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(RL) I need a lizard

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 6:36 pm
by Teigan
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?

Re: (RL) I need a lizard

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 6:45 pm
by Vephriel
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!

Re: (RL) I need a lizard

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 9:37 pm
by Lupis
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!

Re: (RL) I need a lizard

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2018 3:37 am
by Teigan
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.

Re: (RL) I need a lizard

Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2019 6:10 am
by JohanKlof
We also had two lizards, I remember holding their tales on one side of the room and releasing them at the same time. They would sprint to the other side, like some sort of race lol. Unfortunately one died and the other one grew into an enormous one. We sold him when we were going on a holiday for a month. :( Still miss him

Re: (RL) I need a lizard

Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2019 4:45 pm
by Lupen202
I have a bird with three cats and two dogs, and while not exactly the same.. similar situation. Prey animal. Except one of the dogs is the issue, the cats are pretty ok though I'd never trust them alone. Accidents can always happen of course, but the bird is always in my office/gaming room with me where he's always supervised and when I can't supervise him I just shut the door and lock the cats & dogs out. If you have a room you can use for the lizard then it definitely can work, like Veph said. It's just on you to be super vigilant about it.

Re: (RL) I need a lizard

Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2019 9:26 pm
by Teigan
Thanks for the input, though this thread was necro'd from nearly a year ago :) I've decided against getting a lizard for now

Re: (RL) I need a lizard

Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2019 9:16 pm
by Lupen202
Teigan wrote:Thanks for the input, though this thread was necro'd from nearly a year ago :) I've decided against getting a lizard for now
Oh god I didn't even notice they did lol.

Re: (RL) I need a lizard

Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2019 10:02 pm
by Teigan
Lupen202 wrote:
Teigan wrote:Thanks for the input, though this thread was necro'd from nearly a year ago :) I've decided against getting a lizard for now
Oh god I didn't even notice they did lol.
haha, yeah, the singular awkwardness of a necro'd thread! :lol:
We've all done it though