If you have both a cat and a reptile, there’s probably one thing you’re constantly worrying about – whether or not your cat will try and jump into the reptile cage. Although it’s essential to be aware of the danger your cat poses to your reptile, it’s also necessary to take steps to keep your cat away from the cage. This article will discuss how to keep cat off reptile cage. Read on for more.
Cats are always getting into things they shouldn’t be, like opening up the dishwasher and chowing down on your clean plates or climbing your drapes. But, when it comes to reptiles, cats are naturally curious about whether you keep live snakes in an aquarium or cute little turtles inside a covered terrarium. If you’ve got a cat at home, there’s probably nothing that will stop your kitty from trying to get into your reptile cage.
Contents
A Detailed Guide on How to Keep Cat Off Reptile Cage
Method 1: Make a Fence & Padlock
Materials: Strong mesh netting, cable ties, 2x wood stakes
1. Measure and mark out a square or rectangle on the floor. To ensure it is big enough for your reptile to move around comfortably, use the largest of your reptiles as an average size guide. The pen should be about 10″ wider than this all around. Cut the mesh to size with wire cutters.
2. Take one of the wood stakes and hammer it into the ground at one corner of the square – make sure that it is vertical by using a level app or placing another stake against it to prop up its top-end if necessary (repeat for any other corners). Tie a cable tie near-center on both sides of each long side of the mesh sheeting you have cut out. Feed these cable ties through two holes in the top of each side of one end of the frame.
3. Attach the frame to the wood stakes at your chosen corner by looping a cable tie around each side just below where they meet on both sides. Once complete, lift the frame and attach the other ends to their stakes using more cable ties – this should leave you with an open-sided pen measuring roughly 10″ wide all around (the exact width will depend upon how tight your initial measurements were).
4. Repeat for any remaining corners before fully enclosing your reptile cage with a piece of solid mesh netting or fencing wire bent into shape and securely attached to all four sides. Attach the net to each corner of the pen using cable ties or similar.
Method 2: Make a Water Bottle Repellent
Materials: A permanent marker, a spray bottle with water or vinegar
1. When your cat is outside the door to the room where the reptile cage is, use a permanent marker to write either “cat” on one side of an empty plastic bottle or “reptile” on the other side. Please do not put any words on the bottom or top of this bottle, as it will be turned upside down when you are spraying it!
2. Fill this bottle three-quarters full with half vinegar and half water – the aim being to spritz it over an intruding cat rather than drown them in what needs to be non-toxic but smelly liquid.
3. When your cat comes into view, open up your bottle, turn it upside down and spray the cat’s face. If they are seriously trying to get into your reptile’s home, you may need to spray them several times and move the bottle around so the cat cannot predict where the next spritz of liquid will come from.
Method 3: Use Hair Conditioner
Materials: A permanent marker, a medium-sized bucket, hair conditioner (or shampoo)
1. Collect about 2 liters worth of hair conditioner or shampoo, which is not being used at present – one quick way of doing this is by taking an empty bottle of shower gel that you no longer want and filling it up with water before adding some hair conditioner. Use different colored food coloring in each container if you wish to make more than one type of hair-based repellent spray.
2. When your cat is about to enter the room with your reptile’s cage in it, use a permanent marker to write “DO NOT TOUCH” on the side of a bucket and fill this container with one or more bottles of hair conditioner or shampoo depending upon how many different types of pungent liquids you have mixed.
3. Place this container close to where you want your cat to stay away from before going outside for a few minutes – if you are using food coloring, make sure that any white marks do not show up! You should return at least five minutes after leaving, as once your cat has absorbed the smell, they may be tempted to investigate just how good this attractive-looking puddle is!
4. Once you are back, if your cat is not interested in the liquid inside the bucket, then use a permanent marker to write “Cat’s Do Not Touch” on the side of it before carrying it further away from your reptile’s cage and adding labels onto another two or more buckets using the same method as previously described.
5. If you have more than one type of pungent liquid outside, move each container closer to each other until they are touching – this will create an invisible but overpoweringly disgusting line that should keep your cat well away!
Method 4: Using Plants and Flowers
Materials: A permanent marker, peat moss or potting soil, a flower pot or plant pot (any shape will do), several different types of plants which you know your cat does not like the smell of.
1. Use a permanent marker to write “cat” on one side of an empty plastic bottle and “reptile” on the other before filling it three-quarters full with peat moss or potting soil. If you are having trouble getting hold of plant pots, use any container with suitable drainage holes in the bottom – there isn’t space for these in this article, so you’ll have to work it out for yourself!
2. Plant some seeds (of the type of plant which you know your cat does not like) into the soil and watch them grow, bearing in mind that if they die then, you should take care not to replant them back into pots or another container as cats can still smell very mild-smelling plants which are dead.
3. When your cat is about to enter the room with your reptile’s cage in it, place this container of dirt and plant seeds where you want them to stay away from before going outside for a few minutes – if you are using food coloring, make sure that any white marks do not show up! You should return at least five minutes after leaving, as once your cat has absorbed the smell, they may be tempted to investigate just how good this attractive-looking puddle is!
Method 5: Teachings, Treats & Toys
1. If you want to keep your cat out of a room but don’t have the time or resources for any particularly creative deterrents.
a) Use a baby gate to close off access to the entire room except for a minimal gap at one end – make sure that this gap is too small for a cat to get through!
b) Consider using bright lights, loud music, and spraying cayenne pepper in front of this gap to further discourage your feline from even trying its luck!
2. Reward good behavior with tasty treats that will encourage your cat not to wander into areas where you don’t want them going! Of course, the best way of doing this is by praising your pet when they go near a place you’d instead didn’t.
3. If you want to discourage wandering cats from being interested in any area where you have your reptile cages.
a) Hide-and-seek is a fun game cat can play with their owners and will encourage them not to go near the places you don’t want them going!
b) Alternatively, provide an interesting new toy for your cat to play with: one that you know it loves and won’t be able to resist chasing after!
4. When first introducing a new toy or treat, make sure that it isn’t positioned directly next to your reptile cage as this might encourage an interest – instead, place it at least 10 feet away (check that this is far enough away by moving the toy or treat even further away if necessary).
5. When your cat is eating, playing, or being petted near areas, you don’t want it wandering in to ensure they are very closely supervised – mainly when the two of you are working with snake cages! If possible, position yourself right next to them to discourage any escape attempts entirely! These methods will help in how to keep cat off reptile cage.
Conclusion:
If you need more help keeping your cat off of your reptile cage, we recommend checking out our article ‘How To Keep Cat Off Reptile Cage’. This article provides helpful advice and tips for keeping cats away from their prized lizard or snake. We also have a video that shows the effectiveness of some products explicitly designed to deter cats from climbing up walls and furniture while remaining aesthetically pleasing in any home. Check it out!
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