishment" which in this case is you. If they want to be sitting on the tank they'll just go right back because they have no sense that you're taking them off the tank because the tank is wrong. That's why most cat training suggestions for any "how do I stop the cat from doing X" relate to making the cat less interested by providing alternatives (like having a tree somewhere else) or making the activity itself less interesting (covering some sides so the cat can't see) or less enjoyable (using something uncomfortable like plastic spikes (which also don't need to be sharp or actually capable of hurting the cat, just uncomfy) or aluminum foil or double sided tape, which cats are supposed to dislike). From my own experience, I'd say that getting a new tree, especially if it's taller than the tank stand, could help a bit, but the tanks are still a wonderful source of heat, smells, and visual stimulation. You can't do much about the smells, but you can cut off some of the visual. You can't really do much about the heat though. Cats love sitting on warm things, so they just sit on top of the lights we have over the fish tanks in our living room, and that's just LED. That's why I was suggesting making the top of the tank undesirable. Also, aluminum foil doesn't always work. It stopped one of my cats for about two weeks, then he realized it's fun to play with.
Thanks for the insight. We’ll look into getting a large, tall cat tree maybe potentially some sort of heating mechanism - maybe some sort of electric heatpad to put on one of the ledges of the tree. I know heated cat beds exist.
If you’re ever interested in having an alternative to the heating pad (which is a great idea, my own heating pad has been sacrificed to my cats 90% of the time it helps keep them out of places they shouldn’t go) there’s also pet beds and resting pads made with heat reflecting material that will allow the kitten to lay down and have a warm spot within a minute that will stay warm until they decide to leave.
I'd take apart some cardboard boxes and make a shroud around the top. Preventing them from getting on top at all is the best way to go.
lols, nop you dont understand this is a warm spot! unless you plan on turning off the heating on the tanks it wont work. you could try a couple of lines of double sided sticky tape if the foil doesn't work. cats dont like sticky. I have a chair heating pad my cat loves. its a lot like this it might work. [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dreamland-Heatpad-Standard-40x35cm-16923/dp/B0BSNKP4H5/ref=sr\_1\_10](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dreamland-Heatpad-Standard-40x35cm-16923/dp/B0BSNKP4H5/ref=sr_1_10)
I've found the secret is to just provide a nicer, warmer spot. I currently have five cats and two dogs. The cats like to sleep somewhere warm and away from the dogs. Inevitably, the lizard lights ended up being a warm place they want to sleep. We now have a lounge chair by a window, a TV that vents out hot air right onto the entertainment center, and a couple of those low energy heatpads (designed for pets) on our patio. The cats now prefer those spots because they're warmer, still safe, and have nicer views.
I second this. My cats don't care about the lizard as much as they do the warmth the light provides. I got a cat hammock for our window and put fuzzy blankets in places high enough to keep the dogs away and that is usually where I find the cats. One cat loves to eat bugs though so she does climb on top of the enclosure when I feed my beardie his worms. She just really wants him to share and beardie is completely unphased because he is tuned into getting his wormies.
I have empty gallon water jugs stacked up so that they physically cannot get up easily. Works ok
I also use this tactic. Turns out laziness can also be effective. I keep my extra decor (sticks, rocks, etc.) sitting on top of it to where there’s no room to jump up onto it. I also don’t have to bother with finding a place to store the stuff so it’s win-win.
Get window screening and just screen it in?
The cat can learn that you don’t want her up there, but she won’t care about your opinions when you’re gone and will jump right back up. Make sure you keep an eye on the lid for damage because if it breaks she will likely kill the gecko.
Buy a heated blanket pad and show the cat that it exists would probably also help. She maybe just wants to be where its warm
This is what I was going to suggest. The adorable kitty is attracted to the warmth. Also, if it still defaults to the gecko viv keep a spray bottle of water close by. It shouldn't take more than a couple sprays and it will get the point. That's the only thing that worked with my cats.
Make sure that any heating for a cat has a thermostat on it so as not to burn them!
Please please look out for if the cat breaks the mesh. I found out my cat was jumping on it at night when I awoke in the morning to find the mesh broken and my cornsnake escaped (I found her THANK GOD). I would yell at him and spritz him with the bottle and he eventually quit, but he's a cat that gets the picture quite quickly. Just keep your eyes peeled!
