New to Leopard Gecko and new to this forum. Will my cats scare them?

Car73

New Member
Messages
21
I have done a lot research but still have a few questions. I am sure someone here can help me. I am getting my son 2 leopard gecko this next Tuesday. I have I think everything for the tank and it is ready just waiting on the lighting and UTH should be here tomorrow. Well after I had order them something came to mind that hadnt before. We have 2 indoor cats. One of the cats is fat and he is rather heavy. I plan too figure out something too put on the top of the tank to cover the screen top but still let air in and out. But not let the cats feet through to the screen. We are thinking of buying replacment grill plates (BBQ) and cut them to size if needed. Any other suggestions? But my main concern now is will the cats scare or stress the lizard by looking at them through the tank glass? I planned to have them sitting on a cedar chest that is only about 2 1/2 feet off the ground in the living room and the cats will be able to get up beside the tank. Another option is to put the tank in my sons room and hopefully we can keep the door closed and the cats outside the room. But we really have nothing to sit the tank on in his room. Besides his chest of drawer which is large enough but would put the tank too high for my son to feed the geckos and do the daily care without standing on a step ladder everytime. Please give me any suggestion or advice on the matter. Thanks Carlene
 

Chet1028

New Member
Messages
144
Location
Buffalo, NY
The cats would definiitely stress the geckos. I would highly recommend keeping them in your sons room and keeping the cats out as much as possible.
I have my son's tank in the corner of his room. It is top of an old nightstand, so we can use the drawers to hold the suppies and feeders and such.
Good luck with the you geckos. I hope your son loves them as much as my kids love ours. We have 2 and are getting 2 more this week.
 

BrightReptiles

Badhabits727
Messages
948
Location
Seminole, FL
Cats may or may not stress them, depends on how the cats behave around the geckos. Some cats pay no attention to them and go about their lives. You can try putting them in the livingroom and move them to the room if the cats bother them. Cats are curious and will go look at them at first, just because they are new, but if you see them pawing at the cage or trying to get in, time to move it to the bedroom.
 

Desdemona

New Member
Messages
653
Location
Bay Area, CA
I kept my geckos in a room closed off from the cat, when I lived with one. The cat was pretty rambunctious and I didn't want her to try and get to them. To make things more complicated the cat could open doors (we had the handle bar type not the round ones) so I had a folding chair I kept up against the door when I was at work. When I was home I didn't worry as much because the cat acted like a dog and would follow whatever human was home everywhere. She was worse than my toddler. Those screen lids won't keep them out either, this was a pretty light/thin cat and she managed to pop the screen out on one of my lids one day when she was sitting on it (no gecko got hurt).
 

Car73

New Member
Messages
21
Will cat scare them?

Ok thanks for the information. I may just try keeping them in the living room and see if the cats are ok and or if they get tired of looking at them. I definetly do have to figure out something to put over the screen top so the cats cant fall through the screw or sit on it. Any suggestion? Our tanks is 36 inches long and 18 wide 40 gallon I think. The screen slide in a track.

Thanks
Carlene
 

Chet1028

New Member
Messages
144
Location
Buffalo, NY
Lay contact paper on top of the screen with the sticky side face up. The cats will jump up there once or twice and get stuck on the paper and freak out. They will stop jumping up their quickly. We did this when we first got our cat to get him to stop getting on the counter and the kitchen table. It worked like a charm.
 

Desdemona

New Member
Messages
653
Location
Bay Area, CA
Tin foil also drives them crazy for some reason, they can't stand the sound of it. Not sure if geckos react to it though.

Sent from my DROID PRO using Tapatalk
 

sunshinegeckos

New Member
Messages
1,683
Location
Clearwater, FL
my cats would eat them for lunch so they are not allowed in the gecko room. It all depends on the cat but for safety I would keep the cat away as much as possible.
 

Car73

New Member
Messages
21
cats around lizards

Thanks for all the good ideas may try them. Also was wondering about using a piece of plyboard with lots of hole drilled in it. Too set on top of tank so if cat does get on top he wont be on the screen. Do you guys thing that would allow enough ventilation? Of course my husband said he would cut out a hole where the light would sit down on the screen.

Let me know what you guys think. Trying to not have to spend alot but something that will support the cats weight so that he wont ruin the screen top or get in the tank.

If the cats bother or stress the lizard we of course will move them in a room with a door but I would like to try first to keep them in the living room.

Thanks
Carlene
 

LeoMerlin

New Member
Messages
292
Location
Southern USA
I have my lizards in their own tanks in my room away from the other critters, just as a precaution. Some people have said their cats/dogs don't mess with the reptiles and that may be the case, but I'd rather not take any chances. I'm fortunate I have an upstairs room and pretty much everyone (including cats/dogs) stay downstairs most of the time unless my parents come upstairs, which is rare for them.
 

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