Cats

[Swiftchameleon]

I have two cats and one loves to look at my chameleon but she doesn't want to hurt him. But the other likes to hunt and tries to attack him. I try to keep them away but sometimes they won't go away. Also I have to go to school and I don't want them to watch him or attack while I am not home. Are there any ways to keep them away?

 

[absolutbill]

I'm really hoping that your chameleons are in cages, that are securely fastened. Can you close a door to the room that they are in? Can you close your cat into a room while no one is at home? Can you place your cages on higher surfaces so that your cats can't see or try to hunt them? Even if the cats don't get to the chameleons, just by "hunting" them they will be majorly stressed out. Some members on here will tell you not to have cats, but I'm not one of them - I happen to love cats, but just be mindful of a cat's natural instincts and protect your chameleons accordingly.

 

[Kayroxyoursox]

I also have a cat and I'm sure if he had the chance he would hunt my cham down. My chameleon stays in his cage though unless I am in the room with him and the door is closed so the cat can't get in. It really isn't that hard to keep the cats away

 

[CrazyPetLady]

I have 3 cats in my apartment. I love my kitties and cham to death and while my cats do not care at all of him being there, he a giant vertical enclosure to easily hide himself away and the latches are extremely tight (sometimes I struggle to open it!) I got lucky as my cats do not care but one cat literally does not show up until my boyfriend is home from work and my other two more so like to chill in the bedroom where my cham isn't. Good luck with kitties! Sometimes they're little brats

 

[Swiftchameleon]

I also have a cat and I'm sure if he had the chance he would hunt my cham down. My chameleon stays in his cage though unless I am in the room with him and the door is closed so the cat can't get in. It really isn't that hard to keep the cats away

My chameleon is not in a room that doesn't have a door and my cats are around sadly the one time he is out of his cage is when I hold him and the cats don't bother him then. My main concern is them staring at him. I will just have to put the cats in the basement

 

[OldChamKeeper]

Let the cats go outside, they'll find something else to chase (or be chased). Either way the Cham is safe.

 

[Swiftchameleon]

Let the cats go outside, they'll find something else to chase (or be chased). Either way the Cham is safe.

Only one of them really watches him but she is too scared to go outside

 

[Carlton]

Only one of them really watches him but she is too scared to go outside

A cham who is being watched by a huge predator will be extremely stressed. He doesn't know that the cat may not hurt him. All he sees is a constant threat. You need to keep the cat away from the cham, who is confined and can't escape!

 

[Swiftchameleon]

A cham who is being watched by a huge predator will be extremely stressed. He doesn't know that the cat may not hurt him. All he sees is a constant threat. You need to keep the cat away from the cham, who is confined and can't escape!

I understand that the chameleon is stressed and I need to keep the cat away. I just don't know how.

 

[leedragon]

I understand that the chameleon is stressed and I need to keep the cat away. I just don't know how.

look the cats in a room that the chameleon isn´t in or have the chameleon in a room the cats can go inside of

 

[Scout]

I have this problem as well. There's no way to just lock a cat in a room.. You must not own a cat. Also my cat has 5 inch biceps... He'll open ANY door. Unless theirs a room with a liter box, food, water, and a scratching post it isn't plossible..

 

[Carlton]

I understand that the chameleon is stressed and I need to keep the cat away. I just don't know how.

It sounds as if the only way you have is to keep them apart when you are not in the room. If it means putting either cats or cham in your basement (or some other room with a door) that's your choice. If you are in the room with them you may be able to discourage the cats from getting near the cham's cage, but when you are gone you'll need to separate them. If you can't do this you would either have to cover the cham's cage so the cats can't see it (not really practical) or give the cham to someone who can give it a better situation.

 

[OldChamKeeper]

I understand that the chameleon is stressed and I need to keep the cat away. I just don't know how.

"Got Cat problems? NO PROBLEM!". Oldchamkeeper is here with volumes of anti cat tactics going back decades.

Got a cat that won't leave your lizards alone? Fight back with devious inventions only a true chameleon keeper scarred by losing a cham to cat could invent!

For just $15.99 you can purchase this handwritten notebook with doodles showing you how to deal with your cat around Lizards, for example:

Page 4 - Using soundwaves to freak that cat out. Hook up an air horn to a motion activated sensor. While the chameleon wont mind it your neighbors will! Not to mention what happens to the cat. Does require a ladder to remove the cat from the ceiling after use....

Page 19 - Go medieval in your defense! Place a "moat" around the cage starting 2' out and ring the cage with mouse traps! One of those goes off and the cat will bugger off back his forest! Add tuna to a few for faster results...

Page 31 - Place a pressure sensor under a comfy looking towel near the chameleon cage. wen the cat comes up to scare the **** out of your cham again it will sit in the comfy towel. The pressure sensor then goes off which happens to be connected to a wired door on a pet kennel which inside contains a weiner dog that has been trained to not like cats. While this can be expensive it is far more entertaining.

However in your case I'll give you a freebie:

Go buy a "scatmat" they are used to keep cats out of a baby's crib. Put it out around the area where the cat likes to view your chameleon, or come up with a way to narrow down the choices of space the cat has. Either way get it to step on the mat near the chams cage. Also very entertaining.

If you don't come up with a solution, you are going to lose one pet or the other. Your call.

 

[jannb]

You might find this blog by one of our senior members helpful.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/dansb/785-how-secure-against-cats.html

 

[Swiftchameleon]

In the past few days the cats have only looked at my Cham once. They seem to be losing interest

 

[CrazyPetLady]

Actually some to think about it as well, I don't know how much it would help depending on the set up, but at least at Petsmarts here, They sell things you hook up to areas you don't want cats going near. I think it's just water or something. It's supposed to be motion sensor and will spray as soon as the cat comes by

 

[absolutbill]

In the past few days the cats have only looked at my Cham once. They seem to be losing interest

Even a lion will bypass a gazelle when he's full. It doesn't mean he's losing interest, just that at the moment he's got other things to occupy his time. Seriously, cats are predators, chameleons are prey, a solution has to be found, and quickly.

 

[Carlton]

Even a lion will bypass a gazelle when he's full. It doesn't mean he's losing interest, just that at the moment he's got other things to occupy his time. Seriously, cats are predators, chameleons are prey, a solution has to be found, and quickly.

Yes. Just when you drop your guard assuming all is well it can happen, and happen FAST! How many times has this forum heard these sad stories? You don't want to know.

I know this story isn't about chams, but it is about having a predator (a dog) and potential prey (2 aviary birds) in the same room. I had the birds for a couple of years so they were settled in their space and even came out to free fly when I was watching. I adopted the dog, spent a good month teaching him that the aviary was totally off limits, blocking access to the aviary (it was a soft mesh, not an iron barred parrot cage), re-directing his attention away from the birds, etc. He seemed to lose interest. One day after work I removed the aviary barrier as usual but also made sure the birds were not loose, the dog was in the room on his own while I went out back to get firewood. I was outside about 20 minutes. Came back in to find a ripped up aviary and both my beloved birds torn apart all over the floor. I have never forgiven my self and it was years ago.