Keeping cats off tank- help?

harryball69 · Sep 30, 2017

Ive never had any of my dogs jump on my tank.. lol

Reefer40b · Sep 30, 2017

Sounds like you may have to call in Jackson Galaxy on this one lol

He could be just trying to seek out the heat from the light.. maybe put a short cat tree by the tank if possible with a pet heat pad. Also hes seems real bored, find the toy that it will always play with. I have 5 cats and 3 of them are bengals... talk about up to no good ALL the time
Also could install like wall shelfs so he can run up high, cats love to be up high..

JadeM · Sep 30, 2017

My cat does this too. Especially in the colder months... seems to be warmth the cats are after, mine often takes a snooze on the light. Is there anything around the tank that the cat can jump onto to reach the tank that you could move?

pdxmonkeyboy · Sep 30, 2017

what's going to work best is just accept the fact that your cat also likes to enjoy your fish tank.

I would never get rid of my cat. I'm making a killing in the black turd market!!

Katrina71 · Sep 30, 2017

Reefer40b said:
Sounds like you may have to call in Jackson Galaxy on this one lol
He could be just trying to seek out the heat from the light.. maybe put a short cat tree by the tank if possible with a pet heat pad. Also hes seems real bored, find the toy that it will always play with. I have 5 cats and 3 of them are bengals... talk about up to no good ALL the time
Also could install like wall shelfs so he can run up high, cats love to be up high..

Not a bad idea. Could you do a wall shelf above the tank so she can perch and not get to the tank? Removable for tank maintenance.

Bunnee911 · Sep 30, 2017

leahfiish said:
Get a tall canopy? Or set up a big box fan that blows across the top, cats don't usually like to be directly in front of a fan.

Reefer40b · Sep 30, 2017

Another thought feed him more... Until he's too fat to jump that high [emoji23]

DracoKat · Sep 30, 2017

lol, some of these suggestions are hilarious!

I got the air can. two of them actually to face in different directions. Lets hope that helps.

I do like the office mat idea. I'll try that if this doesn't help!

Katrina71 · Sep 30, 2017

My cat laughed at the office mat. Even slept on it for spite.

Snuggs · Oct 2, 2017

peppermint oil....my two hate the scent...placed soaked cotton balls in the area, no problems sinc

Giraffe0621 · Oct 2, 2017

As sad as this sounds, it's probably best that Jorde (tiger) passed a few years before I got a reef tank & that Mack (black) is turning 14 tomorrow & can't jump very high anymore. Or I would be in the same boat as you. Old freshwater tank was in the kitchen & even when everything was cleared at least 5' away from the tank, Jorde would perform acrobatics to get to the top of the freezer & then dive-bomb the tank. After a few years we gave up isolating the tank & left a table & dog crate near enough that at least they weren't hurtling themselves at the tank with quite as much force. Amazingly never broke or damaged anything in 10+ years. Totally different ballgame with a glass top!

Only things that ever (sort of) worked were:
a) fan blowing across the tank (seasonally keeping the cat off the tank ain't much help, but it's something!)
b) peppermint oil -- didn't last too long, but that's probably because the dog was occasionally found licking the stuff off like it was crack if we applied it too low. She was, um, special, like that
c) wait 5-10 more years & you'll potentially have 1 fewer cat & 1 geriatric cat like me

The Bungulo · Oct 2, 2017

Tinfoil. Cats hate the sound. Put some on the lighting, and put your cat on top of it. They will learn that the sound is annoying as **** and will stay off. I guess after a few weeks, take it off and see if the cat stays off.

The Bungulo · Oct 2, 2017

Tinfoil. Cats hate the sound. Put some on the lighting, and put your cat on top of it. They will learn that the sound is annoying as **** and will stay off. I guess after a few weeks, take it off and see if the cat stays off.

bblumberg · Oct 2, 2017

Perhaps a canopy? My tanks all have canopies. When we had more cats (5) some of them liked to lay on top to enjoy warm spots but caused no issues. They seem too lazy to get up on the canopies that are hard to jump up on (> 6 feet high).

Bruce

Tuffyyyyy · Oct 2, 2017

DracoKat said:
lol, my cat really IS a hard case. I could list all the things he's done and what doesn't faze him.

tried soda can with pennies.. he's like "meh".
Double sided tape? he just pulls it off as if it's nothing.

I've had to bungee cord my trash can shut and put two bricks on the bottom to keep him from knocking over.
Baby proofed all cabinets.
3x different locks on my fridge and freezer (really, 3 different locks he's broken)
Nailed my sliding closet doors shut (removable nails so I can get in it).
Doubled up on pet screens on my windows.
and I am sure I've forgotten something else with him.. lol.

I tried the air can once long ago.. don't remember the results, but want to try that again on my tank

and no thanks to bird spikes, I don't want to hurt him!

Quick question: are you sure it's a cat? Are you perhaps getting it confused with a pig? The 3 locks on the fridge sounds an awful lot like a pig.

Katrina71 · Oct 3, 2017

Your cat is sending selfies on your light right now

TonapahNorth · Oct 3, 2017

Yeah my cat quite literally shoves her face in the tank ... I’ve tried to capture it a dozen times. She will put her face in the water all the way deep enough until she can see. The fish don’t mind it much and she’s not ever done more than look ... that I’m aware. Wackadoodle