Forums » Smalltalk » Outsmart my cat

So, here's a conundrum.

During the summer I have no choice but to temporarily move back in with my family, because I work at a seasonal job in the area and am not keen on paying two rents. My family recently adopted this very handsome, possibly bewitched shelter cat named Midas, who happens to be an absolute hooligan. He's intelligent, destructive, good at opening things cats shouldn't be able to open, and he loves hunting anything that's smaller than him.

The problem is that I have a leopard gecko who needs to come with me and I can't figure out how to stop him from killing her when I'm gone 9 - 5 every day.

To complicate this puzzle:

• Midas is a powerful creature immune to the conventional methods of disciplining cats. He thinks being spritzed by water is a game, likes the taste of bitter sprays, and he doesn't care if you yell at him.
• My room door is basically a cardboard slab with no lock. He's already clawed a cat-sized hole underneath it.
• My gecko's cage lid also doesn't have a lock and is easy to open because I didn't account for one day pitting it against a trickster god in a cat's body. If I weighed it down the mesh might break and crush my lizard. If Midas decides to jump onto the cage it's the same problem.
• Midas (aka Local Rowdy Man) likes to open things for the hell of it, but the harder something is to get into the more determined he is to do it, and he's unsupervised most of the day.
• I can't hide my gecko in a closet, because then she'd be getting no light or air circulation.

So. If anyone's got a suggestion, let me know. Maybe I can board up the hole in my door and add some sort of makeshift external lock. I'm not very handy and can't envision what that would involve, though. Maybe I'm overthinking it.

Move the box into the shower and close the door. I'd think such a large space world have sufficient airflow.

Ok, first of all; that's an absolutely handsome gentleman and he deserves all the pettings and cuddles 👌💕💯💯

Now, to the matter at hand; as Claine said, a good option could be to relocate her at a room with a proper lock, but that depends on how your folks get along with Lizzy.

Another good option would be covering the cage with a soft cloth; not thick enough that it blocks the air entrance, but enough so that handsome boy wouldn't feel as drawn to her. Tho, this probably won't do anything regarding the smell, so it's kind of a dumb idea.

This sounds rudimentary, but our can always ducktape the lid with several layers: not the best nor most elegant decition, but I doubt his claws can defeat+6 well placed layers of that grey thick ducktape. Also, try putting obstacles surrounding the box; stuff heavily enough that he can't do nothing but walk arround it: sounds dumb, but it might de-moralize him...or just make it difficult. Idk I'm writing this at 4am so take me with a grain of salt 😅😅😅

I await updates on Clementine and the handsome Midas boy!💕

What a cutie you've got there!!

I think there are a couple of thins you can do other than locking up your gecko.

These things are actually inherently ineffective. Cats don't associate being spritzed by water as them being corrected for their behavior, they only really associate that because you're there, they're getting something unpleasant like water or getting yelled at (which often doesn't impress them much). It's directly linked to the person, not the action, so they continue negative behavior when you're not around.

Destructive behavior in cats is a symptom of understimulation, just like in dogs. Some cats are super lazy, others are very active, and the latter tend to be described as 'demons' or 'terror cats' because their needs aren't being met, so they take care of those themselves.

What helps is for the cat to have a routine. Engage in playtime to let him hunt until he's exhausted (like panting), let him 'kill' his prey, then give him his (high protein) meal. He'll go to sleep afterwards because that's what comes natural to cats after they hunt, kill and feed. This means if you play with him until he's tired in the morning, he will sleep for most of the day.

Cats are basically as high maintenance as dogs are. They need to be extensively played with every day to release their energy in a constructive and healthy way. Tackling the core of his behavior this way will be the first step to ensuring he doesn't go after your gecko or exhibit other problematic behavior!

It can help to leave him with puzzles during the day too, after regular playtime. There are cat toys designed for puzzling and being pried open, like balls that you can fill with treats that need to be pushed around in order for the treats to fall out. They come in simple puzzles and more complex ones, but having one or two out between 9-5 can help.

Rotate toys to keep him interested in them as well. If he has a favorite toy, let him play with it for a few days, then put it away and replace it with a different one he likes. Toy rotation ensures cats don't get overly tired of the toys they have. We don't like playing with the same toys every single day for months either!

The other suggestions so far can really help to curb some of the symptoms by distracting or discouraging him, but I believe addressing the core issue of his behavior will be much more effective and lead to reduced unwanted behavior for everyone in the household, not just protecting your gecko! (And if he's already being played with every day and still showing destructive behavior, then he just needs more attention and more playtime.)

Edit: I almost forgot, place cat furniture near your door. Allow him to scent mark your room's area with scratching (cats have scent glands in their paws, scratching is a way of marking territory) so that he feels comfortable and not like he has to get in to keep his territory secure. Contrary to popular belief, cats don't scratch human furniture when you put their cat furniture right next to it. I have several scratching posts next to my couch and my cats never touch my couch - they don't have to, they have their own!

Unfortunately, the other house occupants wouldn't like this too much, but thank you for your suggestion.

I'm sure he'd take the cuddles, lmao.

The duct tape would be worth a shot as a failsafe if I didn't have to constantly take the lid off myself to feed her, give her fresh water, etc. As for your other ideas, he'd make short work of a cloth or any obstacles, and there's really no room that's safe from his mischief because none of them lock. Thank you for trying, though! I appreciate it on behalf of my lizard.

Thanks for the crash course in cat behavior; interesting stuff! Midas honestly does strike me as a very clever and energetic but very bored animal. It sounds like nobody in my family plays with him, so. I guess they shouldn't be surprised that he takes it out on inanimate objects.

I've considered trying to harness train him when I get back, since I think forays outside would make a good outlet for his usual windsprints up and down the hallway. The puzzle toys are a good idea, though. We should still have some left over from when we had a dog. In any case, I'll play with him before I leave for the day and see if that helps. There's a scratching post outside my room already, so it seems like he claws my door for no reason other than it's closed and forbidden and he wants to be in there lmao.

Buy a dog crate big enough to put your Gecko habitat into. If the cat can open a dog crate door, put a padlock on the door. Shouldn't cost much money. Dog crates aren't that expensive. When you're ready to feed or play with the gecko, unhitch the crate from the base, set it to the side, do your gecko stuff, then put the crate back on the base and relatch it. Should cat proof the gecko with a minimum of expense or fuss.


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