MURDER! Reader beware, graphic details within
- Thread starter syntheticreality
- Start date
Euphoric
New Member
- Messages
- 461
- Location
- Mesa, Arizona
I am sorry!
fallen_angel
Fallen Angel's Geckos
- Messages
- 7,937
- Location
- Stockton, CA
syntheticreality said:
Well like you, we too live in an apartment with several cats and our geckos, and we too have lost a gecko due to a cat attack (very first gecko I ever had, and we had her for 5 years), so I can definitely feel for you and am so terribly sorry this has happened. I can imagine how horrifying that must have been for you. I know when I found my gecko, I nearly fell to my knees and started bawling my eyes out. I wanted to skin the cat alive!! But also like you, we eventually understood that it is their natural instincts, and so the cat really couldn't help itself.
I would stick with the theory and thoughts that you've come up with, quoted above, it sounds like the most logical thing to me as well. Even 32 gram geckos can sqeeze out of the smallest space that you wouldn't imagine to be possible, we have one that does it all of the time. Take into consideration that these tubs are plastic, I am sure with enough wriggling, they can make the plastic bend just enough to be able to get out. That's just a thought anyway.
Also, it is very common for them to use their hides (or even a calcium dish that just gives them that extra bit of height) to get out of the bin. We have to make sure that all hides/dishes are nowhere near the sides of our bins every night because we were having several escapees at one point until we realized this was the problem.
Moreover, since you keep them in your bedroom, can you just keep your bedroom door closed/locked at all times? We have a room where all of our gecko babies are held, and we actually have to keep string tied from the door knob to a nail on the wall to ensure the door stays shut because one of our cats has thumbs and can open doors. I can understand if your bedroom is a place where the cats love to be, and they will probably complain about not being able to get in anymore. But at least this way, if you do have an escapee, you can at least find it before the cats do.
Again, I am so terribly sorry to hear about this
:cry2: I am sure your gecko was a very beautiful and beloved one.
Last edited:
I am so sorry
I would be sick, as I imagine you must be.
Cats and lizards are not a good mix.
As dissinterested you may think the cats are, they will always
take advantage of an opertunity.
I lost 2 prize cannaries once because I thought the cat wasnt
interested in the birds. He never paid much attention to them.
So I have only myself to blame for being a poor judge of cat
behavior.
I would be sick, as I imagine you must be.
Cats and lizards are not a good mix.
As dissinterested you may think the cats are, they will always
take advantage of an opertunity.
I lost 2 prize cannaries once because I thought the cat wasnt
interested in the birds. He never paid much attention to them.
So I have only myself to blame for being a poor judge of cat
behavior.
bitterbeauty
Animal Lover
- Messages
- 453
- Location
- High Point, NC
I am soo sorry this happened to you and even worse is that it had to be your most prized gecko. What a horrible horrible thing. I am so sorry.
What a horrible horrible thing. I am so sorry.
syntheticreality
Newbie gecko addict
- Messages
- 492
- Location
- Troy, NY
They are sterilite 1644 tubs or the equivalent. They are almost 7" high. The geckos would surely have needed to use it's hide to climb, but even then it's skull is far too thick to fit through the tiny crack. I have had geckos in here for months and no escapes. The previous owners of this rack never had any escapes either.
lytlesnake said:
syntheticreality
Newbie gecko addict
- Messages
- 492
- Location
- Troy, NY
Tiffany,
I appreciate your condolences. It was definitely up there with my best geckos and I think I have only had this one about a week and a half as well. I am sure the person I bought it from will be very upset when he finds out too.
I appreciate your condolences. It was definitely up there with my best geckos and I think I have only had this one about a week and a half as well. I am sure the person I bought it from will be very upset when he finds out too.
bitterbeauty said:I am soo sorry this happened to you and even worse is that it had to be your most prized gecko.
syntheticreality
Newbie gecko addict
- Messages
- 492
- Location
- Troy, NY
As for locking the cats out of the bedroom its hard because I have a roommate, and nowhere else to really keep the cat litter or food.
lytlesnake
Border Patrol Penguin
- Messages
- 695
- Location
- So. California
I have geckos that can get out of the 6" high tub without a hide. They just jump at the corner until they catch on the lip and pull themselves up.syntheticreality said:
syntheticreality
Newbie gecko addict
- Messages
- 492
- Location
- Troy, NY
well I dont know how this girl caught the lip with it being so close to the next shelf of the rack
there is litterally 2-3 mm of space there. I know their heads can compress a little, but that much seems like a stretch and then i would think she would have dropped her tail in the tub trying to get out. I think she must have done some kind of acrobatics while i had it open. Like you said feeding nights are a blur, but I could swear I saw her in the hide as i closed the tub last night. I guess nothing can change the current state of things so I should quit beating myself up over it. I've been depressed all day about it. I really just want to keep it from every happening again.
there is litterally 2-3 mm of space there. I know their heads can compress a little, but that much seems like a stretch and then i would think she would have dropped her tail in the tub trying to get out. I think she must have done some kind of acrobatics while i had it open. Like you said feeding nights are a blur, but I could swear I saw her in the hide as i closed the tub last night. I guess nothing can change the current state of things so I should quit beating myself up over it. I've been depressed all day about it. I really just want to keep it from every happening again.
