Anyone else have problems with this kind of hitch-hiker?

[as40]

For some time now two of these little hitch-hikers have made tank-life miserable:

http://kittens.sytes.org/kitten29.jpg

Now before any of you all start laughing, this is serious! Around last August my beautiful wife whom I love dearly just had to contract not one but two of these parasitic diseases. Some of the more nasty effects of having this include:

-destroyed furniture
-chewed up wires (speaker, electrical, etc.)
-unrolled and shredded toilet paper throughout the house as if a deranged TPer ran through the house on an acid trip
-anything else made of paper destroyed/shredded/chewed up (including dust jackets and book bindings in some instances)
-hair on everything (you can't get away from this one if you're asthmatic and allergic as I am!)
-howling all night

Some of this improved with age and as the diseases went into remission but other nasties keep popping up.

Having tanks in this kind of an environment is a nightmare. It has been hell trying to make everything "cat-proof". If it were up to me I'd skin them and put their furs up on the wall, but alas, I have to let them live. At least they no longer have their claws.

After sliding down the side of one of my acrylic tanks with claws out they were completely declawed. It was that or they would have died. It took great restraint not to whirl the offender out the window by its tail.

Does anyone else have problems owning cats and aquariums, and what are your solutions? I really need help on this one!

[sulp]

I have 3 cats and a open tank. Although I do get a SMALL amount (I still don't know how I don't get more) of cat hair in the tank it is never really an issue. My biggest problem is that one of my cats sleeps on my 24" coralife hood. The hood has a fan that runs when the halides come on. Him sleeping there when i'm not home and the halides are on worries me. Other then that all 3 could pretty much care less.

[Mikkel]

Solution: Get a dog - the big cat-eating kind.

....makes me remember when I as a teenager spent a weekend helping my dad catch and kill the wild cats that were becoming a real problem 'round the farm. A week later the kids from down the road came by asking if we had seen their new cat - whoooops!

[as40]

Hehehe... Don't think I'd then want to put up with the big dog. I'm in an apartment! I'd rather just not have anything that has fur or claws, or big pointy fangs!

If only my wife hadn't brought these things home!

[Gobydude777]

...Declawing is still legal in California? :rolleyes: I must ask, besides the acrylic, what exactly is the problem? If your tank is cat-proof you have no problem. In the long run I know I will have more problems with my little cousins than the two cats who are allowed in the tank room. Honestly, cats are descended from desert animals, they won't try to catch anything in your tank if it is more than 3'' below the surface.

How old are they? This is obviouslsy kitten behavior that they will grow out of.

[Create]

whats wrong with declawing??? its legal here in kentucky, and for some reason i thought it was legal in Ohio (a lot of my friends have declawed cats in Cinci)

[eastonreef]

i have 2 siamese cats -- one wants to go fishing-- he too sleeps on the lights but only in the winter (they are warm)
1. declawing is only cruel if you do it yourself with pliers.
2. get a water gun and fire at them when they p-ss you off ..
most important:
3. remember -- "if the wife is happy everyone is happy -- if the wife is miserable everyone is too"

my cats also bounce off the walls chasing each other ,, body slamming and want not ,, its like the wwf around here sometimes..

[PrivateJoker64]

You could always get a new wife that doesn't like cats.

[Kimo]

Right after I got into reefing, I had a roomate with a tank and a roomate with a cat. The guy with the tank took the hood off, and the cat took a flying leap into the tank.

The owner of the tnak had quick reflexes (was a soccer goalie) and caught the cat right before he hit the water.

That cat would have had a very unpleasant suprise...

[Gobydude777]

Originally posted by Create
whats wrong with declawing??? its legal here in kentucky, and for some reason i thought it was legal in Ohio (a lot of my friends have declawed cats in Cinci)

It is unfortunately. I was under the impression it was starting to be banned in the U.S. Now that I think about it, it isn't as cruel when they are indoor cats.

Anyway, they shouldn't like the smell/taste of saltwater.

Oh, and if there actually is a problem, KEEP THE SQUIRT BOTTLE HANDY!;)

[as40]

Hehehe... Well, thank you for the responses!

eastonreef, agreed on number 3! That's why I allow them to stay!

PrivateJoker64, funny, but can't seriously consider that one... Like your aviator (that's what they call the little picture, right?), by the way.

Gobydude777, my tank isn't cat-proof, that's the problem... But I've been trying to make it so. The problem also is that everything else in the house has had to be made cat-proof as well, as much as possible. And then I find I miss something, but not until it is destroyed or shredded.