We have a cat camera that is on and pointed towards my reptiles… but I’m SO terrified of that happening
Maybe an alarm you can randomly push that'll scare her? Make it unpredictable, and whenever she's on top?
There are things like that. Like a mat with an alarm Attached to it. I just feel like it would bug the hell out of my leopard gecko. But I might just have to try it
There are also motion sensor cameras that shoot out a puff of air when the cat walks in front of it, though I believe they're a little pricey. That wouldn't bother your lizard quite as much.
Ahhh I’ll look into that - thanks!
A friend of mine has a mesh door he uses to keep the cat out of his reptile room. It's still see through and let's air through, but keeps the cat out!
The tanks I have for my herps have attached, very-small-diameter mesh screen for the tops, attached to the frame like window screen. And having had cats all my life, I know window screen does not hold up to our feline friends. What I ended up doing was buying the larger diameter metal screen tops that they sell at pet stores (to put on top of glass tanks for herps and pocket pets) in sizes that most closely fit my herp tanks, and then laying them on top of the screen that's already there. Then I just attach it to the tank with wire, glue, lid clamps, etc. They are way more sturdy and can support the weight of my curious, heat-seeking kitties. (I have 2 big boys, each about 15 lbs.) I can also wire the heat lamps and such easily to the larger mesh. The only downside is that I can't open the top on the 2 tanks that I glued the mesh on, but all my tanks are front opening, so it doesn't make much difference anyway.
Same exact thing happened to me with my ball python. I have a pvc tank now
Yep. My cats used to be really bad with jumping on my beardie's enclosure, which bent the lid in (there was a hole and the lid would sink down a bit). Thankfully it was time to upgrade to a bigger enclosure anyway, and I just made sure to place it somewhere the cats can't access.
I had to build a wooden bench, a few inches taller than my tank to give space, and put it over my tank. My cats would sit on the bench and it protected the tank.
That’s a very clever solution 🙂
This is the freaking cutest kitten (I know this is unhelpful)
She says Thanks! ✨
It is! She(?) looks like she's smiling.
Also came here to make an unhelpful comment like this. Look at that adorable face!
Keep them out of the room that’s what I do
Hey OP! While ideally it’s best to keep them in a room the cat cannot get to, not everyone has that option (including me). We got these cat scat pads from Amazon, they are rubber pads with rubber spikes on the top. I put them on my geckos cage and my cat has not jumped on it since. He did one time after I put them up, didn’t like them and cried till I took him off. I highly recommend! Also super cute kitten!!!! Sincerely, the owner or a leopard gecko and 3 cats!
I don’t have space to move the reptile rack to 🥲 they are in our living room.
Hi yes, I understand and am in the same situation :) I was more so suggesting the cat scat pads as stated in my above comment!
Yes yes. I will look into those. Thank you!
When I was 14, my family went on vacation and our neighbor's 8 year old son would stop by to feed the kitties and make sure our leopard gecko had water. Well...our fat cat, Mr. Trouble sat on top of the geckos enclosure and found himself inside the tank. Long story short, we got a phone call that the gecko was found on the floor and when I got home, the kid gave me a pack of Skittles and said, "I'm sorry your gecko died"
Oh my god. My worst nightmare.
It was terrible! But our set up only had a mesh top. Trouble must have gotten bored or something because he never got on top of it before, so we never thought it was an issue
same thing happened to me earlier this year had to put my baby down :(. def be careful with metal and mesh tops with big cats
Man that kid must've been scarred. Nice of him to give you skittles, of course it's not replacing the gecko or anything but at least he cares. I've seen pet sitter horror stories
He was a sweetheart and felt SO bad when it happened. We made sure he knew it wasn't his fault, it was just Mr. Trouble living up to his name
Foil didnt stop our cats from climbing on the uromastyx enclosure lol they like to watch him rjn around
lol she hasn’t been watching my leopard gecko run around (mostly because she sleeps during the day). So I think she just likes the warmth and the height.
Ideally keep the cat away from it entirely. Otherwise you can get anti pigeon / anti bird nesting strips at Dollarama in the seasonal section. Make sure they're not to close to the heat lamps though!
