Does any One have problems with their Cat and Beardies?

[mike91383]

Hey anyone thanks for all the great responds. I have another question do you have any problems with your cats and beardies? I am asking because my wife any I have been thinks of and in the process of adopting a Bengal cat. The word is that they like to Jump up on to thinks such as my viv’s that my beardies are in. Their lights just sit on top of their viv’s. I was wondering if there was any way to stop a potential cat from jump up and knocking them over, maybe a cage around the lights or hanging them from the ceiling. I’m running out of ideas? I would just like to solve this problem before it’s a problem. Thanks again for any input.

 

[Gail]

If you are getting a Bengal then you will need a way to secure the lights and the lid. A screen lid could collapse under the weight of a large cat. Ideally you would get a wood enclosure with sliding front doors that can be locked. Bengals have a super high prey drive and it will most likely do anything it can to get at your dragon.
My regular house cat would easily be able to get into a glass tank with screen lid, even with my wood cage I have to keep an eye on him because he tries almost daily to get the dragon.
My honest opinion, cats and small pets don't mix.

 

[Shax]

My cat pays no mind to my 2 bearded dragons ore my ball python,and she has a super high prey drive, brings mice and small birds home almost every morning :twisted:

 

[vickson420]

I have a cat and two of my tanks have screen tops and yes the cat does jump up on them all the time and I have to get her off.They like the heat and to beardie watch also lol.Fortunately the cat has never knocked off any of the lamps and I doubt she ever will.Cats are very good at avoiding them however the weight of the cat is cause for concern so I wouldnt allow them on there for long periods of time.

 

[Rayneuki]

Just throwing this in, I have a cat and when I got my screen top for my tank... I made sure it was strong. The guy who made it made it out of galvanized steel. It'll hold a 40 pound cat and lights lol

 

[contessa20]

We have 5 cats (though only 1 - 2 indoors) and they are never allowed in the same room with Mango. Mango's tank is in my son's room simply because it is the warmest room in the house but it also has the added benefit of having the door closed when the cats are up. If Mango is out roaming the house then the cats are locked in the basement during that time. The tank itself has a partially open top and I use a slider hood to avoid the various different clamp lamps sitting on top.

 

[CROCadoodledoo]

We've got a cat/kitten at my boyfriends and he is alright with them.. me might watch them when they are running around an lie near them and let them walk over him but we have to watch him CONSTANTLY because he's at that stage where he will kill anything and everything that he sees ( even coins :roll: ).

My friend had a bengal cat who was off its rocker, I probably couldn't trust one near my dragons.

 

[Martyn21]

If the can can get in your viv then I think you probaly no it's not good. I have a kitten she likes the crickets more lol but get my beardy out 3 times a day And my kitten likes my beardy tail but if she goes for it I tap her bum but otherwise my beardy will climb on my kitten and fall asleep and dasiy my kitten don't mind lol they are bonding all the time and they will grow up together and love eachother it's cute

 

[mike91383]

Hey there, one of the viv's I have has an after market screen top. The other two have the original sliding screen lids. (40 gal breeder tanks) The one's that slide aren't probably the strongest but the after market screen top for the other one seems pretty strong to me. I might have to buy more of them, I guess? Or try to have them made like Rayneuki had suggested. The Bengal we are adopting is only 20 LB at the most. At least that’s what the adoption lady said over the phone. The biggest concern besides the screens, are the lights. I have one clamp ceramic style dome light (MVB) and a fluorescent 24" long style light (Repti Glo 10.0) for each viv. Maybe zip ties would work to keep the lights onto the screen top so they don't get knock off. Thanks for all the input!! Keep them coming!! LOL!!

 

[scarletdragoness]

Hiya, my cat really hates my bearded dragon. but shes more interested in the crickets. Somtimes she tries to dig into the vivaruim ceiling to get at the dragon but shes just a really weird cat.

 

[Morphius]

Much of this discussion largely depends (in my opinion) on the size of the beardie in question.