I cannot do many of the conventional things I'd like in keeping my tank because of fear of my cats. Declawing has helped in keeping my sanity and salvaging some of our home, but they still have fangs and like to chew, and I'm afraid they'll chew through some piping and cause a leak that will drain my tank.

I don't feel declawing is any more inhumane than spaying or neutering. We might as well make that illegal if we make declawing illegal. Heck, that's more inhumane than taking away their claws. Which would you choose, to have your balls chopped off, or your fingernails permanently removed? I know which choice I'd make, and it'd be an easy decision. For female cats it's worse- they go inside and rip out the reproductive organs. How much crueler can you get? But why do we do it?

Not for the rational excuse we use that "oh we don't want them creating strays... blah blah blah...", but rather, we don't want them spraying or bleeding all over the house, or to be inconvenienced with an unexpected litter. So it's no different than declawing, if you want to use the morality card.

But these two are completely indoor cats. They've never been outdoors.

Unfortunately, the spray bottle has no effect. They seem to enjoy water (another problem with the tank and cats). If we forget and leave a toilet seat up we'll have a drenched cat. They sleep and play in the sinks. When we tried the squirt bottle they thought it was a fun game, and wanted more spraying. I came home one day and found the squirt bottle literally chewed up so that it didn't work properly!

If anyone has any tips for things they've done to cat-proof their equipment, tank, etc. I'd be eternally grateful to know.

[sylaak]

The problem with declawing is that cats lose their defense when their are declawed and can be severely injured in a fight. Some argue that with an indoor cat it doesn't matter since they won't be exposed to that danger but cats are masters of deception and can find the damndest ways of getting outside.

That said, I wanted to get my cats declawed but the vet said no way and gave be the above lecture. Happily, my cats realize they wield weapons of mass destruction and strictly follow the M.A.D. philosophy.

[as40]

I'm afraid if ours were to get out they'd be dead before they could get into a fight anyways as on one side of the building is a high-traffic road, and on the other, another high-traffic road, with a high-traffic parking lot in between and an insurmountable wall on the last side. If they make it across the street there's more streets and a freeway to one side, and on the other, fields and hills that are howled and prowled by coyotes and mountain lions- the wonderful world of Southern California, mix of man and nature. :(

But that said, we did a lot of soul searching and research before getting them declawed, and made sure it was by a vet that knew what he was doing, and they didn't seem to experience much pain at all (unlike the horrer stories we were fed by some). In fact, same day they were home they were bouncing off the walls as if nothing had even been done- we had to check and see that they in fact had been operated on! It really was a last resort though- they destroyed literally thousands of dollars worth of furniture beforehand.

Anything people do to keep their tanks safe from their cats? Lines of defense?

[jenghes]

Gobydude,

when did declawing become illegal in Ohio? My cat is 1 year old and is declawed by a local vet here in Toledo. Some vets won't do it because they feel that it makes them lose their defense, but I have not heard of a legality issue.

Jen

[jeffbrig]

I have 3 cats and a big tank. No issues with the cats. They are curious and like to look inside the stand if I leave it open, but none of them has shown any interest in touching anything or jumping in. My canopy even has an open top. Cat hair hasn't really been a problem, but I'm sure some gets in (I would advise caution using topical flea treatments). They have never tried to jump on top of the aquarium, probably because it's almost 8 feet off the ground.

All of our cats had their front paws declawed so they can't climb or tear anything up. We paid extra for a vet who performs laser surgeries. If they were ever to get outside, they still have their back claws for defense.

[Freed]

Fiancee wants a cat and I am strictly against them 1. hair 2. don't want the house smelling like **** and poop from a litter box, and don't even think about telling me there are odorless cat boxes 3. will not stand to even try to make my tanks "cat proof"

[mimmies11]

Declawing is not illegal in Ohio. All but one of my cats are declawed and a friend of mine just had hers declawed in may. Periodically you will come across a place that won't do it. Usually, vets will only declaw the front feet, leaving claws in the back. Believe me, they still can scratch the crap out of you.

[fishinchick]

Declawing a cat is not ok. I have a cat that is 100% indoors and he has a bratty tendency that he learned from a previous room mates cat and likes to scratch up the corner of my couch.

I buy rubber cat claw caps and glue them on. They last six to eight weeks and can be reglued and reapplied later. If you have ever seen how awful declawing a cat is you would never do it.

Basically take a knife and cut each of your fingers (pad side) up to the second knuckle, take a doggy toenail trimmer and cut just below that knuckle. Grossed out yet? Try watching it. If your cat ever goes outside it will have a hard time fighting to protect itself or climb a tree to get away from the dog that is about to mangle it.