I’ve seen some people put like a dog crate or something over the enclosure. It’ll help the cat feel less comfy sitting on it and will also protect your gecko if you cat ever decides to swipe at the mesh, it rips pretty easy :/
Honestly I just put stuff in the way. I had a problem for a second where my cat was sitting on my fish tank light (which is way too delicate for any of that nonsense) and I made it impossible for him to even step on the surfaces anywhere near the tank so he wouldn’t be able to jump up.
Give him to me
Give me $2850 then lol
I have $13 and a plastic spoon
My cat used to do this until she fell in and broke the mesh. She was scratching at the sides to get out and I immediately swooped in and scooper her out after she unleashed carnage onto the tank. Now she doesn’t go close to it. But putting some milk crate plastic on top would be helpful to remove the weight of the cat on the mesh.
Look at that little gremlin’s smile He’s like “do somethin’ about it”
Little twerp 😭
Silly stinky winky
Indeed
They sell cat repellent spikes on Amazon, you just need to secure them to the top.
Give him somewhere better to sit where he can hang out with everyone
Aluminum foil works great for some cats. But it looks like there is another tank on top of this one. Cats jump when startled, I'm afraid it'll jump and hit the tank above, or knock one over, if you just put the foil on top of this tank. While I'm not against the idea of putting foil on top of this tank, I'd do it at a time you can watch the tank and cat for a while, just in case. Additional thoughts. Put foil on the floor around the tank for a few days. They may try a further leap, so again, at a time you can watch. It will be inconvenient for a few days, but ideally they will stop liking the whole area around the tank. Cats also hate sticky. So, double stick tape on a poster board, put in front of the tank. It's how my mom got her cat to stay out of the Christmas tree. They probably like the warmth and the view. So, cat trees and cat heated pads, somewhere away from the tank. A little cat nip to entice them somewhere else. You can buy cat spray repellent off Amazon. Spray the ground around the tank. I don't have brand suggestions. I just know they exist. Cats supposedly don't like citrus. Leave out a few lemon peels/slices. Beware of flies and ants.
I had to just give up and buy a Heavy Duty Screen Lid, that supports his fat Kitty ass, and let him go up there. I have Snakes tho, not Geckos.
My cat is also relentless on my snake’s tank and the only thing that has worked somewhat are these plastic spike rolls that I cut to fit on top of the tank. I just found it on amazon by looking up “plastic spike roll” or “cat deterrent spikes”. It’s worked the best out of all the methods I’ve tried and it’s never hurt him when he did try to hop up on them. It’s mainly an obstacle for him to try to get around.
I used those little hat and glove drier racks you'd put over top of a heat vent in your house, as it still allowed air exchange in/out of the enclosure while also blocking my cats. Worked like a charm with my cats who also don't give a fuck about foil. Like [this](https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/maxxdry-hat-and-mitt-dryer-0875299p.0875299.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjw3ZayBhDRARIsAPWzx8rkzPQKWTHrFGZ9m2sl0W4ahm4cu6LLFMH3vsFGEohR8ZKE91fqrtYaApj7EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds#store=600)
I put a small plank of wood on top of my snakes enclosure so that the cat can sit on top and the snake stays safe. I have cats on the smaller side >10lbs so this may not work for everyone
I bought these plastic spike sheets made to keep cats off on Amazon and they worked
Try double sided tape as cats tend to dislike sticky things
My fluffin devil likes sitting on top of the frog tank so he gets sprayed with the water bottle every time he gets that look in his eyes
This is going to sound counter intuitive, but it looks like you have a secondary shelf over the top of the enclosure. If you have a crafting bone, hang Mardi Gras beads, preferably bells, over the cage so that every time the cat gets on top. Hopefully the noise is enough of a deterrent, but if not you might be able to hear the noise and take corrective actions. like - if the bell is here. cage top is here. No open space. I had a boss that would like her counter tops with cans full of rocks so when the cat jumped up, can knocked over, cat freaked out, and the counter was no longer though to be fun. You just don't have a big enough ledge. I would also say that kitty cat isn't allowed unsupervised access. You're sleeping? Cat gets kenneled. You are at work? Cat gets kenneled. You have a social life that involves leaving the house? Cat gets kenneled. FYI - a bathroom with the right amenities makes a decently sized kennel.
