Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have 3 cats and an indoor pond (with turtles and fish). One of the three cats likes to jump up a short distance onto a five inch ledge that overlooks the pond. I suppose to sightsee and perhaps to dream of fish dinner (the turtles are invulnerable). She will often dip her paw into the water and drink from the pond, but I have never seen her try to catch any fish. She is a bit on the chubby side, I should add. The ledge is nice varnished wood, smooth but not slippery.

I was thinking of laying down that non-slip tape they use on bath tubs as a safety precaution, but hesitate for two reasons---it would look lousy and it may well discourage the cat from sitting on the ledge, which I know she enjoys (you know how fussy cats can be about things like a slightly altered "feel" to a favorite spot).

Worst case scenario is that one day she slips and falls in, gets really pissed off and really wet, climbs out and shakes a little water all over my living room. I am not worried about her drowning because we all know that cats can swim if they have to. And, she could climb out of the pond. My only worry is that she would tear the rubber lining as she climbed out and I'd have a huge pool of leaking water all over my carpet.

What would YOU do?

Well she hasn't fallen in yet, although that dosent mean she couldn't, but I think I would leave it alone as long as it isn't slippery and she would be able to get out if she did..
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PHTessie

A girlfriend of mine has a dramatic staircase from her entryway in high gloss, high polish wood - it's slicker then snot. Her father, who does fine woodwork, has been trying to get her to re-varnish the steps with micro glass beads added for traction. It hasn't been done because there is a debate on how it will affect the sheen of the woodwork.

If the appearance of this ledge isn't key to the appearance of your whole home (?!?) I'd say give pussycat a little traction if you're worried. Chubby fisher cat may not really need it, but how badly are you going to kick yourself if she does take a dunk? If you're going to beat yourself up, give the cat a little traction and call it insurance - the cat probably won't care, but you'll feel better!

Purrs,
Elizabeth

I am useless on this one. I am as torn as you are... Part of me says, let her go since she won't hurt herself, but there is the lining to worry about... I have a simlilar situation in that I had the bottom of my tub re-painted (long story, damage by a contractor dropping something in it cracking the finish). Since then, I am paranoid of the bottom of the tub getting scratched as I had terrible surface rust problems... Stanley loves the tub. I always kept a bowl of water in it and for years he drank out of the bowl of water in the tub. But, he doesn't really get in the tub much anymore. He wants to occasionally, but I am afraid of his nails scratching the new surface bringing rust back up eventually... So, I have a simple solution. I close the bathroom door. He has adjusted well to not going in there...

I think putting the tape on there would actually discourage her if that is what you want. I can't see her wanting to sit on the sticky tacky stuff...
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Tammy
Stanley and Pookey

The tape is not sticky---it's that rough stuff people put on stairs or on the bottom of a bath tub to prevent slipping. My concern is that once I put it on there, she will decide she no longer feels comfortable hanging out on the ledge. Then I am stuck with a really ugly ledge for no reason---once that stuff is applied, it is not coming off.