Maybe your wife needs to learn to discipline the little devils or return them because she doesnt know how to train cats? My cat hardly acknowledges the presence of the tank unless my messing with them interrupts his Royal Majesties dinner schedule. Then it's attitude and glares.

He did have a thing going with a snotty blenny I once owned but that was it. Even the food doesnt interest him. :lol:

[jellokitty]

If there were nothing possibly inhumane about declawing cats, why would they have made it illegal in the UK? Yes it really is illegal there.

It isn’t a simple matter of permanently removing their claws. It is removing their toe all the way to the second joint. I’m against it….

How many of you would scream about putting a tang in a 55g tank have their cats declawed? It’s a simple matter of knowledge. You wouldn’t put a tang in a 15g if you had the knowledge not to do so, but if you didn’t know better you’d do it. Start researching cat declawing.

There are many, many reasons not to do it, even if the cat never leaves the house. Oh yeah, it’s also illegal in Australia and NZ. And other places in the EU.


OK…cat and tank advice:

I have two kittens and two adult cats. They like to watch the fish, but that’s as far as it goes with them…although one likes to drink from the 5g tank that is set up with the water to replenish the evaporated water.

I think a book on cat training techniques is in order, as well as a secure tank cover.

Since they like water the spray thing won’t work, but cats also have an aversion to sticky things, like double sided tape.

If they’re climbing on things you don’t want them too, try some strategically placed double sided tape stuck where they step/jump.

Also try this on things they like to repeatedly put in their mouth.

After they try it like 50 times, they’ll (hopefully) learn not to do it any more.

Good Luck! :)

[runningwolf02]

From a veterinarian, reef owner and cat lovers point of view.....Declawing is roughly the equivalent of CHOPPING OFF YOUR FINGERs AT THE TOP JOINT!!! This is the reason it is outlawed in some countries--it is a very painful and usually unnecessary operation. I do not consider it humane. In addition, cats are often relinquished, given away, abandoned etc.--so even if they are indoor cats now, unless you can promise they will be you rindoor cats forever, you are putting them at a serious disadvantage for protection. Also, you are frustrating a natural desire in cats to climb and scratch. It is NOT the same as spay/neuter, which is usually performed with appropriate pain meds post-surgery, and which is necessary to prevent many health problems in the adult cat, as well as the production of unwanted behavior patterns ( that UNLIKE scratching improper surfaces, CAN'T be trained out of a cat) and most importantly unwanted kittens. I have three cats, all of whom have been trained to stay away from reef, electrical, etc stuff with a squirt gun. Younger kittens are VERY rambunctious but this behavior generally disappears by age 1 yr. Some cats are hard to train before about 6 months old because they are small bundles of energy--the trick is patience and consistency. Also, keeping claws trimmed short and providing suitable and varied scratching surfaces( different cats have different surface preferences and several different permissable scratching surfaces always need to be present for cats or they WILL scratch on something else--it is a biological imperative, not behavior to **** you off)--cats will learn easily to use a scratching post or pad if they are provided a surface and angle they enjoy--it may take a few scratching posts/pads to get it right. Obviously, if it is a choice between taking the cat to the pound or declawing it, declawing is generally preferable. However, i believe it should only be used when every effort has been made to be fair to the cats and allow them to live with their joints intact. In addition, if any fellow reefer decides they MUST declaw their cat, I encourage you to look for laser declawing--it is MUCH less traumatic and painful than traditional surgical declawing. Also, if your vet does not offer them, insist on post-op pain meds for your cat for several days.....Also, if you have a reef and want a cat, consider an older cat from a shelter rather than a young kitten. They are calmer and easier to train, and may do better in a house with delicate reef equipment.

respectfully-
Wolf

[runningwolf02]

btw, female cats are seasonal ovulators and do not bleed when in estrus......they do have a tendency to wail very loudly however.
I want to reemphasize the value that spaying/neutering has. That "inconvienent litter" is 6 or 8 or 10 cats that need homes when we already have MILLIONS of cats being euthanized in shelters in America every year. The prevention of that senseless killing is reason enough. Moreover, again, inappropriate scratching can be prevented with proper training, availability of appropriate and allowable scratching and climbing surfaces ( that is why they make cat furniture), keeping claws trimmed, or even capping claws with special caps you or a groomer can apply. In contast, Spraying by intact male cats, once it is an established behavior, is almost IMPOSSIBLE to stop, and almost always results in the person relinquishing the cat for euthanasia or to a shelter. In addition, sexually intact cats are more at risk for certain health problems, cancers, and diseases. Intact cats are also MUCH more likely to roam outdoors( even if you TRY to keep them indoors) and often meet death at the hands of cars, dogs, etc. They are also more likely to fight, putting them at risk of Feline leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency virus infections. Besides, there is no "ripping" or "chopping" involved. It is a surgical procedure, done with anesthesia , and most vets now provide good post-op pain medication. There are MANY good reasons to spay/neuter, in contrast to very few good reasons to declaw-
respectfully again-
Wolf

