>>i just adopted a new adult cat last week. the reason i was hesitant to do so, despite our obvious connection at first sight, was that i have several reptiles and small animals around the house. I was overjoyed to see her lack of an apparant desire to harm them, but she is a cat, and moving things catch attention. My question is what is the best way to keep her off the tops of cages and tables surrounding them. she knows what down means, and im pretty sure she knows shes not SUPPOSED to be in certain places. i started with a "No" and removing her to the floor. then it escalated to water spraying. she just cant help herself. its imperative i fix this problem, as a fallen heat lamp could be disastrous and a collapsed cage top could be the same. Thanks for any suggestions you can give me!

You may have to rethink how and where you have your cages set up. Is there a place you can put them where she can't jump up? Can you somehow block her access to the cages? Is there something stronger than screen that can be securely attached to the cage?

I've also heard that cup of marbles precariously balanced on something will make an excellent deterrent when a cat leaps up on something - the clatter of the marbles really can startle them. Some people put mousetraps upside down on places their cats jump, although I would be fearful of a safety issue. However, some behaviorists recommend this and you might want to consider this.

I hope some other members who have small caged animals will chime in. You might want to post in the reptile and small mammal forums and see what they recommend!
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Smile, it will make them wonder what you are up to!

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