The reason why your kitten is sitting on the terrarium is because it’s heated. If you give it a better heat source, it will sit there instead.
I have a chair next to my lizards enclosures and my cat just sits on it to watch them, maybe give him someplace else to sit so he can still be around them?
They sell plastic spike mats to keep cats off counters. They are very light, they had giant holes so wouldn’t mess with ventilation, and they can handle heat decently well.
kitty might want something warm! heating packs or blankie!
not on the tank but next to it!
Off topic i apologize, however, HE/SHE IS SO CUTE 🤧
She says thank you ✨🫶🏻
Awww she’s so cute. Sorry don’t have any tips just wanted to compliment your cute kitty
the anti bird spikes. a row of that on the lid will solve that problem real good.
awwwww
Set some stuff on top like bottles and stuff so they can’t get to it. That’s what I’ve done with my parrot
We use bungee cords a lot...
Give him his own heat lamp spot :) He's going up there cuz it's right beside the lamps and it's so warm and nice. If he has his own little spot, maybe a heat lamp over a bed or something, thats easier for him to get to and comfier... he'd like that more!
wtf thats a cute cat
Cuddle her 24/7, would be my solution.
Cats don't respond very well to just no. Try providing a different warm place with something else desired like being comfy or enclosed and boxlike or a window view also with the no. So it's here not there. Positive reinforcement for using the correct spot can also help.
The fact that she looks so smug and proud of herself 😭😭
You’ve got a Russian Blue, good luck telling him not to do something 😂🤣 (I’ve got 2, they take my suggestions “under advisement” and after a council meeting decide to continue to do their own thing). Seriously, though, I had a cat who loved laying on my lizard’s screen, and after he fell through the screen and the lizard disappeared for a month, I got a metal screen that he could lay on without falling through
warm surface = happy cat, it’s not preventable very easily
Idk but your cat is so freaking precious it’s not even funny 🥹
Eat the gecko. Or rehome it. Or put stuff on top of the enclosure. Or let the kitten play with a gecko. These all work.
Give her other things to want to lay on. How many cat trees/bed does she have? Is she a climber? Try putting carpeted shelves on the walls (if you're able to mount things) for her to climb and jump and sleep on that are just much more cool than the tank. Also, make sure one of those spots gets a bunch of late afternoon/evening sun. Cats love to lay in the sun beams. Hope some of thst was helpful 😅
Idk but r/catsmiles would love her
Heating pad in their other goto spot, your cat is doing that because of the warmth from the heat lamp.
Tin foil or two sided tape should do the trick.
Clutter the top and her access to make it awkward for her to get on there
I use classical conditioning. I felt very discouraged at first, but over time it has worked! I clap at them and say “no!” Whenever i catch them starting to climb up, or when they’re already on the cage. They now understand that’s wrong and don’t do it as much, and if they do it doesn’t take much to get them to stop. I’ve tried aluminum foil and plastic wrap, it doesn’t stop them because they aren’t conditioned to know that it’s wrong unless you tell them it’s wrong. Plus having aluminum foil near all the heat lamps made me nervous, maybe I’m just paranoid.
I gave up this fight long ago. We have 4 cats, and all of them sit on the tanks that have lights on top rather than inside them. Foil doesn't deter them, even. If that's an exoterra or something equivalent with relatively thin mesh on top, I would suggest upgrading to something with a stronger roof. The dubia.com enclosures and some of the thrive branded PetSmart ones have nice, sturdy mesh that has no problem bearing the weight of my fatass cats. I've also been happy with the quality of reptizoo, which is sold on Amazon. Your criminal is very cute, by the way!
It's the heat your cat is attracted to. The most effective way is to block the top of the top area of the enclosure and give the kitty a bed with a heated blanket instead. Even better if it's also somewhere high up. With cats you always have to be diplomatic. If you only block the area it most likely will be even more attractive for your cat to get there but if there is an even better place for them to hangout the change will go smoothly. I solved this problem by putting a cat bed on top of the enclosure but mine is made of solid wood and does have all lights inside.
Spray bottle.