K
Kwyk
Guest
Man i am so sorry for your loss,and i am even more scared because i have three cats and three geckos.
L
LadyGecko
Guest
Jason
As someone that has been keeping various species of lizards and cats in the same house for years-
I can understand your feelings exactly
I am so sorry for your loss
and please do not continue to beat yourself up over this-just try and figure out a way to make sure that it never happens again and try to move on
I know that it is hard to do but you will make yourself sick if you do not try and lighten up on yourself
This must be the week for cat mischief as one of my cats somehow got into my male bearded dragons tank last week and he has a nasty cut on his mouth from what I suspect are the cats claws
I am treating the cut and syringe feeding him until he can eat on his own again
Knowing Beardies and cats as well as I do-I bet that Harry(my dragon) lunged at the cat and the cat struck back and caught her claws on his mouth
But I digress.......
I don't think that your gecko got out on it's own with the bins closed
Unfortunately -it does sound as if he jumped out while you were reaching for something and had your attention away from the bin/tub
I always double check my tubs and tanks-which is why I am so mad that this cat found her way into the 50 gal aquarium with Harry in it
I found that there was enough of a ventilation space between pegboard lid and the top of the tank for the cat to wedge herself into the tank
I knew that the space was there but did not think that a cat could fit through it
Obviously-I was wrong
Why on earth she wanted to do that is beyond ne...........
I have been keeping cats and lizards together for over a dozen years and this is my first major mishap and I honestly never thought that the cats would mess with a Dragon because of it's spiny skin
All of my geckos tubs have lids on them becuase I have DIY racks and my geckos tanks have locked down screen tops on them because I have cats
Please take care of your self-we are only human
Sandy
As someone that has been keeping various species of lizards and cats in the same house for years-
I can understand your feelings exactly
I am so sorry for your loss
and please do not continue to beat yourself up over this-just try and figure out a way to make sure that it never happens again and try to move on
I know that it is hard to do but you will make yourself sick if you do not try and lighten up on yourself
This must be the week for cat mischief as one of my cats somehow got into my male bearded dragons tank last week and he has a nasty cut on his mouth from what I suspect are the cats claws
I am treating the cut and syringe feeding him until he can eat on his own again
Knowing Beardies and cats as well as I do-I bet that Harry(my dragon) lunged at the cat and the cat struck back and caught her claws on his mouth
But I digress.......
I don't think that your gecko got out on it's own with the bins closed
Unfortunately -it does sound as if he jumped out while you were reaching for something and had your attention away from the bin/tub
I always double check my tubs and tanks-which is why I am so mad that this cat found her way into the 50 gal aquarium with Harry in it
I found that there was enough of a ventilation space between pegboard lid and the top of the tank for the cat to wedge herself into the tank
I knew that the space was there but did not think that a cat could fit through it
Obviously-I was wrong
Why on earth she wanted to do that is beyond ne...........
I have been keeping cats and lizards together for over a dozen years and this is my first major mishap and I honestly never thought that the cats would mess with a Dragon because of it's spiny skin
All of my geckos tubs have lids on them becuase I have DIY racks and my geckos tanks have locked down screen tops on them because I have cats
Please take care of your self-we are only human
Sandy
That is so uncool that it got out! I will see if I can find you another, but make no promises.
I have a few subadults(18-30 grams) that can climb anything it seems. They have excaped 15 qts a few times and now reside in a tub with a lid. I feel your pain , but my dog doesn't kill anything thankfully.
I have a few subadults(18-30 grams) that can climb anything it seems. They have excaped 15 qts a few times and now reside in a tub with a lid. I feel your pain , but my dog doesn't kill anything thankfully.
OhioGecko
Mod Squad Member
- Messages
- 2,949
- Location
- Sterling Ohio
We just had a similar incident that didn't end in tragedy. I have two boys and we complete the nightly gecko chores together. Currently we have 112 leos. One does water, the other does food, and I follow both misting hides, cleaning poop, checking leos, and making sure the boys didn't miss anything.
Last week I opened a tub to mist the hide and there was no leo. It was a baby maybe 10g. The boys started 10min before me so I wasn't in the room the first 10min. When I asked them where it was at they said it was in the tub when they put the food and water in. They remembered that they had to go to the food tub to get more food at that time, but they where sure it was in there when they closed it.
We have two cats but I know they wouldn't eat it. They might kill it by playing with it but they are too spoiled to eat anything else besides their cat food. We tore the entire basement apart looking for this little guy and we continued to look everyday for the next week. We had a heating pad on the floor with some hiding space, hoping the baby would show up.
