How can I keep Dori off the fish tank?

We just inherited some fish from our neighbors that are moving. We all ready had a 50 gallon tank, but never set it up. We got it all set up today and Dori is very interested in it. I don't mind her watching the fish but she keeps grabbing the drawer of the stand with her front paws and it rolls open, then she wants to jump in so she is closer to them. We are going to get come child locks for cabinets to secure the drawer and cabinets on the stand, but how can I keep her from jumping up on the fishtank? I do want her to enjoy watching them, but I don't want any accidents to happen from her climbing up the tank. Any ideas?

Try using sticky paws on the top of the fish tank:

http://www.stickypaws.com/products.cfm

I know it's supposed to keep cats from scratching furniture but I think it also deters them from walking on furniture you don't want them to walk on.

You can find it at PetSmarts.

Katie

My cat is also fascinated by the fish in my 20 gallon aquarium. She likes to jump on top of the tank and harrass the fish. It's a covered tank so she really can't get to them unless she figures out how to lift the lid. I have also found her knocking dipping her paws into the filter (hanging on outside of tank) and getting drinks. Yuck!!!

I might also try sticky paws to see if that doesn't deter my cat. I would prefer if she did not jump onto the tank. Actually, now that I think about it, there is a table next to the tank that she uses to "launch" onto the tank. Hmmm... that might solve my problem. Squirtle - Do you have anything near that tank that she uses to jump onto the tank?

Our cats sit on our tanks also. they really never bother the fish. now that honey broke down the 75gln saltwater but hasn't moved it yet, Twig still sleeps on top of it, and very rarely sleeps on any of the others. Strange cat! (He's got Luna doing it also, and she hardly ever sits on anything other then her cat tower, fish, smells? nope, at least I can't smell them, so who knows! LOL!)

Every tank should have a hood, even if just to protect the fishes' health (keep them from jumping out, helping the water chemistry stay more stable, minimize evaporation). It would also be beneficial to keep stuff from getting into the tank, especially when it starts cycling.

You can use Sticky Paws, but pretty much anything sticky (like double-sided tape) should work. Try to keep cats from bothering the fishes too much--fishes can become fearful and stressed not only by having the tank/stand moved, but also by what they see outside the tank, and some may be afraid of seeing cats in their faces

I would just be sure that the lid is secure and the table or stand that the tank is on is bolted down, so when she jumps up there, she won't tip it over accidently.

We moved a condo near the fish tank in our home in Alaska and the cats would sit on the posts for hours and just watch the african frogs and archer fish-

Thanks for all the advice. I was very worried about this over the weekend as she seemed obsessed with the tank, but now she isn't even interested in it Cats! I will never understand them. Sticky paws sounds like a good idea. My main concern was her knocking over the tank and getting hurt. But I have realized since I posted that a 55 gallon tank is very heavy, I don't think I could push it over! It's probably not possible for her, being only 10 lbs., to knock it over right? I don't know how I could bolt it down though either......

Yeah, one gallon of water weighs like eight pounds, so that would be impossible. A much more realistic worry is that the stand isn't sturdy enough and collapse, causing glass to crack and fishes to die and floor to flood...

The stand is very heavy and sturdy, I don't think that will happen. (Knock on wood)

LOL hopefully! Is it wood? Our 55 gallon had a wooden stand that worked quite well for the months we used it.

The brother of someone I met online rescues fishes and has several huge tanks (the small ones being 55g haha). One did break, but he managed to rescue every fish in the tank

I'd like to get a 75E sometime, but I'd always be paranoid about the tank breaking!

Yeah I wouldn't worry too much about the cat knocking it over. I have a 42 gallon hex at my parent's house that both the cats are obessed with every time we go overthere (someday when I move to a bottom floor apartment it's coming with me). It's needless to say a little to heavy for them to knock over.

Unless your fish easily stressed out I wouldn't think that the cat watching them would hurt them...I have a fish, a lemon neon, that swims up the to side of the tank whenever anything come near it including the cats.

My tank also sits on a wood stand, I really like it seems very sturdy. I'd love to get a bigger tank and maybe take a shot at a Saltwater Tank with it, maybe someday...I would be completely stressed out at the idea of the tank breaking though so maybe not.

It's funny you mentioned the saltwater tank. We have had this tank in our apartment for about 4 years now andit has always stayed empty. I really wanted to set it up as saltwater and get dog faced puffer fish, and some others. Well, our neighbors moved away this weekend (4 hours away) and they had 2 cichlids (sp?) and 2 algae eaters and they were going to stay in a hotel so couldn't set up their tank right away and asked if we would just keep them. They gave us their filter and some other supplies. I just bought gravel and plants and rocks. Now we have those fish living in the tank, and so now we can't set up the saltwater tank because we are stuck (ewwww stuck sounds really bad, but you know what I mean) with these freshwater fishies. They are ok, but nothing compared to my puffer fish! Guess it will be awhile until I can set up the saltwater tank!