Reptile husbandry involves many challenges and one of the most critical is keeping cats away from your gecko’s cage. Cats have natural predatory instincts and geckos can become easy prey for predatory cats.
Gecko or Bearded Dragon species that become distressed could lunge at or strike at domesticated pets, potentially inflicting harm to both parties involved.
Place the cage in a room that’s off-limits to your cat
Place your Reptile in an area off limits to cats to prevent them from exploring its cage. A physical barrier, like a gate or screen, or deterrents that discourage entry can help prevent this behavior. Alternatively, keep its tank stored out of reach from your pet such as under a cabinet or shelf can do the trick.
If you own multiple pet species in your home, introduction of them to each other could be hazardous for both animals and people. Reptiles are natural predators who could react negatively if exposed to another creature in their territory; to ensure everyone’s wellbeing it would be best if all reptiles were kept separate in their own room and were closely supervised at all times.
One successful option for many is using a rabbit or guinea pig run as an enclosure for their Reptile. These runs are generally tall enough to keep cats out, as well as featuring doors that can be closed when closed. You could also create one from chicken wire and wooden stakes; using a tarp as cover can prevent light reflection off its surfaces.
Some pet owners opt to use an expansive dog or cat cage as an enclosure for their reptile, providing another layer of security while keeping your pets separate from each other. You could even attach a small hutch or playpen onto one side for even further assurance.
Try swapping roles of domesticated pets and lizards and let your domesticated cat play with them instead! This can be an enjoyable way to bond with both creatures while providing mental stimulation – just make sure that any toys chosen for both are suitable and don’t contain anything with potentially ingestible parts!
Make use of scent swapping to help familiarise both cats and lizards with each other. Bring something from home that smells of your cat to place in their tank, talking calmly to them while mimicking hissing noises lizards make, to reduce anxiety about being around the lizard. Doing this may also help them feel less intimidated around this new presence in their lives.
Use deterrents to discourage your cat
While it’s impossible to completely keep a cat out of a reptile cage, you can use various deterrent methods to make it harder for your feline friend to come near enough for harming his or her gecko. These can include using cat deterrent sprays, noise machines or ultrasonic reptile repellent systems which emit frequencies which are unappealing to cats and other animals (such as raccoons and rodents) alike; devices can even be combined with strobe lights and predator calls for additional effectiveness.
Use simple techniques to prevent your cat from trying to access a reptile tank, such as turning on a fan nearby or blocking off an area with plastic carpet runners with cleated bottoms – these prickle their feet when walking over it, dissuading them from accessing it in any attempt at entering. Furthermore, add some uncomfortable materials like Velcro at the base for additional discomfort as your cat attempts to navigate it.
As no method is completely failproof, it is crucial that you continue to keep an eye on both of them at all times to make sure that they do not interact in ways that could pose risks to either of them. Be ready to separate them if any aggressive behaviors, such as whining or hissing emerges between them.
There are some low-cost ways you can dissuade your cat from approaching a lizard cage, including placing taut wire or string along an angled fence to make climbing over more difficult. Half-filled plastic bottles in the perimeter act as cat deterrents by startling cats when they step on them – an old gamekeeper trick designed to startle away felines!
Scent swapping is another effective way of introducing your cat and reptile safely together. Simply take an item that smells similar to what your cat likes and place it near their tank; give a plant or piece of furniture similar for the lizard to smell as well.
Teach your cat to stay away from the tank on command
As it happens, cats can be trained not to come near reptile cages with ease – all it requires is some patience, training techniques and safety precautions. You should also become acquainted with their body language so you can respond swiftly if they show any stress signals.
An important first step to ensure the welfare of your pet is constructing their enclosure correctly. At least three-quarters should be filled with peat moss or potting soil and covered by a lid equipped with a lockable latch – this will prevent cats from climbing up the side and reaching for reptiles! For additional effectiveness, write “cat” on one side of a plastic bottle and “reptile” on the other before filling it up with various types of plants that don’t bother cats such as flower pots or any other containers).
As well as creating a barrier, you can train your cat to ignore the reptile tank by rewarding calm behavior and redirecting its attention away from its cage. Reward treats and praise when your cat behaves positively; additionally, hide-and-seek games such as hide-and-seek can help focus their attention on other parts of the house and reduce interest in its cage.
Spray bottles are another effective tool to use when training your cat, offering another avenue of instruction. When the animal tries to gain entry to their cage, you can spritz their face until they understand that engaging in aggressive or unsafe behavior will not result in rewards. This process should continue until their behavior ceases being rewarding for any reward-seeking behavior.
Importantly, it’s vital that geckos and cats never meet. Cats are natural predators of geckos in nature, so any chance to meet may result in serious injuries or death for both pets. This situation should always be avoided to ensure both are kept safe from one another.
Consider using double-sided tape as a deterrent against climbing cats by attaching it around the edges of the reptile tank, this will stop your cat from trying to climb onto its lid and creates an unpleasant sticky texture which they find repellant. Criss-cross the tape numerous times so as to maximize its effectiveness.
Spray the tank with cat repellent
As any cat owner knows, felines have an annoying habit of getting into things they shouldn’t, such as garden beds, houseplants or catnip supplies you keep for their use. Unfortunately, this same tendency applies when it comes to reptile cages and terrariums; however there are natural solutions available to keep cats away.
Preventative measures begin by keeping cats away from an area in the first place. You can do this by removing bird feeders from your yard and installing tight-fitting lids on garbage cans and sandboxes; there are also commercial cat repellent products that may help deter your kitty – these devices typically use noise, water sprays or flashing lights to discourage cats from coming near; however they are less effective than natural solutions.
Another alternative is to create a natural cat repellent made of ingredients cats dislike, like lemon peels. A simple recipe involves mixing 1 cup of distilled or filtered water with lemon, orange, grapefruit, lime or tangerine peels which have been peeled. Once this solution has been prepared it should be placed into plastic or glass spray bottles and used liberally throughout your enclosure to repel cats as needed. The scent will drive them away!
Make a spray using vinegar, peppermint oil or citronella oil; these scents have strong fragrances that cats don’t enjoy and will help repel them effectively. But be aware that with weather changes their effectiveness may decrease and it will need reapplying regularly to maintain maximum effect.
Implementing these methods may help keep your cat away from reptiles, but always supervise when they come together. If your cat attempts to approach or act aggressively towards reptiles, separate them immediately. Never force an animal into a situation they find stressful.
Even though there may be risks involved, cats and reptiles can often live peacefully together. Just take appropriate steps, such as keeping the reptile’s enclosure above ground level so as not to cause stress or injury to either animal involved.