WoW Petopia Community

I desperately want a lizard. I fell in love with one at PetCo, a Madagascar Rainbow Rock lizard. My girlfriend said absolutely no, because I have a homicidal cat. But I've been working on her, until I finally got a "maybe" I think I can convince her. The cat, however, remains an issue. She is a hunt-y, bloodthirsty thing with quick reflexes and a clever mind. I don't want her eating my lizard, obviously. So, any advice on keeping a lizard safe from a cat? Or is my girlfriend right that this is never going to work?

_________________

Flight Rising Lair

I don't mean this to be discouraging, but if your cat is the persistent type then I'd caution against it. A few years back my best friend got a crested gecko while she had cats. She took every precaution, made sure the tank was secure, and there seemed to be no problems. Then one day after nearly a year of keeping the gecko, her cat suddenly decided to force his way into the tank and eat him while she was asleep.

If there's a room you could keep the reptile in that the cat would have no access to, then that could be a good idea. You'd just have to be cautious not to let the cat into that room, especially when you aren't present.

And as always, when it comes to any reptile, please do your research before buying. They often need a lot more care and maintenance than pet store chains would have you believe. Good luck!

_________________

• Flight Rising lair

I've heard mixed messages about cats with lizards! I had good luck for the (limited) time I was taking care of a gecko at home with my two cats, but I've heard all too many horror stories. I think Veph has the right of it, with having a room to keep your little lizard pal where your cat can't get. Even the most cat-proofed tank in the world can still be a cat television set and a lot of lizards can be seriously spooked and stressed out by cats pawing at the glass or watching them. (also seriously, seriously- before you get a lizard, find a vet who works with them. A friend of mine lost their year-old leopard gecko today because they never found a vet and their gecko got sick.)

Good luck if you do manage to figure out a way to figure things out! I've fallen thoroughly in love with reptiles since moving in with the GF and her little leopard gecko, and we're planning on a skink and eventual tegu when we finally get our own place!

_________________

Tumblr ~ Flight Rising
Signature by Crookfish, thank you so much!

I used to keep them when I was a kid, and we always had a cat or two and dogs running about. There weren't any problems. But my cat is not normal. We actually have two, but the other one as the hunting instincts of a rock and would probably be scared of it.

However, my lizard being "cat TV" is not a good thought. I don't want it stressed.

Maybe I should just get a nice lizard figurine and call it good and get reptiles when my mammalian predators have passed on.

_________________

Flight Rising Lair