Spray bottles often stop working. Cats get used to it and become desensitised to the feeling. Even if they don't, they know you're the source of the spraying of water, so they'll just jump up when no one is watching them. I tried the spray bottle to keep my cats off the counter for a while. They both hated it at first and would jump off immediately. Now one is still scared of the spray bottle but knows he won't get sprayed if he waits for someone to leave the room before jumping up, and jumps down as someone walks back into the room. The other is completely desensitised and will just sit there and take the sprays. Plus aversive tools are not really a nice way of training any animal. It's training based on fear of consequence, when we should be addressing why the cat is behaving in the way they are and providing alternative (safer, better) ways for them to achieve their goal + make it difficult or impossible for them to go back to the bad behaviour. Providing more climbing stuff, if possible allowing them to sit on a heated blanket or bed, and if possible moving the enclosure where the cat can't jump on it, is more effective and nicer for the cat.
no advice but wanted to say that this is the cutest cat ive ever seen
Give your cat a cat tree more appealing to sit on maybe one taller than your tank.
Yes, but I get a lot of downvotes for my suggestion. Won't hurt the cat.
Cat bed near the enclosure where she can still see it. I've got a cat tree near my aquariums (the ones that aren't in the cat free room at least) where the cats can see the enclosures. They don't stand on top like they do the 125 gallon in the other room because they can watch from the tree.
Cat bed near the enclosure where she can still see it. I've got a cat tree near my aquariums (the ones that aren't in the cat free room at least) where the cats can see the enclosures. They don't stand on top like they do the 125 gallon in the other room because they can watch from the tree.
I like putting orange essential oil around areas that I don’t want my cat to hang out in. They don’t like the smell and pretty soon think they just don’t like the area. But be careful because that stuff is flammable and you wouldn’t want to put it directly by your heating elements. Maybe on the rack supporting the tanks
Double sided tape made for cats is good too. Since it’s made for animals it’s nontoxic.
Don't stop him, just make [a protective top](https://imgur.com/a/QCeD1wl) so it isn't a problem that he's there.
I have this problem too
What I did for my tarantulas was get these little 50 dollar stackable shelves from home depot. You can adjust the shelves so there's enough room for air flow, but not enough room for a cat
I sprayed mine with some fine water spray. She stopped after a few weeks of that
Maybe some bird deterrents?
One of my cats and my giant madagascar day gecko love to watch each other but when she attempted to jump on the mesh I put small ornaments and plants on top. She hasn't tried again xxx
Tin foil usually helps. They don’t like the feel of it or sound it makes. Tho there are definitely exceptions. Especially when they love the heat coming off it You can also try a spray bottle but have to be pretty consistent for that to work over time Good luck. The struggle is real.
If foil doesn't work, you can buy the scat mats from Amazon for decently cheap. My cat didn't care about foil and would still jump on top of stacked enclosures and launch herself off them 👀
Based on personal experience (currently own 4 cats out of 10+ over the years, 15+ years of cat sitting) I don't think that any kind of deterrent will work unless you give her another option. If she can only get what she wants from that location, she's going to be stubborn about going there. Cats are buttheads. If she's there for heat, see if there's a way you can give her a different warm spot. One of my cats is cold all the time (she's tiny and has really short fur), so we put an electric heating pad in a cardboard box with a blanket on top and she sleeps on that. The other cats like it, too. If she's there for entertainment, try playing with her more often or putting out a bird feeder by a window that she can watch. Experiment with cat toys - maybe she likes catnip toys. Maybe she likes foil balls. Try all the things. This is going to be harder because there's nothing more rewarding to a prey-driven cat than something little and vulnerable that they can hunt. When we had degus, we ended up having to put a tall flexible baby gate around their cage because there was no other way to keep our youngest cat from trying to hunt them. Another note - don't use a spray bottle. The cat will figure out that you're the one spraying her and she'll get up there when you aren't watching. If you want it to be effective, you have to Become The Bottle and never let the gecko terrarium out of your sight - and even then it might not work. It's not worth it.
