# Best way to keep my cat off of my lizard's cage?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-keep-my-cat-off-of-my-lizards-cage/330125
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [November 8, 2005, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-keep-my-cat-off-of-my-lizards-cage/330125 "2005-11-08T23:08:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2005, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-keep-my-cat-off-of-my-lizards-cage/330125/1 "2005-11-08T23:08:43Z")
We’re about to move, and in our new place the lizard’s cage will need to go in our bedroom or livingroom. One of our cats, Victor, is obsessed with the poor lizard. He will stare are the cage (a 10 gallon aquarium) and eventually sit on the top of it, licking his lips. Needless to say, Lizardo does not like this.
We’ve tried the squirt bottle method, but Victor is smart - he knows we are the ones that spray him, and if we aren’t paying attention or aren’t around, he won’t get sprayed.
If the cage ends up in our bedroom, we don’t want to have to keep the door shut all of the time. The bedroom is the “safe spot” for our other cat, so she wouldn’t appreciate being cooped up all day. It also won’t be fair to let one cat in, but not the other. And if Victor knows he’s not supposed to go in there, he will try his damndest to do so.
Any ideas?
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### Author:  [@xbuckeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xbuckeye)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2005, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-keep-my-cat-off-of-my-lizards-cage/330125/2 "2005-11-09T00:00:07Z")
I had the same problem with my fish tank. The only solution I could come to was fish and cat on opposite sides of a shut door when unsupervised.
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### Author:  [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2005, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-keep-my-cat-off-of-my-lizards-cage/330125/3 "2005-11-09T00:38:20Z")
The Scat Mat. Worked to keep our dogs off the bed.
Is it a steel cage? You may need to take some extra precautions of course.
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### Author:  [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2005, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-keep-my-cat-off-of-my-lizards-cage/330125/4 "2005-11-09T01:10:49Z")
**…keep my cat off of my lizard’s cage…**
Is that what you kids are calling it now?
Well, just be safe.
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### Author:  [@Nimue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nimue)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2005, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-keep-my-cat-off-of-my-lizards-cage/330125/5 "2005-11-09T01:26:35Z")
We faced this problem keeping the cat out of the crib. Try double-sided scotch tape on the area around the cage and on the lid. Cats don’t like the sticky feeling on their paws. Once it’s trained, you should be able to remove the tape. I’ve also heard that cats dislike walking on aluminum foil, but I haven’t tried that method myself.
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### Author:  [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2005, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-keep-my-cat-off-of-my-lizards-cage/330125/6 "2005-11-09T02:09:31Z")
Put some objects along the edge of the top of the cage. I got a cat to stop jumping on the kitchen cabinets by putting cans spaced along the counter edge.
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### Author:  [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2005, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-keep-my-cat-off-of-my-lizards-cage/330125/7 "2005-11-09T02:22:27Z")
Get a \*\*MUCH \*\* bigger lizard!
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### Author:  [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2005, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-keep-my-cat-off-of-my-lizards-cage/330125/8 "2005-11-09T02:56:30Z")
Is the lizard really upset? (Er…how do you tell with a lizard?)
I ask because my cats love stitting on top of the mouse tank. The mice go about their mousey business. The cat sits and watches. Cat television. Everyone is happy. As long as there’s no getting in or out of the tank of course.
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### Author:  [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2005, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-keep-my-cat-off-of-my-lizards-cage/330125/9 "2005-11-09T04:10:46Z")
Electrify the top? As close to 0 amps as possible, just enough volts to give a good shock without doing any real damage. I know I’d stop doing something if I kept getting shocked whenever I did it. Something along the lines of a good shock from static electricity is what I’m thinking about.
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### Author:  [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2005, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-keep-my-cat-off-of-my-lizards-cage/330125/10 "2005-11-09T04:22:02Z")
I think we will try the tape idea… that seems the cheapest, easiest way to try first.
Yes, the lizard gets very upset. He immediately runs for leaf cover, and turns dark brown (he’s an anole).
Thanks for the suggestions - keep them coming!
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### Author:  [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2005, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-keep-my-cat-off-of-my-lizards-cage/330125/11 "2005-11-09T04:49:31Z")
> [@Harriet the Spry](#):
>
> Get a \*\*MUCH \*\* bigger lizard!
Which was my first thought. I used a dangling participle.
Get one of those plastic ferilli lens sheets for books, and mount it on the side of the aquarium.