Keeping cat off aquarium

I have had my aquarium set up for about 2 1/2 months now. About a month after I added fish my cat finally realized that there was something inside the fish tank. Since then he usually just watches them but in the past week or two he has started to jump on top of my aquarium. Does anyone have any advice or experienced a similar problem with their cats? My cat is about 9.5 lbs. When he gets on top of the aquarium he doesn't try to get the fish but tries to jump onto an adjoining bookshelf. I've tried aluminum foil and placing empty boxes on top of my tank with marginal success. I'm worried he is going to break the glass top or bust my light fixture =(

 

A nice water bottle or super soaker works well

 

lol does it work when you're not around though?

 

LOL well if ya can make one that would, you would be rich!! when I leave I put a tall box ontop of mine..its empty, but the kitty don't know that and don't tell him!

 

Mouse traps set on his "launching pad" will work if you are there or not! Just takes a couple times and they learn it is a no-no.:;z

 

empty pop cans on top of it

 

cool! Thanks for all of the great ideas guys! now I won't have to worry when I go to work tomorrow-- I'll put a bunch of boxes and cans on top. =)

 

my dad stuck duct tape sticky side up on top of our tank when I was a kid and it worked great =)

 

that's brilliant!

 

my dad stuck duct tape sticky side up on top of our tank

Exactly what I was going to suggest! Cats usually hate to have anything sticking on their paws and will normally avoid it after that.

This method is gentle and will not traumatize the cat the way mousetraps or falling cans might.

I have a cat who loves to watch the fish too, so I put a chair in front of the tank for her. She never jumps on top now!

 

yeah, I love my cat. I don't want to freak him out, just keep him from jumping onto my tank. He is such a little troublemaker! I have a cat tree moved near the tank so he can lounge and watch the fish.

 

We need pics of this!

 

Yep it worked really well, after two or three times, Smart Alec decided that trying to go fishing just wasn't worth it and decided to try sitting on other things he wasn't supposed to like the table and the kitchen counters, lol. oh well, can't win them all, I guess. Best wishes on keeping your cat off yours

 

I put canopies on all of mine. My big fat cat got up on one of mine and broke and fell through a while back. Lucky he didn't pull it over. Brat cats!!!

 

I had my 2 boys break thru our fish tanks. Jake broke a 12g at 6am in the bedroom and Milo fell thru our first 42g piranha tank. He just broke the glass canopy on one side.
I really don't think we can do anything to keep cats off of anything if you aren't home. They are pretty smart.

 

This is why I like using double sided sticky tape. It works when you're not home, and the cat doesn't associate the unpleasantness with you!

 

This is why I like using double sided sticky tape. It works when you're not home, and the cat doesn't associate the unpleasantness with you!

yeah but not too attractive to look at

 

after they have learned not to do it, you can take it off and they will never know. besides if they test it and it isn't there, you can always put the tape back =)

 

I just bought stronger legs for my light and I chase them off whenever I see them jumping off.



pictures of the new legs

 

HI everyone! I am planning to set up a 5 gallon planted tank for my grandparents, but they have two cats. How would I keep them out of the tank? Would using a mesh reptile lid with safety clips (intended to keep reptiles in the tank) work? Thanks

 

If it is harnessed tightly it should work. But I believe a tank lid would be better.

With a mesh, if a cat stood on it, the harness might give way and let the cat fall in. The reptile mesh was to keep animals in not out, but than again it depends on how tightly it is harnessed.

 

Those mesh reptile lids will eventually rust. My friend used one on her axolotl tank and after a while it rusted.

 

Train them to just watch.

 

HI everyone! I am planning to set up a 5 gallon planted tank for my grandparents, but they have two cats. How would I keep them out of the tank? Would using a mesh reptile lid with safety clips (intended to keep reptiles in the tank) work? Thanks

I have a crested gecko enclosure with a mesh lid and my female cat sits on top of it. Making it cave inwards. I don't think a mesh lid would work. I don't really have a suggestion since my cats ignore my fish. Maybe try keeping the tank in a place where they can't get to it?? Hopefully their cats will ignore the tank too :3
Sorry if this wasn't helpful..

 

I know they rust...but replacing the lid every few years is a lesser evil than having the cats eat the fish. Any other ideas?

 

Petco sells small glass lids that fit the standard 5.5 aqueon tanks if that's the one you're using

I know they rust...but replacing the lid every few years is a lesser evil than having the cats eat the fish. Any other ideas?

it was a few months, not a few years for it to rust. You'll be replacing it often

 

Question: how likely are the two cats to bother the tank?

My cat shows very little interest in my tank other then somethings watching my betta swim around. She actually shows more interest in my betta's NLS pellet food -_-

Maybe place the tank out with just water or nothing in it at all and see what they do.

 

Petco sells small glass lids that fit the standard 5.5 aqueon tanks if that's the one you're using

Those are not very heavy...I highly doubt any cat with a brain would not be able to figure out how to get one off if they wanted to, which would not only imperil the fish but would also likely damage the lid.

 

Those are not very heavy...I highly doubt any cat with a brain would not be able to figure out how to get one off if they wanted to, which would not only imperil the fish but would also likely damage the lid.

I've got 4 cats and they really aren't that determined to get in the tank as I think you're assuming they'll be. At most they hit at the glass walls to try and hit the fish or sit on the lids

 

My tank is uncovered and so far after a year the cat just looks in the side never over the top. The other tank is covered with the lid that it came with and sitting on the floor and still the cat never jumps on it or messes with it at all.

My friend's very large cat on the other hand would sleep on the 10 gallon tank lid because the built in light made it warm. He would also drink out of the filter. Her lid had a little door that popped up to feed through, so no openings for the cat to stick a paw in, I don't think he even noticed the fish at all, he just liked sleeping on the lid.

A mesh lid would give the cat a good view right into the tank, as would a glass lid, but the standard black plastic lids would not allow them to see in from above and they probably would have no interest in trying to get through it since they would not see the fish bellow them.

If you are worried they will push the lid off you can use tape or put something a little heavy on the lid.

 

I have never had a cat get a glass lid off a tank. I did have a cat jump IN a tank once when she thought the lid was ON it though lol! I had taken the lid off to clean it...


Found this old picture of her. Outside the tank