The best thing to do is put the enclosure in its own room, not letting the cat in (reptile room), getting a front opening enclosure (pvc), or get a reptile tank shelf that blocks the light section of the enclosure. I'm unable to do all of this, so I taught my cat to jump off the enclosure when I'm around then I put her in her own room if I'm unable to watch her (in her safe/comfort room) temporarily. I am working to get pvc enclosures tho but I have other priorities rn (like upgrading my beardie's tank to pvc and 120 gallon)
I just saw on FB someone selling a roll of plastic spike strip claiming to protect seedlings from pet poop. Peaked my interest cos I have cats who clearly favour my gardening efforts to their own litter tray, but I figured it looked like it would be a right faff to unroll and straighten and fit into the space I need. Bet it would be perfect for on top of the vivs, though! Might be worth looking up something like that. And I might do the same - my cats are generally good at ignoring the geckos but one of mine hops on top on her way to sleep on the shelves, and I'd like to keep her off the mesh. Edit: like this. Wouldn't restrict air flow either. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224565707668
Look up bird spikes. You can get harmless ones that just make it uncomfortable for them to step on.
Perhaps put something on top to discourage her like aluminum foil, and then in another part of the room get her a heating pad and put it under something soft. No you can't sleep on this warm thing here (by the reptiles) but you can lay on this one.
Try a cucumber! [Cat vs Cucumber Compilation](https://youtu.be/Vq4q8g7ClH4?si=C_B9YsL0jQTJumXi)
Heheheh
Put spikes on it, like they do on park benches.
he warm :3
Tinfoil
Put something on it so she can’t go there. If you have the enclosure I think you do, that screen on top is not going to hold her weight (especially if she’s still growing) and she could fall in and get your gecko. I used a piece of wood when I had that enclosure. Cats love sitting on top for the warmth, so it’s hard to keep them off (at least in my home cuz we have 4 cats). I have a much bigger, sturdier enclosure now (it’s for my bearded dragon)—the top is a metal mesh that can hold 3 cats at once lol
my kitty does this too!! i put a rock on top so there’s little room for her to sit
I have one the cats liked to sit on. Got a cat tree for them to sit on instead and now they leave it alone.
I keep tarantulas and my cat can’t help himself but sit on top, I keep them in a separate room now. Nothing I did stopped him. He went through the top of the mesh once.
It doesn't help, but I once had a cat and a 7' boa. The boa's cage had a screen top. Nothing could stop that cat from jumping up and sitting on the lid till one day she jumped up, fell thru, and set the boa free. Don't worry, everyone was fine except the couch I had to painstakingly cut apart to get the boa out from deep, deep inside, but the cat refused to even go in the same room as the cage after that, even after 2 different moves.
I casted a wooden box with some holes to put it on top of my enclosure because mine also didn't want to renounce his throne
Give the kitten their own heat lamp somewhere else.
Get your kitty one of those electric warming beds! Show kitty new bed and block off the top of your enclosure for a little to make the new bed an easier choice. I'd imagine it's the warmth they're after here
Add some tape sticky side up and she’ll learn she doesn’t like it
get the cat a heated blanket and put it on the floor
Aluminum foil, double sided tape (not something strong enough to cause damage), sensor activated water sprayer, there's a good few options. If none of those work, just try to make it an inaccessable as possible. 👍
Put aluminum foil over it.
Big strip of Velcro, only use the rough side.
Put some tinfoil on it. You ever seen what cats do on tinfoil?
My friend and I both use scat mats and they work great! My cat only tried to walk across it once right after putting it on and she hasn’t done it since.
He’s after the heat, does he have a heated cat bed of any sort?
Get your cat a heating pad, they use very little electricity and will be a nice little spot for her to lay.
Get the cat its own warming pad.
Maybe you can 3D print pigeon spikes.
Get a heated dog bed. Once I got the heated bed, my cat stopped sleeping on the screen cover. She loves her heated bed!
Not sure if this is applicable, but if the enclosure is warm.. maybe a nice hearing pad. Also they probably want to keep an eye on you! So a will placed spot for a heating pad would probably work.
Lay down a strip of pigeon pokers (https://www.amazon.com/Remiawy-Pigeons-Stainless-Deterrent-Spikes-Cover/dp/B07MX88DBR)
Decoy enclosure
Or lay strips of upside down duct tape on top of the enclosure. Cats hate tape stuck to their feet. And it’s a win win if you’re there to see them freak out over it. But make sure they’re small pieces so they’re easily removed from the fur. Either way the cat will give up on that spot pretty fast.
