sairving Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 One would think I would have figured this out but apparently not. Sophie, my cat, has taken to sitting on top of my fish tank. Normally, it wouldn't be a big deal, but I don't have the back plastic piece attached to my tank lid. Attaching it requires a hair dryer because it won't slide on at all. I also need to clean the lid with vinegar every few weeks. Why does she sit on my tank? Because fish water is delicious. Any cat proof easily cleanable ideas besides aluminum foil? 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatFish Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 This might sound as a silly idea, but what about a silicone baking mat? They're super easy to clean, and very adjustable. Plus it's silicone, so to it should be safe for both the kitty paws and the fish tanks! (I say should- this is only in theory- not in practice.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 (edited) Yes. Egg crate light covers. Cut to sit on top. They are also great for supporting emerged growth plants for nitrate control. Also hot water replaces hair dryer on plastic backs. Run the vinegar then hot water in the opening it get the gunk out. Adorable kitty 🥰 Edited January 26, 2022 by Guppysnail 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odd Duck Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 It’s worth trying plastic wrap. Fairly high risk of failure, but some cats don’t like how it feels underfoot. The aluminum foil is probably your best bet. It doesn’t need to live there forever, just long enough to break the kitty’s habit until you can get the back strip placed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 On 1/26/2022 at 10:19 AM, Odd Duck said: Fairly high risk of failure Plastic wrap works great for me for about a day. Once condensation makes it wet it gives and drops into my tank every time I’ve used it as an emergency fix. If you go this route check it often. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odd Duck Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 On 1/26/2022 at 9:23 AM, Guppysnail said: Plastic wrap works great for me for about a day. Once condensation makes it wet it gives and drops into my tank every time I’ve used it as an emergency fix. If you go this route check it often. Good point. I forgot to mention you can try the press and seal type since it stays in place better but still feels “weird” underfoot to the cats. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HH Morant Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 Put cat outside. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sairving Posted January 26, 2022 Author Share Posted January 26, 2022 On 1/26/2022 at 9:19 AM, Odd Duck said: It’s worth trying plastic wrap. Fairly high risk of failure, but some cats don’t like how it feels underfoot. The aluminum foil is probably your best bet. It doesn’t need to live there forever, just long enough to break the kitty’s habit until you can get the back strip placed. Plastic doesn't phase her lol. If you leave plastic anything out, she will find it and start chewing on it. Sophie is a strange cat. She jumped up last week while I had the top off for maintenance and fell in the tank. Did she run away dripping wet? Nope, she decided it was a convenient place to get a drink from. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sairving Posted January 26, 2022 Author Share Posted January 26, 2022 On 1/26/2022 at 9:10 AM, Swampbones said: This might sound as a silly idea, but what about a silicone baking mat? They're super easy to clean, and very adjustable. Plus it's silicone, so to it should be safe for both the kitty paws and the fish tanks! (I say should- this is only in theory- not in practice. It might work. I like to bake but oddly enough don't have a baking mat. On 1/26/2022 at 9:11 AM, Guppysnail said: Yes. Egg crate light covers. Cut to sit on top. They are also great for supporting emerged growth plants for nitrate control. Also hot water replaces hair dryer on plastic backs. Run the vinegar then hot water in the opening it get the gunk out. Adorable kitty 🥰 I like the egg crate idea. Over the last 6 months I've been trying to grow succulents and seem to be slowly collecting house plants. Been think about getting pothos. I could attempt pothos in the tank too or a mangrove. My lfs sells mangroves. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMiller2020 Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 Bring in the dog and put out the cat. JK. good luck. Used to havd a beardy and had to replace pricey bulbs cuz the cat would knock it off . U could try double side tape near tank some cats don't like stickiness on paws 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odd Duck Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 On 1/26/2022 at 10:20 AM, JMiller2020 said: U could try double side tape near tank some cats don't like stickiness on paws Worth trying double sided tape. Unfortunately, some cats just don’t care. Getting something in place that prevents her drinking is likely your best bet, but even that may not work once they’ve found a place they like. You might also have to create a place she likes better. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sairving Posted January 26, 2022 Author Share Posted January 26, 2022 On 1/26/2022 at 10:20 AM, JMiller2020 said: Bring in the dog and put out the cat. JK. good luck. Used to havd a beardy and had to replace pricey bulbs cuz the cat would knock it off . U could try double side tape near tank some cats don't like stickiness on paws She doesn't knock things off tables which is good. My sister had a cat that would knock glasses of water of tables. The double sided tape might be worth a shot too. Sophie left the previous tank alone, no idea why she's fascinated with this one. On 1/26/2022 at 10:27 AM, Odd Duck said: Worth trying double sided tape. Unfortunately, some cats just don’t care. Getting something in place that prevents her drinking is likely your best bet, but even that may not work once they’ve found a place they like. You might also have to create a place she likes better. The tank is right next to my bed. She thinks the bed is her's too lol. I'd be happy to make it hard for her to drink from. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HH Morant Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sairving Posted January 26, 2022 Author Share Posted January 26, 2022 On 1/26/2022 at 10:34 AM, HH Morant said: Winston would be lonely without his cat friend. And I like cat snuggles. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KittenFishMom Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 I recommend a cookie sheet that will hold water with a towel draped over it so the towel stays cold and wet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griznatch Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 Try some orange peels on the lid. Cats do NOT like citrus, worked for my wife's orchids. Only downside would be if they got knocked in to the tank. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torrey Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 On 1/26/2022 at 7:47 AM, sairving said: One would think I would have figured this out but apparently not. Sophie, my cat, has taken to sitting on top of my fish tank. Normally, it wouldn't be a big deal, but I don't have the back plastic piece attached to my tank lid. Attaching it requires a hair dryer because it won't slide on at all. I also need to clean the lid with vinegar every few weeks. Why does she sit on my tank? Because fish water is delicious. Any cat proof easily cleanable ideas besides aluminum foil? What a beautiful calico! The good news is, you have a calico, and calicos seem to be easier to 'train' The bad news is, you have a calico, and the reason they seem to be easier to teach is according to many they are smarter. So we (as humans) have to be incredibly consistent because they absolutely will exploit weaknesses they find😅 Two options for your tank that I know of being successful.... 1. [Personal experience] a smart collar that was programmed to emit an irritating buzz if my cats got too close to my tanks. One of my cats was 27 lbs, and broke 2 different tank lids before I got the smart collars😬 2. Guppysnail's egg crate diffusers are not comfy on kitty paws, and will generally discourage cats from hanging out on top of the tank. My daughter couldn't afford option #1, so she attached a spray option to a motion sensor. Whether she was home or not, if any of her cats tried to get on top of her snake tank, the cat got sprayed with a lemon water mix. This requires more mechanical skills than I possess, and is incredibly effective. We used a motion detector hooked to a sprinkler system to keep deer out of our garden, I just don't know how she scaled down to what looked like a mechanical water bottle. 🤷♂️ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blaha Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 My catproofing Idea on my tank was get a spray bottle and spray her when she would try to mess with it. Idk what she does when I'm not home but she hasn't tried to climb on my tank in a few months now. She sits on a nearby table to look in. She learned after a few weeks. I have a pretty standard dollar store spray bottle but in the stream mode it shoots like 10 feet so I could get her without approaching the tank because walking toward her would make her get off (she knew it was wrong but did it anyways) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sairving Posted January 31, 2022 Author Share Posted January 31, 2022 On 1/26/2022 at 3:29 PM, Blaha said: My catproofing Idea on my tank was get a spray bottle and spray her when she would try to mess with it. Idk what she does when I'm not home but she hasn't tried to climb on my tank in a few months now. She sits on a nearby table to look in. She learned after a few weeks. I have a pretty standard dollar store spray bottle but in the stream mode it shoots like 10 feet so I could get her without approaching the tank because walking toward her would make her get off (she knew it was wrong but did it anyways) Sophie likes water. Yes, she is a little weirdo. Lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sairving Posted January 31, 2022 Author Share Posted January 31, 2022 Thanks everyone! I'm going to pick up some egg crate diffusers for the tank. I want to try growing some pothos or a mangrove anyway so it should work perfectly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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