Cats and Aquariums

[CaliCO]

Thinking about getting a cat.. I have a screen top reef tank. I know all cats are different, but anyone have any bad experiences with a screen top and a cat? Just obviously don't want the cat clawing the screen to shreds to try for my fish.

 

[ReeferWarrant]

My wife has 2 cats, my tanks have hoods but they have not paid any attention to the tanks. I also have mine in a way that they cant climb on top of them. Best advice would just to keep it out of jumping range or where they can perch next to it.

Or get a venomous fish and theyll learn quickly not to reach in..... Sorry, a joke I keep running by my wife as well.

 

[Susan Edwards]

6 cats including two 1 yr old boys and not a single cat has tried to jump on top of my tank. I have screens but they won't hold a cat! It all depends on your cats.

 

[BaysEndReef]

My main display has a mesh top. The cat could get up there if she wanted to, but never does. I have no lid on the four tanks in my fish room. She has never bothered with those either. She would rather terrorize the dog.

 

[Brett S]

So this reminds me of a story. A number of years ago I had a 72G FOLR tank with a glass top. My cat liked to sit on top of the tank because the light was warm. But one time I had just purchased some new fish, so I had the top of the tank off because I was planning to acclimate the new fish by floating them in a Tupperware. I had just cut open the bag that the fish were in when I heard a loud splash. I turned and looked and I could see my cat through the front of the tank, completely submerged.

So now I’m standing there holding an open bag of water and fish and I have a cat trying to climb out of the aquarium. I managed to get the fish and their bag into a 5G bucket that I happened to have sitting next to me just as the cat tried to jump off of the tank. I caught her in mid air and ran her into the bathroom. I figured it wouldn’t be good to let her lick all of that salt water off of herself, so I tried to rinse her in the bathtub. She did not enjoy being rinsed.

I tried to dry her as best I could, but each time the towel got near her she would dig her claws into it and run off, so eventually I just locked her in the bathroom, dripping wet. I went back to where the tank was and it was a mess. There was water dripping off of the ceiling and the walls and a bunch of water in front of the tank.

And even after all that the cat didn’t learn. Later that night she was sleeping on top of the aquarium again.

 

[Dvanlier05]

My cat tried once to get on top of the tank with screen tops. She sent the screen flying when she jumped up and instantly regretted it and got out. Now she will just watches from her seat.

 

[SaltISlife]

None of my cats ever jump on a tank. Well except 2 but it was the fresh water 92g tank. And it was because they like drinking from running water. Vs a sitting water bowl. All cats like running water. To fix that i gave my cats there own 2.5g fresh water tank. With sand rock a plant and bubbles to make the water move.

They love it to drink out of lol

 

[Brett S]

My cat tried once to get on top of the tank with screen tops. She sent the screen flying when she jumped up and instantly regretted it and got out. Now she will just watches from her seat.

I did a double take when I saw that picture. It looks like a giant mandarin is breaking out of the side of your tank.

 

[AnotherReefHobbyist]

3 cats.

2 kittens they sit and watch, but never have much interest on getting in or on top.

If it is open top they love to put their toys in it, which is a pain, and one of them knocked over a whole container of fish food from 6ft high today, just those things that make them a pain.

 

[Jeffcb]

My cat just watches the fish and dreams of catching one some day.

 

[CaliCO]

Lol my parents cat refused to drink out of anything other than a glass of water sitting on the coffee table.

 

[jazzfisher]

3 cats, they don't even watch the tanks!

 

[Dr. Jim]

My cats love watching aquariums.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Lol my parents cat refused to drink out of anything other than a glass of water sitting on the coffee table.

My cats only drink out of red plastic solo cups

 

[Brett S]

My cars only drink out of red plastic solo cups

How did you train them to do that? When my cars get thirsty I have to take them to the gas station.

 

[wenliu51]

Cats might view the screen as a walking platform, whereas, if it was rimless, they knew they wouldn't dare get a paw wet.

I once had a fish jump out to the back of the tank. Both cats were meowing and pawing at the floor of the cat, then I heard the flapping noise and knew I had a jumper. So in essence, my cats saved this fish's life. But also, if the fish jumped towards the front of the tank, they would of eaten him lol

Worse part is the cat fur floating around here and there. Since you might have cat fur on your hands, towels, etc

I call this the Feline Observation Deck:

 

[Crustaceon]

Thinking about getting a cat.. I have a screen top reef tank. I know all cats are different, but anyone have any bad experiences with a screen top and a cat? Just obviously don't want the cat clawing the screen to shreds to try for my fish.

Never had a problem. Right before my last cat went to kitty heaven, he started looking for “new” places to hang out. One of them was on the tank screen top. I guess his weight was distributed suffiently because he didn’t fall through and I don’t see any sagging. Anyway’s here’s his successor, Katy.

 

[Dr. Jim]

Zoe's turn to watch the turtles.....

 

[Hugh Mann]

I have 3 experiences with cats and tanks.

Roommate had a turtle. The cat would balance on the rim and try and swat at it from above. Added a screen lid and the cat would sit on it all day, every day and watch. Fortunately the cat wasn't overly huge and didn't even sag the screen.

Currently have two cats and 2 aquariums. They absolutely love to watch the fish, but are either unwilling or unable to get on top of a 4' high tank. Solid glass lids though, because I live in a very dry climate. The second is a freshwater tank, also with a glass lid. This one is easily accessible to the cats, and one of them likes to sit on the lid and watch.

Oh, and cat hair in your water, because cat hair gets everywhere. EVERYWHERE!

 

[CMMorgan]

So this reminds me of a story. A number of years ago I had a 72G FOLR tank with a glass top. My cat liked to sit on top of the tank because the light was warm. But one time I had just purchased some new fish, so I had the top of the tank off because I was planning to acclimate the new fish by floating them in a Tupperware. I had just cut open the bag that the fish were in when I heard a loud splash. I turned and looked and I could see my cat through the front of the tank, completely submerged.

So now I’m standing there holding an open bag of water and fish and I have a cat trying to climb out of the aquarium. I managed to get the fish and their bag into a 5G bucket that I happened to have sitting next to me just as the cat tried to jump off of the tank. I caught her in mid air and ran her into the bathroom. I figured it wouldn’t be good to let her lick all of that salt water off of herself, so I tried to rinse her in the bathtub. She did not enjoy being rinsed.

I tried to dry her as best I could, but each time the towel got near her she would dig her claws into it and run off, so eventually I just locked her in the bathroom, dripping wet. I went back to where the tank was and it was a mess. There was water dripping off of the ceiling and the walls and a bunch of water in front of the tank.

And even after all that the cat didn’t learn. Later that night she was sleeping on top of the aquarium again.

That is spectacular!! Cats hate me.... so I find this extra amusing.