[K-Dubbs]

I have one cat and have never had a problem with him and the tank... I however do have one very large dog who loves to watch the fish and then stand on his hind legs and fall forward towards the tank pushing his front paws against it, hitting the tank and scaring all the fish at the same time making the tank wobble! Luckily after a few times of catching him pushing it(and almost knocking over my tank) I have trained him to not do it. I think the main thing is the kittens like to chew on everything and anything like my cat did when he was little, but give them time and it seems to go away, my cat hardly chews on anything but his food now.

K-Dubbs

[Wombat_101]

The best way to train your cat to not do what you want it to do is:

1. Say a LOUD command like STOP!
2. At the same time, Take your pointer finger a firmly whack their nose.

The nose is very sensitive on a cat so be firm but don't overdue it.

They quickly curb that behavior.

I took an Animal Behaviour course for my Psychology Major and you can easily train a cat.

Mine acts like a dog.

Greg

[jellokitty]

Wolf~

Thanks for that.

Are you a vet?

And you're against de-clawing?

Excellent...I feel like today there are so many vets that are against declawing but will preform the surgery anyways just for the $$$.

Cheers to ethics.

[jeffbrig]

Originally posted by runningwolf02
if any fellow reefer decides they MUST declaw their cat, I encourage you to look for laser declawing--it is MUCH less traumatic and painful than traditional surgical declawing. Also, if your vet does not offer them, insist on post-op pain meds for your cat for several days.....

I would like to underscore this point. Our cats are part of our family, and we take their well-being very seriously. We did tons of research before we had our cats declawed, and laser was the ONLY option. The cats were placed under anesthesia, the laser surgery performed, and after the anesthesia wore off, they were sent home with pain meds just in case (although they were not needed). The next day they were running, jumping, and playing just like they did the day before the surgery. I was amazed at the speed of their recovery. You might pay more for a laser procedure, but it is money well spent.

Some of the 'bad' vets we spoke with would have done a declaw for about 1/4 the price. However, those were the same ones who asked if we wanted to pay extra for pain management during and after the surgery (as if that were optional). Needless to say, these people did not touch our pets.

[jellokitty]

Jeffbrig~

Good call!

Vets like the ones that consider anasthesia or pain control optional make me so mad.

Would we consider going into any kind of surgery without pain control?

Heck no!

Why put pets through it.

[as40]

Wolf-

Thank you for your thoughtful response. I am not in fact against spaying/neutering. My point was/is just that many do it because of the convenience factor for the owner, not the moral/ethical reasons, even if they don't want to admit it. Mine are both neutered of course; I wouldn't want them creating strays in any event. But I do not think it is any less inhumane as far as pain goes than declawing, unless of course they were to be outdoors. My cats seemed much more affected from the neutering than they did from the declawing. They were put under anesthesia for declawing, and knocked up on post-op pain meds for a while afterwards, and never display any difference in walking/running/playing/jumping/etc. from the declawing.

It doesn't seem to be a matter that is getting better with age either, as they are both well over a year old now. They seemed calmer, and better behaved, if that is possible, when they were younger than they do now!!!

We tried training. It's hard when you both work on different schedules and nobody's home from 8AM-7PM, and you both sleep from 10PM until you get up to get ready and go to work again. But we did and do try to train them as much as we are at home to do so. We bought them expensive climbing (cat) furniture, every type of scratching post made, placed in various places at various angles, and came to the conclusion to declaw as a last resort, and I do not regret the decision.

The reason I believe it is illegal in many places is because of poor training/poor surgery by vets who are either underqualified or just out for a buck, in part, but also because of animal rights activists and super-liberals who play more on emotions than facts. If there were strict guidelines and standards for the procedure, or if owners took care to make sure they went to decent places, it isn't a bad thing.

But I must just be the exception, I guess, since none of you seem to have cats that give a hoot about the tank.

[jellokitty]

Sorry your kittens are so crazy!

good luck with em...

This is typical of what mine do:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b249/muffinlucybob/IMG000.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b249/muffinlucybob/IMG001.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b249/muffinlucybob/IMG002.jpg


my kittens prefer this:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b249/muffinlucybob/DCP_2979.jpg

:rollface: