I have a fish, a beta fish. He lives in a bowl on my high dresser. I'd bet that if my kitty is new, it won't be able to get up so high, but of course there's always a chance, and I'm worried about Neptune. Do any of you have fish & cats too? I don't want him to get eaten, as I'd doubt that'd be good for either of them.
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Kitten vs. Fish -- Possible?
- Thread starter ryrymini
- Start Date
I know there are a lot of people on the sit who have fish and cats living in harmony, but I have a story to share.
When I first moved into the dorms when I went to college, I got a betta named Oscar. Oscar lived happily with me throughout the entire school year despite an accident during bowl cleaning where I dropped him on the counter, he rolled under the microwave then onto the floor and got his fins stuck to a size sticker from a piece of clothing. I ripped off the sticker (and some fin pieces), he bled a bit, but survived.
When I went home for the summer, my mothers cats (we don't know which one is the actual culprit) knocked the entire bowl off of the top of the fridge (Oscar's "safe" place) and killed him.
I think you just have to be very careful about letting the two mix.
When I first moved into the dorms when I went to college, I got a betta named Oscar. Oscar lived happily with me throughout the entire school year despite an accident during bowl cleaning where I dropped him on the counter, he rolled under the microwave then onto the floor and got his fins stuck to a size sticker from a piece of clothing. I ripped off the sticker (and some fin pieces), he bled a bit, but survived.
I think you just have to be very careful about letting the two mix.
hhmm..you dont want kitty falling in either!
my parents had a huge marine tank & the cat (a very big cat i may add) managed to get inside, cracking the glass with the added pressure & crash everything came down around her..(thank god as otherwise she may have drowned) but this meant thousands of pounds worth of damage..fish..everything gone..& that also meant the house was flooded...so onto the insurance company we went..which meant new carpets throughout the house...i could go on..but i'm having an image of neptune being only little in a little tank..lol
but i thought you'd like my story...
more to the point, i should think kitty (if kitty even notices neptune) wouldn't be able to get up that high...unless kitty made it kitties mission! i did know of a friend who had the same idea as you but her (grown cat) did get to poor bubbles the goldfish
& he was found weeks later behind the dresser...someone had had a great time playing with him! although bubbles may not have agreed with that statement..
i'd say dont worry too much..but do keep an eye on your kitty..especially if kitty has an eye on neptune!
my parents had a huge marine tank & the cat (a very big cat i may add) managed to get inside, cracking the glass with the added pressure & crash everything came down around her..(thank god as otherwise she may have drowned) but this meant thousands of pounds worth of damage..fish..everything gone..& that also meant the house was flooded...so onto the insurance company we went..which meant new carpets throughout the house...i could go on..but i'm having an image of neptune being only little in a little tank..lol
more to the point, i should think kitty (if kitty even notices neptune) wouldn't be able to get up that high...unless kitty made it kitties mission! i did know of a friend who had the same idea as you but her (grown cat) did get to poor bubbles the goldfish
i'd say dont worry too much..but do keep an eye on your kitty..especially if kitty has an eye on neptune!
My parents' cat used to drink out of the fish bowl. She had absolutely no interest in the fish. (When the fish eventually died of old age, my parents didn't replace them, just to be on the safe side.)
I am confident that Spike, even as a tiny kitten, could climb onto any surface if he was interested and determined enough. I swear he levitates. He's also freakishly strong and could knock just about any container over -- especially if the container is full of water or something else that would be fun to spill all over the floor. The fish, while certainly interesting, would be incidental in Spike's mind: spilling water and making a mess is more fun. Once the fish is flopping on the floor, however, it'd be all over.
Oz wouldn't climb up onto anything high, but if the fish lived on a level he felt comfortable reaching (say, about chest level), he'd go for it. And unlike Spike, Oz would be all about killing and eating the fish. (Although getting his paws wet might deter him for a bit -- he and Spike would probably end up tag-teaming the poor fish. Spike would knock the bowl over and play with the water, Oz would kill and devour the fish. Teamwork!)
I am confident that Spike, even as a tiny kitten, could climb onto any surface if he was interested and determined enough. I swear he levitates. He's also freakishly strong and could knock just about any container over -- especially if the container is full of water or something else that would be fun to spill all over the floor. The fish, while certainly interesting, would be incidental in Spike's mind: spilling water and making a mess is more fun. Once the fish is flopping on the floor, however, it'd be all over.
Oz wouldn't climb up onto anything high, but if the fish lived on a level he felt comfortable reaching (say, about chest level), he'd go for it. And unlike Spike, Oz would be all about killing and eating the fish. (Although getting his paws wet might deter him for a bit -- he and Spike would probably end up tag-teaming the poor fish. Spike would knock the bowl over and play with the water, Oz would kill and devour the fish. Teamwork!)
Mirinae I love your cats' names!
I would not trust a cat with one of those small fish bowls personally. I have 10-gallon tanks and I always make sure they have a lid on them just in case. Of course, half the time they are housing frogs or other things that might escape so they need a lid anyway. When I was a kid I had taken a pet frog to school one day in a plastic "critter keeper" (small plastic aquarium.) When I got home I left him in the container and left the room.. When I came back the container had been knocked onto the floor (lid apparently popped open when it was knocked down) and the little frog was nowhere to be found. I'm sure my cat had a nice little snack.
I would not trust a cat with one of those small fish bowls personally. I have 10-gallon tanks and I always make sure they have a lid on them just in case. Of course, half the time they are housing frogs or other things that might escape so they need a lid anyway. When I was a kid I had taken a pet frog to school one day in a plastic "critter keeper" (small plastic aquarium.) When I got home I left him in the container and left the room.. When I came back the container had been knocked onto the floor (lid apparently popped open when it was knocked down) and the little frog was nowhere to be found. I'm sure my cat had a nice little snack.
A 10 gallon is preferable for a beta but I wont' get into that. I would try to get him into something with a lid though. There are many desktop aquariums you can get anywhere from 2-8 gallons that would do very nicely and would provide a safer home for your beta.
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Agreed with the above poster about the size of the beta tank. They are also safe with other fish, as long as the other fish are peaceful and not fin-nippers.
Unless your cat likes water, you're probably fine. Princess avoids the fish tank. Puppy cuts a wide swath around all things known to contain water. Patches is curious. Enough so that she prefers the fish tank water above most other watering places, and she will sit and watch them. A couple times she's raised a paw as though she were considering it. But then she backs down. I think she just prefers not to get wet.
As long as there's a tank cover, I think you're fine. BTW, a cat might knock over a tiny bowl, but they won't be able to push over a 5 gallon. Another reason to get a larger tank.
A well planted tank may also help. Betas like plants and will hide under them. This will make it harder for kitty to catch him.
Unless your cat likes water, you're probably fine. Princess avoids the fish tank. Puppy cuts a wide swath around all things known to contain water. Patches is curious. Enough so that she prefers the fish tank water above most other watering places, and she will sit and watch them. A couple times she's raised a paw as though she were considering it. But then she backs down. I think she just prefers not to get wet.
As long as there's a tank cover, I think you're fine. BTW, a cat might knock over a tiny bowl, but they won't be able to push over a 5 gallon. Another reason to get a larger tank.
A well planted tank may also help. Betas like plants and will hide under them. This will make it harder for kitty to catch him.
My first cat Mitten (who was terrified of water) was fine with fish. We had cleaned one tank out and put the fish in a bucket. Well Mitten came along and figured it was an easy meal, till he put his foot in the water and found out fish swim in water! Never bothered a fish again
But if your betta is only in a little bowl, you need to get a small aquarium - 5/10 gallon one and have a covered top. Otherwise your fish risks getting eaten or worse, the bowl knocked over with water/fish on the floor - and then eaten.
But if your betta is only in a little bowl, you need to get a small aquarium - 5/10 gallon one and have a covered top. Otherwise your fish risks getting eaten or worse, the bowl knocked over with water/fish on the floor - and then eaten.
I just found a cute little 2 gallon tank with the top completely covered for my betta.The tank has a divider so you can put more than one betta in it. The cats love it, but they cannot get to the fish. They are such fun to watch, because they get nose to nose and watch each other.
Mikey is the same way. the fish has not interest in mikey as well.
I keep my two betta bowls about waist level on a stand that is very stable.
I dont mind mikey going for a drink, I find, like children, the more i try and stop him or move things out of his reach, the more mikey goes for it.
just one of those things I guess.
I have a fish tank and now 3 cats in one house. Soon to be two tanks!
Anyway, when I lived in Sidney I had Stanley, Sadie, and a 20 gallon tank. We didn't have a lid for it at first and Stanley would constantly drink from it. He never had any interest in the fish, just the water.
I have never had a problem with the two in the same house. And my tank is on a desk that if my cats really wanted to, they could get on. And before my new place the tank was on my desk under a ledge! My friend Brad (who is now my roommate) had a 10 gallon with one cat, and Stripes never went near the tank. My sister has two tanks and two cats and a dog! Everyone seems happy there as well. The cats watch the tank, but I haven't heard of any real problems. Except for Milo occasionally standing on the lid!
Anyway, when I lived in Sidney I had Stanley, Sadie, and a 20 gallon tank. We didn't have a lid for it at first and Stanley would constantly drink from it. He never had any interest in the fish, just the water.
I have never had a problem with the two in the same house. And my tank is on a desk that if my cats really wanted to, they could get on. And before my new place the tank was on my desk under a ledge! My friend Brad (who is now my roommate) had a 10 gallon with one cat, and Stripes never went near the tank. My sister has two tanks and two cats and a dog! Everyone seems happy there as well. The cats watch the tank, but I haven't heard of any real problems. Except for Milo occasionally standing on the lid!
With the cats I have now, no way would I get a fish - both love to play in water