While checking for eggs yesterday morning I seen something scurry across the floor. It was the baby leo. He is perfectly healthy. I put him back in a well misted tub with a dozen mealies. The mealies were gone when I checked back with him 15min later.
My son that did the feeding is certain the little guy was in there when he shut the bin. But neither of them saw him escape. With it only being 10min before I came into the room I really belive the leo got out while he was reloading on mealies 7ft away.
They have been taught to never walk away from an open tub but I couldn't scold them. Just the week before good ole Dad had a 28g leo escape from a 28qt container while adding water to a moist hide. I removed the hide turned and poured water in it, turned back around stirred the moist hide while looking in the tub. Then I placed the hide in the tub and grabbed the second moist hide which I thought the second leo was in. To my suprise it wasn't in there! This leo got out in less then 7sec maybe. None of us seen it or could find it. Luckily the heat mat worked after being MIA for two days.
These little creatures can be quick. We were lucky. I know I have slowed down and made sure all the leos are in the bin when I shut them, but I wonder how long that will stick with me. It is very repetitious and I often catch myself thinking about other things sometimes. Kind of like when you are driving somewhere and all the sudden you realize you don't remember the last 10 minutes.
Anyway what happened really stinks and looks like you really analyzed the whole situation. I think the leo got out like ours did, why some crickets where missing doesn't make sense. I wish you the best and hope this never happens to one of your leos again.
Last week I opened a tub to mist the hide and there was no leo. It was a baby maybe 10g. The boys started 10min before me so I wasn't in the room the first 10min. When I asked them where it was at they said it was in the tub when they put the food and water in. They remembered that they had to go to the food tub to get more food at that time, but they where sure it was in there when they closed it.
We have two cats but I know they wouldn't eat it. They might kill it by playing with it but they are too spoiled to eat anything else besides their cat food. We tore the entire basement apart looking for this little guy and we continued to look everyday for the next week. We had a heating pad on the floor with some hiding space, hoping the baby would show up.
While checking for eggs yesterday morning I seen something scurry across the floor. It was the baby leo. He is perfectly healthy. I put him back in a well misted tub with a dozen mealies. The mealies were gone when I checked back with him 15min later.
My son that did the feeding is certain the little guy was in there when he shut the bin. But neither of them saw him escape. With it only being 10min before I came into the room I really belive the leo got out while he was reloading on mealies 7ft away.
They have been taught to never walk away from an open tub but I couldn't scold them. Just the week before good ole Dad had a 28g leo escape from a 28qt container while adding water to a moist hide. I removed the hide turned and poured water in it, turned back around stirred the moist hide while looking in the tub. Then I placed the hide in the tub and grabbed the second moist hide which I thought the second leo was in. To my suprise it wasn't in there! This leo got out in less then 7sec maybe. None of us seen it or could find it. Luckily the heat mat worked after being MIA for two days.
These little creatures can be quick. We were lucky. I know I have slowed down and made sure all the leos are in the bin when I shut them, but I wonder how long that will stick with me. It is very repetitious and I often catch myself thinking about other things sometimes. Kind of like when you are driving somewhere and all the sudden you realize you don't remember the last 10 minutes.
Anyway what happened really stinks and looks like you really analyzed the whole situation. I think the leo got out like ours did, why some crickets where missing doesn't make sense. I wish you the best and hope this never happens to one of your leos again.
S
Stevie
Guest
Sorry to hear about your loss, but as you said it.... that's nature! I had a few geckos that escaped from my racking system. The guy I bought it from ensured me that it was escape proof... I'm lucky my dog is afraid of geckos eversince he's been bitten in the nose by one! Now I prevent my geckos from escaping by keeping the lit on the containers after cutting a big hole in the middle of it. That way I can refresh the water and mealworms without disturbing the gecko and the animal isn't able to escape, since it can't walk upside down on a horizontal area.
Greets,
Stevie
Greets,
Stevie
syntheticreality
Newbie gecko addict
- Messages
- 492
- Location
- Troy, NY
Thanks, Paul! You're not such a bad guy after all
Thad, I am glad to hear your mishaps didn't end up in tragedy.
Stevie, that lid thing might work, but I think my rack is too tight for that.
And to everyone else: Thank you ffor your kind words and support. It means a lot that people care enough to offer so much advice on the situation.
paulnj said:
Thad, I am glad to hear your mishaps didn't end up in tragedy.
Stevie, that lid thing might work, but I think my rack is too tight for that.
And to everyone else: Thank you ffor your kind words and support. It means a lot that people care enough to offer so much advice on the situation.
Last edited:
S
Stevie
Guest
syntheticreality said:
Than you can use duct tape or something like that to create a horizontal barrier. I use that myself on other cages (the ones I use for my research). Don't forget to cover the sticky side of the tape that is in contact with the sides of the container! Before you know it, it's filled with crickets, flies or your gecko gets caught in it.
Greets,
Stevie
Visit our friends