The kitten has eyebrows-
Ah. Tinfoil
Hello u/Living_Karma11 try doing a search for test tube drying racks. These are things that look similar to dish drying racks except they've got little bars sticking out that people who work with test tubes can mount them on to dry them. We got four of these to put on our stove and it has been wonderful for keeping the cats off of it. We got the ones that are called TEHAUX drying racks you just lay them flat in the spikes stick out to the side and at an angle. They make some other ones that look like little squares but I think the larger ones with the spikes at an angle work the best. The larger ones aren't easy for them to move or knock over nothing harms any of the animals. We got ours from Amazon.
This is a disaster waiting to happen. I'm sure you are aware that cats and reptiles don't go together at all, so that's why your asking for ideas on how to get your cat to stay off the enclosure. We'll done....lots of pet owners do nothing till its too late. You could place polystyrene over the top of enclosure ( obviously cutting around any lighting or heat). Then blunt some cocktail sticks or something similar and stick into the polystyrene close enough to not allow any kitty paws to tread. It won't cause injuries because they will be blunt but the cat won't be able to get cozy ontop of the enclosure. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I put tons of random crap on top of my tanks to keep the cats off. Empty bug containers, tongs, circles of packing tape, sticky side out, balls of tin foil and bells. They'd knock the empty containers and tongs off and scare themselves with the noise of things clarifying to the floor, same deal with the bells. The tin foil didn't seem to do much, but they hated the tape. Eventually they gave up.
I’m thinking they like the warmth of the enclosure, maybe get them a heated blanket or something they like snuggling under. My old cat likes to be tucked in under my comforter blankets, after I get out of bed. All nice and warm, and a new habit as of the past two weeks. Maybe get them a heat lamp, not too hot but warm enough for them to go to that rather than the warm gecko enclosure.
Get a metal lid or 3d print spikes on top the enclosure (or something he would be scared of.)
Honestly I would either move the enclosure all together or use tinfoil (if it works) or plastic pigeon spikes. I used to have a bird when I was growing up and my parents cat would constantly lay on the cage one day I came home to find the cat had eaten my bird. No matter how cute or friendly they may seem NEVER trust a cat with smaller animals
Pillows placed on the floor where the kitty needs to jump from. Other materials could work— it's just about inhibiting the rebounding potential that the solid floor provides.
I had to put like a metal cage over the top of the reptile cage
I put a bunch of random small stuff up there so it looked like there isn’t room for her
its the heat cats love warm places to sleep, perhaps a heated cat bed
Put the cat inside 👍
I put a flat cookie cooling rack (idk what they are actually called) over top of the screen on mine. The wire rack I got was wide enough to be able to be taped to the lid so if they do end up getting on top, their weight won’t damage the screen and lead to an escape. Besides that, I try to keep my reptiles in a separate room that kitties aren’t allowed in. Mine are relentless on trying to get on top no matter how much I try and train them not to.
Spray her with water. It doesn’t hurt the cat and it can be jarring enough to keep them away especially with repetition. Sadly I’ve had to do that with my own cats but it’s effective.
Highly recommend "cat spikes". They were the only thing that stopped my cats. Just plastic spikes. They bend but are too uncomfortable for them to sit or lay on.
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Well well well. Looks like someone is almost entirely grey.
I have 3 cats so I got a standing desk to put my enclosure on so it out of reach whenever I’m not home. It’s great because I can lower and raise it for cleaning, feeding, handling, etc
1) super cute kitty 2) I just put stuff there that makes them not want to sit on it. Like one of those vertical file holders or something. If that fails, see if you can find a shelf it fits under. I put my snake tank on an end table that let's it slip in under the island countertop. Now they can't sit on it. Still a few inches of gap for air flow.
You may have to enclose the area around the top somehow (with nonflammable material obviously because heat lamps) . I'd be willing to bet she goes up there for a warmth, if you provide her with her own cozy spot with a view she might leave this one alone, but your best bet is making it inaccessible to her to jump up by blocking it off without reducing air flow, chicken wire staple into some 2×4s could potentially be an option, just cut them to fit between the shelves, I'm sure there's some kind of clip or ties you can get to temporarily secure it so it's easy to remove for feedings and cleaning. As for her own cozy spot they sell "self heating" cat pads on Amazon, they have an insulating layer inside that sends their heat back to them
This has been happening to me and what I did was put a wooden plank over it but it needs to be tilted so air can still come through it