Feline vs tarantula

Matt W

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 11, 2023
Messages
18
(I tried to search the forum for this topic, but can't figure out how since "cat" is too short.) So I have a few T's in enclosures on some bookshelves. And my daughter has pestered me enough that I might be relenting to get a cat for the house. My only real worry is how to keep the cat from knocking over T enclosures. Does anyone have tips/experience with this?
 

catboyeuthanasia

Arachnosquire
Joined
Aug 10, 2023
Messages
137
Unfortunately, it all comes down to the personality of the cat you may get. Some cats show absolutely no interest in tarantulas while others would jump at the chance to kill one. You'll never know until you meet the cat and spend a good bit of time with it.

Some things can improve your chances though:
  • Tinfoil on ledges can stop cats from jumping up onto them. This can be used to teach your cat to avoid jumping on things (not foolproof, but I found that it works)
  • If your cat has enough stimulation, it will be less likely to want to knock things over. Lots of nice toys and climbing areas, as well is walks if your cat is the type, can help make them more chill
  • If you can put your tarantulas, especially light enclosures in their own, closed room, that can also work
  • In extreme cases, it might be the right call to keep a spray bottle next to your Tarantula enclosures and let your cat know what it can do
  • A other thing to worry about are flea/mite medications. Some types can easiely kill a spider. I use revolution plus, a liquid that you drop on their skin, and keep my cat away from my tarantula enclosures for about a day after. My tarantulas never showed any negative side effects, and neither did my centipedes, velvetworms, and isopods in case this is relevant.
 

Matt W

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 11, 2023
Messages
18
  • A other thing to worry about are flea/mite medications. Some types can easiely kill a spider. I use revolution plus, a liquid that you drop on their skin, and keep my cat away from my tarantula enclosures for about a day after. My tarantulas never showed any negative side effects, and neither did my centipedes, velvetworms, and isopods in case this is relevant.
Wow, thank you! All of your suggestions are great, but it's good to be thinking about these medications early.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
18,533
(I tried to search the forum for this topic, but can't figure out how since "cat" is too short.) So I have a few T's in enclosures on some bookshelves. And my daughter has pestered me enough that I might be relenting to get a cat for the house. My only real worry is how to keep the cat from knocking over T enclosures. Does anyone have tips/experience with this?
Yes!
No cat
 

kingshockey

Arachnoangel
Active Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2017
Messages
950
ditch the book shelves(they are not quake safe) and buy a harbor freight tool cart. house your ts in storage boxes that cant be toppled over when it jumps onto em. house all your slings into a large vented storage box.my cart has a wide wheel base so it would take a pretty major quake to tip it over
 

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SpookySpooder

"embiggened"
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Jun 21, 2023
Messages
1,086
My advice is train it.

This is my street cat, pulled from the streets at 2.5 years old with literally no sense of obedience or social conditioning. He is now 6.5 years old and in that time he has not harmed a single one of my other animals.

Despite him wanting to be pet and to sit on my lap, he understands I do not want him near me when I'm working with my T's, and so behaves exactly how I've conditioned him to respond. He won't even come over if I beckon and call him because he understands I get very displeased with him when he does. Even looking at my T cabinet is enough to get me to verbally warn him, so he's decided for himself it isn't worth the trouble.
20240109_234705.jpg
I feel bad for him but I need time to feed my slings too.

If you can't train your cat then you got your work cut out for you trying to cat proof open shelving. As mentioned above, aluminum foil works wonders at discouraging jumping onto surfaces.
 

Arachnophobphile

Arachnoangel
Active Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2018
Messages
911
(I tried to search the forum for this topic, but can't figure out how since "cat" is too short.) So I have a few T's in enclosures on some bookshelves. And my daughter has pestered me enough that I might be relenting to get a cat for the house. My only real worry is how to keep the cat from knocking over T enclosures. Does anyone have tips/experience with this?
You don't want my advice on a cat 🤣
 

Gilligan

Arachnosquire
Joined
Oct 30, 2020
Messages
126
I second training. I have 3 cats and they haven't bothered my T's, they know to stay far away from them. Putting plastic chicken wire over your shelves can keep cats off them as well.
 

fcat

Arachnodemon
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Jan 1, 2023
Messages
694
Don't tell Viper I said this but I love my cats more than my Ts because my Ts can't communicate their disdain as well as cats can.

For my cats protection, once we blend households the Ts will be in their own room.

Back in my early keeping days when they did live together, I put them on shelves that were already cat proofed...over 5' tall and no space for them to land on if they make the ascent. That included ceiling space under the next tier. It only takes a inch to hook a claw. Far from a corner, they can ricochet to jump higher.

Then, Velcro the tank down. This will be useless if there is space on the shelf for the cat

I can't tell you how many times I found my boy sitting in the roach tank. In that meatloaf position. Cozy. Pulled the attention from the Ts though 🤣
 

Ultum4Spiderz

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 13, 2011
Messages
6,005
My current cats never found my Ts yet. Although my sisters cat snowy killed my fireleg a few years ago by jumping ontop my tv stand which I was very sad and angry 😡 over 🥲. Sadly the cats 🐱 gone too from old age .. :sad:
 

kingshockey

Arachnoangel
Active Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2017
Messages
950
its easy just to confine your cat into a bedroom when its t feeding time thats how i ensure safety for all since my cat is really only interested in the crickets. :rofl:doesnt help that i let her hunt and eat one or two now and then:rolleyes:they "escape" now and then atleast thats what i tell the gf
 

ladyratri

Arachnopen-minded
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Feb 15, 2022
Messages
587
I love my cats more than my Ts because my Ts can't communicate their disdain as well as cats can.
Perfection 🤣

I keep my T's in a room with a closed door. Cats are allowed in that room only when supervised by an adult (human). So far we are incident free.

Same as some other folks said above, my cats are more interested in the feeders ....I call it cricket TV 🤣
 
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