The attack of the cat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DragonAmore]

Does anyone have any ideas they can give me in regards to how to keep a cat away from the viv? My boyfriends cat insists on jumping up and he scares my dragon. This happens many times a day to no avail. Tonight he did something to break the screen lid and the two lights almost fell in which could have hurt my dragon real bad. I don't know what to do. Help?
Marie

 

[ChrisMiller]

Can you put your viv in a location away from the cat? Like a different room with a door?

 

[RandyMarsh]

try introducing them and see what happens!

 

[clearlyjoyful]

try introducing them and see what happens!

I can't stress this enough. My boyfriend and I moved Itchy in here about 2-3 weeks ago now, and at first one of our cats, Sylvanas (the female) was incredibly interested and was always jumping up on top of the cage. Neither of them are very heavy, and I don't think that they'd be able to actually cave it in until they got enough little rips in it from claws, but I was still worried.

She still jumps up and is interested but to a much lesser degree. This is all after both cats have been introduced at a close distance (the cats were held, the dragon was held). I don't recommend, like, letting them run around free together (mostly the cats just seem to want his tail now, haha), but it's getting easier. We also spray her everytime she's caught up there (and I mean EVERY time).

 

[bunnyrut]

in some cases cats get along fine with other smaller creatures that they would normally hunt. but in those cases i think the cat grows up around that animal (my mom had rats and cats and they would actually play together).

but if you want to keep you cats away from your beardie find a way to scare them. really really scare them.

like try taking your beardie away and putting something in the cage that would jump and make noise. when the cat goes near the cage set it off. like a Halloween prop that screams when you walk by it. if the cat is startled enough it will keep it's distance from the cage.

 

[TASTIGER]

i would suggest putting like a cookie rack on top somthing that cat stand up to their abuse.

 

[ReptiMama2]

Have you tried squirting the cats with a water bottle? I've had success with that in the past with troublesome kitties.

 

[ChrisMiller]

If all else fails, try a new boyfriend with no cat. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[RandyMarsh]

dude cats can get along with beardies just fine. go watch that video of the cat with it's beardie in the window. it just depends on ONE THING I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH: DEPENDS ON THE CATS DEMEANOR

if it's a jerkface cat like some, then prolly not the one to introduce. If it's a love-bug cat that loves everything, it will prolly be ok.

Everyone saying to scare the cat? I've had terrific luck using a beardie to scare them. My Franklin licks them on the nose to smell them and it freaks them out more than anything.
Dragons won't run or act scared, so the don't automatically elicit the prey response in a feline predator, it honestly, seriously depends on the cat itself. After a while, of beardie just sitting there not giving a crap about it, the cat will move along. Or if it's a jerk cat(like some) it might just think it's a toy and try to play with it, but Franklin bit the crap out of the one cat who tried to paw him and that cat never came back
Those weren't even house cats, just neighborhood cats that like to hang around!

 

[Dooter]

Tape some uncrinkled aluminum foil to the top of the cage. Cats usually HATE the sound of it. Once he jumps up there and it crinkles under his paws, he won't want to try it again.

If he's an extremely bullheaded cat (I have one of those...), get one of those chair mats that you can put on carpet so that your office chair can roll on it. Flip the mat over, and it has these hard nubby things on the bottom (to grip the carpet) that cats hate and don't want to stand/sit/lay on.

Cut the mat up and lay it nubby-side-up over the top of the enclosure, and the area around his cage.

 

[bunnyrut]

i think it is really hard to put anything on top of the enclosure since it would block the lights.

whether or not the cat is afraid of the dragon doesn't matter, it wants to lay on top of the tank where it is warm.

i would recommend getting one of these http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11147204 so if the cat jumps on the screen the lamp won't fall off.

you could remove the screen completely so the cat can't lay on it (it might freak out if it jumps up there and ends up inside instead), but if you do not know how the cat is with the beardie then it is taking a chance. try introducing them, maybe the cat will be indifferent with the beardie. maybe what Randy said will work, one lick for your little guy will send the cat running.

which isn't such a bad idea, cats HATE it when you touch their nose. i have used that to train my cats. i could eat a bowl of cereal with my cat sitting next to me and he wouldn't go for the milk once, all i did was tap his nose with my finger when he tried. eventually i could get up and walk away and he would stare at the bowl. if i left the spoon in he couldn't touch it, if i took the spoon out he could drink the milk. my mom discovered this and started to tease him -.-

 

[XtinaBeardieMom]

like try taking your beardie away and putting something in the cage that would jump and make noise. when the cat goes near the cage set it off. like a Halloween prop that screams when you walk by it. if the cat is startled enough it will keep it's distance from the cage.

If anyone ever does this, PLEASE set up a video camera first :lol:

 

[DragonAmore]

Thanks for all the responses. I am definitely going to try some of them and I will let you all know how it goes.
Marie

 

[stardust]

I know this will sound mean have a cactus plant on the area he jumps up. My mom did that w her cats to keep them off the table and they did stop after landing on it once. It didnt hurt them but they didnt like it or you can always try pepper on the ledge too or near the cage.