If your beardie is the size of or smaller than a large mouse, then I would say most house cats will be tempted to at least investigate. This means feline proof enclosures are certainly a must for at least a little while...the same would hold true regarding children...there needs to be some amount of safety for what's inside the enclosure as well as what's outside of it.

This is something my wife and I have put some thought into as our beardie is only 7 weeks old and we have a 1.5 year old cat who watches the enclosure with great interest...that and we also have a 10 yr old son who is also quite interested in the new family pet.

Our answer to this was a metal screen lid (not screen material but thin metal rods) that can ONLY come off if the entire lid is slid (lengthwise) off the top of the aquarium (the sides of the lid wrap around the top of the tank's trim). To this, we have zip tied the light fixtures so they cannot be removed or moved without effort (and a pair of scissors). The lid does has a trap door for access to the tank and it is kept securely closed with a lock.

If you are not able to secure the lights to the top of the enclosure, then I would suggest creating a wire mesh box to enclose the lights in (like chicken wire). This will most certainly discourage many cats from getting on top of as it is most uncomfortable for them and offers no real ability for them to grasp onto (with claws).

 

[palomino]

My cats look at my beardies cage with fascination but they have never made a move to jump on the top of the cage. For one, if they touched one of the lights, esp the MVB they would be burned and two, they are scolded anytime they even remotely look like that's a possibility. My cats are tiny (7-8 lbs fully grown) so they aren't likely to break through my heavy duty screen (knock on wood).

Of course, I can only really handle my beardie when I know that the cats aren't in the house because if he were to accidentally get loose my cats would kill him (even though he's fairly large at 20") but they kill larger snakes, weasles, squirrels and bats so my beardie would definitely be a gonner. No doubt in my mind.

If you are worried about it, I would suggest only getting a beardie if you can put it in a room with a door so you can shut the cats out when you aren't around.

 

[bambichik39]

I have three cats that are all inside. Two of them are on the... chunkier side.. haha and one we just took in from outside, so shes average in weight. I have only caught one of the chunkier ones on top of my beardies tank, and its not to get him, he'll sleep on it bc of the heat. To stop him I have since put a spray bottle on top of his viv. Our cats have figured out that if they do something they aren't suppose to, such as get on the counters, they get squirted, which they hate. We actually put a little vinegar in the water, the cats hate the smell. Haven't had a problem since! Oh, and I have other vivs and they don't even bother them, probably because they are smaller than the beardies 40 breeder and can't fit up there.

 

[darth99]

We have a pair of bearded dragons and wish to add a couple of kittens (one a pedigree ragdoll) to the household. The ragdoll breeder is concerned that the reptiles might pose a problem, ie that the kitten would never settle with the reptiles in the house. Could this be a major issue? and We've had many cats with various kinds of reptiles over the years and never had any problems with them. TT0-201 I would say the cat would be more curious about what the lizard is and what kind of entertainment it can provide rather than be terrified of it or unsettled by it.
Some breeders can be overprotective about where their animals are going, and this is usually actually a good sign, 117-202 it can show the breeder does care for their animals and has looked after them well. I would try my best to convince the breeder that the cat will be well looked after in your home and, 642-591 you are aware of all the issues that could arise from having cats and reptiles in the same house but you are prepared to do all you can to make sure there will be no problems.

 

[Sqooky]

Keep in mind that the predator instinct of a Bengal will be greater than that of a regular house cat. Even with my 2 cats I take precautions, when dealing with a Bengal you should be extra careful. Make sure enclosure is escape proof, be certain there is no way for the cat to break accidently fall into the enclosure, and I definatly reccommend putting the enclosure someplace where you could easily seperate the Beardie from the Bengal, and also somewhere that the Bengal won't be hanging out staring down the beardie.

I have a variety of animals in my house. They can be kept together without problems, you just need to make sure you take precautions to make sure everybody is safe and happy.